When Arthur Guinness signed a 9000-year lease to pay £45 in rent the land at St. James’ Gate in Dublin in 1759, he knew the beer company he would build would be around longer than he would.
And he was right. The Guinness harp is one of the first registered trademarks for any brand in Ireland, predating national symbols – the harp on the Irish passport had to be reversed because of the trademark. The brand has weathered famines, war and pandemics and is still going strong today as one of the most iconic Irish heritage brands in the world.
“We often remind ourselves when we’re in the volatile times of today that actually this brand has navigated through centuries of volatility and come out stronger on the other side,” said Grainne Wafer, global category director beer, vodka, liqueurs and convenience at Diageo, during the Brand Innovators Irish launch, “Creativity That Grows: Unlocking Culture, Community & Commercial Impact Summit” at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.
Wafer, whose father used to run a pub just down the road from the Guinness storehouse, continued: “As marketeers, I think we are trying to get the balance right between doing what’s right for the long term brand building, but also responding to short term commercial pressures or short term opportunities.”
When Guinness became a part of Diageo in 1997, the company went through the archives to define the brand’s core elements and centered the findings around three words: “power, goodness, communion.” This foundation for every brief, narrative and campaign ever since.
“It’s a very interesting dynamic between those three words because what we see is when the brand is doing well, really connecting with consumers, we have the balance between that right,” said Wafer.
From left to right: Lindsay Hong, CEO and co-founder of SmartAssets; Sarah Blake, global brand director at Baileys, Diageo; Sarah Fleury, global head of digital and data at Baileys, Diageo
Baileys Irish Cream is another heritage brand iconic to the Emerald Isle that is known for creative innovation today. Founded in 1974 to provide a sweeter version of straight whiskey the brand grew in popularity as a popular after dinner drink. Sales slowed between 2009-2015 but the brand has made a comeback through social media in recent years.
Using social analytics, the Diageo brand found that consumers today are leaning into the pleasures of little treat culture – moments during the day to splurge on small treats like chocolate, cake, coffee and cocktails – and sharing these moments of joy on social. The brand saw an opportunity to promote Baileys as the ultimate special treat. The brand has been creating content to show off fun and pleasurable ways to drink Baileys from fancy cocktails like Chocolate Strawberry Martinis to adding Baileys to desserts like a chocolate trifle moose.
“I don’t think there has ever been a better time to be in the business of treating,” said Sarah Blake, global brand director at Baileys at Diageo.
“It is incredibly important to act like a treating brand and capture those moments of impulsivity – whether that is in the store at the bar or even online,” added Sarah Fleury, global head of digital and data at Baileys at Diageo. “Retail media is proving a huge unlock for us in terms of those see it, want it buy it moments. It is media but it pays for itself.”
Baileys has also been experimenting with different formats in social. The brand wanted to translate its treatable moments campaign to audio within Instagram posts and tested to see if they could make image descriptions turn into delicious descriptions. They had a voice actor read luscious copy that made the treats sound delectable, which resonated with the blind and visually impaired community on social. They have now become leaders in the space.
“If you are not making your campaign accessible you are excluding 15% of your audience,” added Fleury.
From left to right: Lindsay Hong, CEO and co-founder of SmartAssets; Lynne Andrews, marketing director, Ireland & Europe at Ornua
Ornua’s Kerrygold Butter is another Irish heritage brand – the country’s first €1 billion food brand, which interestingly got its start as an export product. In 1962, the Irish Milk Board wanted to fuel exports of Irish milk products globally and began selling Kerrygold butter in Liverpool. It wasn’t until a decade later that the products landed in Irish grocery stores. Today the brand is the No. 1 butter in Germany and the No. 2 butter in the US.
“What I find so interesting is the emotion that it kind of stokes in people…because we’ve essentially grown from telling that story about Ireland overseas,” said Lynne Andrews, marketing director, Ireland & Europe at Ornua. “As marketeers, we have an onus to protect that and to be true custodians and stewards of the brand.”
The brand relies on the product’s rich and creamy quality and the Irish farmers and their grass fed cows in their storytelling. To drive innovation, the company is looking at growing its SKUs and pack architecture, especially in the Irish market, which historically has only had limited product offerings. The brand’s 100-gram butter stick, a key unit of consumption in the US, entered the Irish market, along with cheese, giving the brand the opportunity to reach smaller households and younger consumers.
“We work with a lot of creators, and that’s something that really gave us the leverage,” explained Andrews. “I’ve seen just how innovation can reinvigorate a brand and really fuel it.”
