“Keep Drinking the Black Stuff”: Diageo Explains How Guinness Maintains Its Relevance

As a brand synonymous with quality, Guinness acknowledges its legendary past. Global director for beers at Diageo, Gráinne Wafer, stated that the company “recognises it is standing on the shoulders of giants.” With a rich legacy dating back over 260 years and a marketing presence since 1929, Guinness has consistently stayed true to its core values, navigating cultural shifts with a blend of tradition and innovation – while staying true to its promise to match its quality of advertising to the taste of its beer.

However, recent challenges have emerged in reaching a more diverse and younger audiences while shedding outdated and heavily-masculine associations, she shared last week at Little Black Book's Better Together summit. “We reached a tipping point,” said Gráinne. “While our established brand strategies had carried us far, they wouldn’t sustain us for the future we envisioned for Guinness. Despite our pride in Guinness as a brand ‘for everyone,’ we’d begun to lose broad appeal. Our strategy had to pivot.”

Instead of resting on its laurels, Guinness evolved by adopting a community-first marketing mindset to connect with a new generation of consumers on their own terms. “We made several key shifts: moving from big, polished TV ads to more flexible, user-generated content; working closely with creators and collaborators; and transitioning from a rigid brand experience to more inclusive ones,” says Gráinne.

The team at Guinness decided to embrace co-creation and community-driven content, putting their core values front and centre – by focusing on quality, distinctiveness, and innovation, all reimagined through a community-first lens. The need for adaptability became especially evident during the pandemic, when bars and pubs shut down for months. In response, Guinness implemented a model to meet consumers where they were – on social media – pivoting from large-scale TVCs to UGC and collaborating with influencers, referred to by Diageo as ‘Guinfluencers.’

This approach allowed Guinness to tap into the humour, authenticity, and camaraderie that resonates with younger audiences. The result has been highly engaging campaigns that bridge the brand’s iconic history with the playful, co-created content that thrive on social platforms today.

Another key aspect of Guinness’s approach was the introduction of ‘The Rituals,’ a series of community-driven actions that encourage fans to share and personalise their Guinness experience, “as a way of captivating the next generation of Guinness drinkers,” said Gráinne. “Think of these rituals as inside jokes, ways to signal that you’re part of the ‘in-crowd.’” They create a sense of belonging with younger drinkers and build loyalty, circulating on social media and reaching millions, sparking curiosity and fostering a shared identity among Guinness drinkers.

One of the most successful initiatives within ‘The Rituals’ was the ‘tilt test,’ a playful way for fans to share perfectly-poured pints online. Guinness embraced this user-generated phenomenon, allowing it to spread organically, and even exaggerated the ritual to keep it relevant by creating product theatre through its ‘singing pints’ initiative. “We’ve seen an 182% growth in earned reach for these rituals, which are acting as recruitment tools, attracting new audiences and building fandom on a large scale, making quality exciting and fun,” added Gráinne. “This success is even showing up in our quality scores in-market, which is fantastic.”

Few brands have an image as recognisable as Guinness, with its black and white pint – tapping into distinctive characteristic: “You can walk into any bar, and even without branded glasses, it’s clear when someone is drinking Guinness—a true superpower we’ve made central to our marketing,” said Gráinne. During lockdown, fans on the internet started sharing humorous photos of random objects that resembled a pint of Guinness, such as black and white socks or bins. Guinness leaned into this trend and worked with its long-term agency AMV BDDO to create the ‘Welcome Back’ campaign, which celebrated the return to socialising and captured the longing for a simple night at the pub with friends. The campaign’s success underscored the timeless allure of the brand, and meant that the brand stayed top of mind when pubs reopened. It also became a springboard for more collaborative campaigns between the brand, creators and influencers.

“When you have this level of fanaticism,” said Gráinne, “there's a unique chance to harness the creativity that surrounds it. That’s how we’ve thrived within the community: by fully engaging with and embracing their creativity. One interesting thing was that by loosening our approach to brand distinctiveness and inviting collaborators and creators in, we actually made an iconic brand even more iconic through this informal touch.”

 

This informality – to an otherwise polished brand aesthetic – has continued to make Guinness more accessible to younger, creative audiences who value authenticity. And with further iterations, such as the ‘Guinness Gear,’ merchandise created in partnership with independent artists and rolled out across cultural moments like music festivals and sports events, these collaborations have brought a new dimension to the brand.

Guinness’s community-first approach isn’t limited to marketing – it also influences product innovation, the brand’s third key priority. One of the most successful products born from this strategy is the Guinness Nitro Surge, a device that allows fans to pour a perfect pint of Guinness wherever they may be. Guinness collaborated with fans to gather insights on how people enjoy their pints outside the pub, turning this feedback into a solution that brings a piece of the Guinness pub experience to any setting. Nitro Surge became an instant hit, with the launch selling out within days.

“Nitro Surge is a perfect example of using social listening and staying close to our consumers to validate and accelerate ideas,” said Gráinne. “This gave us a day-one audience of super fans, building the community from the start.”

Through this community-driven product launch, Guinness transformed a traditional brewing legacy into a brand that’s both aspirational and accessible, inviting fans to play an active role in shaping the Guinness experience and helping the brand to continue growing into new markets across Asia and Africa. “Our focus isn’t just on riding trends but on shaping enduring cultural moments that make a real impact on the brand,” said Gráinne. “Notably, we’re reaching new audiences, including a 27% increase in women drinkers in Great Britain.”

Guinness’s story offers key lessons for legacy brands navigating the digital age. First, Gráinne emphasises the importance of being social-first. “Social is essential,” she said. Younger consumers are prioritising social platforms over traditional media, and Guinness’s shift from big-budget TV ads to adaptable social content shows how brands can stay relevant by meeting consumers in their preferred spaces. Guinness embraced the feedback loop of social media, using data to refine its marketing approach and keep campaigns timely and engaging.

Another takeaway is Guinness’s commitment to “brand truth.” Guinness’s history and quality standards are a fundamental part of its identity. Instead of compromising on these values, Guinness has redefined them in ways that speak to modern audiences. “Being clear about what truly matters, and staying committed to it, allows you to embrace new opportunities without losing your identity,” said Gráinne. “This foundation of authenticity helps you innovate while preserving your brand’s core values.” Guinness has been able to flexibly innovate while staying true to its roots to ensure its brand’s values remain relevant even as its strategies evolve.

Finally, Guinness demonstrates the need for agility. By building an internal structure that allows for real-time adjustments, Guinness is able to respond to cultural moments quickly, making the brand feel connected and responsive. The result is a “creativity with precision” approach that uses data-driven insights to refine the brand’s strategies. “We’ve shifted from a brand on a pedestal – known for epic creativity and singular moments – to a community-led brand enjoyed across diverse occasions,” said Gráinne.

For more than two centuries, Guinness has built a reputation as a brand of quality and character, and its recent marketing strategy has ensured these values remain intact even as new generations of drinkers are drawn into the fold. By integrating community voices, fostering authenticity, and embracing agility, Guinness has positioned itself as a timeless brand that feels just as relevant today as it did decades ago.

This balance of legacy and innovation is not only sustaining Guinness’s popularity but is also paving the way for new cultural moments and traditions. As Guinness continues to evolve, its model serves as an inspiring example of how heritage brands can stay relevant in an ever-changing market, blending authenticity with a flexible, consumer-focused approach to forge a path for the future.