Sport sells: the Guinness case & Diageo’s brand formula

Podcast: Uncensored CMO — “How Guinness became number one, the power of sports partnerships & the ‘Diageo Way’ of brand building” with Grainne Wafer

Podcast details

Title: Uncensored CMO

• Host: Jon Evans

• Guest: Grainne Wafer, Diageo's Global Category Director for beer, vodka and liqueurs

• Publication date: 16 July 2025

Key lessons

• Data-driven: tools such as Catalyst guide portfolio and media mix.

• Distinctiveness: high salience and unique, consistent brand signals.

• Innovation: products responding to changing needs, including alcohol-free options and convenience.

• Inclusive sponsorship: diversity and accessibility increase brand equity.

• Leadership: curiosity, simplification and integration throughout the organisation.

Introduction and partnership with NBCUniversal (00:00–01:19)

Jon Evans introduces the episode and highlights the NBCUniversal partnership exploring CMOs who use sport to transform their brands. In this episode, Grainne Wafer shares Diageo's strategies for Guinness.

Quote

John Evans [00:07]: “We are working with our good friends at NBCUniversal on a special about CMOs who have used the game-changing power of sport to transform their brands.”

Current trends in the alcohol industry (01:19–03:25)

Wafer outlines key trends:

• Different ways of socialising: the rise of moderation, alcohol-free options and “zebra striping”, alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

• Experience at the centre: consumers want combinations of sport, music, food and more.

• Premiumisation: despite pressure on budgets, preference for premium products remains, fitting Diageo's portfolio.

• Media fragmentation: more digital and social activity as traditional media fragment.

Quotes

• Grainne Wafer [01:33]: “There is a clear trend towards different ways of socialising… people expect sport, music, entertainment and food all in one evening.”

• John Evans [02:50]: “When people tighten their belts, they still spend money at home — but on more premium products.”

Diageo's diverse brand portfolio (03:25–05:20)

A mix of iconic brands — Guinness, Smirnoff and Baileys — and challengers such as Ketel One and Venturo. Marketing models differ: Ketel One focuses strongly on bartenders and cocktail menus, while Smirnoff requires scale and reach.

Quotes

• Wafer [03:35]: “We have a mix of brands with different business and marketing models.”

• Evans [05:01]: “How do you make choices across such a broad portfolio?”

Data-driven portfolio management with Catalyst (05:20–07:35)

Diageo uses Catalyst, a data-driven tool for optimising portfolio and budgets based on profit pools, growth potential and ROI, down to the individual growth driver.

Quote

• Wafer [05:20]: “Our data tool Catalyst lets us map the portfolio and optimise our choices.”

Guinness: a distinctive brand strategy (07:35–11:31)

The CFO has denied rumours of a Guinness sale. Within Diageo, Guinness behaves more like a spirits brand in marketing terms: high salience and distinctiveness, with approximately 60% “share of talkability” in Great Britain.

Quotes

• Wafer [06:44]: “Our CFO has unequivocally denied that rumour.”

• Wafer [07:35]: “Guinness is highly distinctive, with strong meaning… the most talked-about brand in its category.”
  

Innovation and product development: Guinness Zero and Nitrosurge (11:31–16:26)

• Guinness Zero: alcohol-free, with a taste almost identical to classic Guinness.

• Nitrosurge/Microdraft: plug-and-play systems for serving Guinness without traditional keg installations, accelerating distribution, particularly after COVID.

Quotes

• Wafer [12:30]: “Our brewers delivered a Guinness that tastes almost identical to the alcoholic version.”

• Wafer [15:39]: “From deal to activation in 90 days across more than 80 countries.”

Sponsorship & activation: expanding into football (16:26–21:06)

After a long history in rugby, Diageo expands into the Premier League for global scale, with more than 2 billion viewers. Rapid activation and the use of Guinness Zero led to increased consumption around football occasions.

Quotes

• Wafer [14:29]: “The Premier League offered enormous scale and reach.”

• Wafer [16:26]: “It works: many consumption occasions around the match, with a strong link to volume.”
  

Women's rugby and inclusion (21:06–23:26)

Sponsorship of the Women's Six Nations, alongside initiatives including the first women's soft-ground rugby boot and Field of Vision, allowing visually impaired fans to follow matches in real time.

Quotes

• Wafer [20:23]: “For the first time, visually impaired people could follow the game in real time.”

• Wafer [21:06]: “We will not settle until we achieve for women's rugby what we have achieved for men's rugby.”

Measuring marketing effectiveness (23:26–26:37)

Catalyst reveals ROI by driver, for example when shifting from TV to social. There is still room for experimentation: some initiatives focus on learning rather than immediate ROI.

