Engaging Brands 1 - Guinness

Welcome to the first of our regular features on "The Arc" - A series of postings about engaging brands garunteed to get you thinking about why these classic products (and companies etc.) really do capture our hearts and minds. Somewhat predictably our first chosen brand comes from the drinks industry (that's my background!), and the brand is The Mighty Guinness! Awareness of this iconic brand, including its harp and toucan logos, is extremely impressive both in terms of sustained public interest and admiration, and in terms of its command of the Stout Market which it dominates - latest estimates (March 2010) place its market share at 96%. Brewed in Dublin (and in 49 other countries beyond Ireland) Guinness has all the charm, mystique and character of the Irish. Of course it completely 'owns' (in marketing terms) St. Patrick's Day in terms of its brand sponsorship platform, and is guaranteed to decorate every Irish bar on our planet. Available in over 150 countries, Guinness is a truly International brand with a loyalty and stature that people from any industry cannot help but admire. Drinkers in the pubs are proud to show it off and to drink it - the brand seems to say something about who you are if you drink it in public and that's one of the reasons why people love to drink it. When talking about brands, 'love' is an important word. There are few brands I am aware of that spark such deep-seated feelings of loyalty. Whatever it is about Guinness that turns people on - the fantastic TV advertisements, the association with rugby, the emphasis on Quality, the two-stage pour in the pubs - it is absolutely clear that 'the black stuff' is an iconic engaging brand. What do I think? Well, I can't drink Guinness because the taste doesn't agree with me. But what interests me personally is that I want to be able to drink it, and part of me wishes I did enjoy it! That is the power of the Guinness brand. What about you? What do you think?