Arthur Guinness was just 34 when he signed a 9,000-year lease, on a then-disused brewery in Dublin’s St. James’s Gate on 31 December 1759 for an annual rent of £45.
A few years later Guinness switched production to focus entirely on dark porter.
And by 1886 the St. James’s Gate brewery had become the biggest in the world, later going on to produce the legendary stout known as the ‘black stuff’.
The thirst for Guinness has since grown into a worldwide success story, nowhere more than in the UK, where one in every nine pints sold is Guinness. At the same time, Guinness has seen its highest-ever brand penetration among younger, legal-drinking-age consumers.
Much of this growth success is down to the Guinness brand strategy for attracting a new and younger audience being to embrace social media and user-generated content (UGC), rather than relying solely on traditional TV ads
A new kind of social drinking
Guinness has sparked a social media trend that connected the iconic brand with Gen Z and younger consumers, and gave us “Guinfluencers” (Guinness influencers).
These content creators have inspired a considerable following for the brand, particularly among younger drinkers and women through viral content such as ‘splitting the G’, a highly-shared ritual where the first sip of a pint lowers the liquid to exactly halfway down the ‘G’ on the Guinness glass.
The Guinness tilt test is another social media ploy where drinkers gently tilt their Guinness pint a few degrees; if the creamy head doesn’t spill, it’s a sign of a perfectly poured pint.
From Zero to Hero
Then came Guinness 0.0. in 2020, a non-alcoholic Guinness that saw the brand invest heavily to align itself with health-conscious trends, upping global sales by 3% and doubling consumption across Europe in June 2024.
Further contributing to the ever-expanding appeal of Guinness is its Premier League Sponsorship. Aligned with its 0.0 alcohol-free messaging, this partnership has boosted its appeal to female consumers (reporting a 27% increase in female drinkers in Great Britain).
Tinnovation
We were also given The Guinness Nitrosurge device that uses ultrasonic technology to create the iconic smooth, creamy, two-part pour of Guinness – at home.
The Guinness Storehouse
In 2000 The Guinness Storehouse opened, and the brand home has grown to become one of Ireland’s most popular visitor experiences. Perched atop the Guinness Storehouse, the Gravity Bar is an iconic spot that offers breathtaking 360-degree views of the city, while you savour a pint of Guinness, Guinness 0.0 or a soft drink.
In all of this, the brand has reinterpreted its heritage of product quality for a new generation, and in the process becoming the top-selling beer in the UK on-trade, with one in every nine pints sold being a Guinness.
Sláinte!