Quotes

• Wafer [22:04]: “We literally have data at our fingertips showing the ROI of most growth drivers.”

• Wafer [23:17]: “Make room for experimentation and boldness — sometimes you do not know yet, but you learn a lot.”

The ‘Diageo Way’ and marketing leadership (26:37–31:46)

Brand building runs throughout the company, with 30,000 employees as “brand builders”. The focus is on simplification, evidence-based results and marketing as a core engine of growth.

Quotes

Wafer [28:01]: “Brand building is at the heart of everything, right up to board level.”

• Wafer [31:46]: “Never lose your curiosity… orchestrate for big outcomes… be a business leader.”

Closing remarks & outlook (31:46–end)

The success of Baileys, with 40% growth after repositioning as a “treat brand”. Continued innovation and extending relevance throughout the year.

Quotes

• Wafer [24:05]: “Baileys is now 40% bigger than before that strategy.”

• Evans [34:22]: “Congratulations on the results — hopefully we will see each other again soon.”

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=> Transcript

John Evans (0:07)

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Uncensored CMO. In this special, we are working with our friends at NBCUniversal on a series about CMOs who have used the groundbreaking power of sport to transform their brands… This week's guest is Grainne Wafer, Diageo's Global Category Director for beer, vodka and liqueurs. She mainly discusses how Guinness used the power of sport to transform the brand.”

Grainne Wafer (0:45)

“Thank you, John. It is lovely to be here.”

John Evans (1:19)

“You have an exciting role with a large brand portfolio. What trends do you see in alcohol worldwide, and what should we watch?”

Grainne Wafer (1:33)

“There is a major trend towards different ways of socialising, which affects our industry. We see more moderation: non-alcoholic options and what we call ‘zebra striping’, alternating alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Experience is central: people want sport, music, entertainment and food in one evening. Premiumisation continues; people want to spend without buyer's remorse, which favours Diageo's premium portfolio. And the media landscape is fragmenting; digital and social continue to rise.”

John Evans (2:50)

“…When people need to save, they still spend at home — but on premium products.”

Grainne Wafer (3:25–5:20)

(On the portfolio: Guinness, Smirnoff, Baileys, challengers such as Ketel One and Venturo; a bartender strategy versus scale and reach at Smirnoff.)

John Evans (5:01)

“How do you make decisions across such a broad portfolio?”

Grainne Wafer (5:20)

“We have a great data-driven tool, Catalyst, that lets us map the portfolio and optimise choices based on profit pools, growth and returns. We can simulate at the individual driver level: for example, moving €1,000 from TV to social.”

John Evans (6:29)

(On rumours that Guinness would be divested.)

Grainne Wafer (6:44)

“Our CFO has unequivocally denied that.”

Grainne Wafer (7:35)

“Guinness is highly distinctive, with strong meaning and high salience; in Great Britain, it is the most talked-about brand in the category, with approximately 60% ‘share of talkability’.”

(8:41–9:54)

(On consistent double-digit growth and strategic reorientation: social-first, community, faster innovation such as Guinness Zero, Microdraft/Nitrosurge, distribution and sports activation.)

Grainne Wafer (12:46–13:56)

(On Guinness Zero): “Our brewer Aisling perfected a gentle method; the taste is almost identical. Zero already represents approximately 12% of the Guinness brand in Great Britain and contributed approximately 20% of growth.”

(14:23–16:26)

(On Premier League sponsorship: global scale; activation within 90 days in more than 80 countries; use of Guinness Zero; Guinness is now the number-one beer for viewing occasions in Great Britain.)

John Evans / Grainne Wafer (16:26–18:07)

(Measuring sponsorship value through Catalyst; many consumption occasions; proximity media; short-term ROI and long-term effects.)

(18:07–20:23)

(On the Women's Six Nations; “Never Settle”; Wikipedia profiles, media support; the first women's soft-ground rugby boot; Field of Vision for visually impaired fans.)

(21:38–23:28)

(Room for experimentation and learning alongside proven drivers.)

(23:57–26:37)

(On Baileys: reframing as a “treat brand”, an Instagram approach, licensing for ice cream and chocolate, dual siting in stores, expanding the season from Christmas to Easter and summer; 40% growth.)

(27:29–31:46)

(The ‘Diageo Way of Brand Building’: training, pride, competitive advantage; evidence-based working; simplicity; balancing mental and physical availability; leadership advice: curiosity, orchestration, marketing as a growth engine and taking the organisation with you.)

Closing remarks (31:46–end)

(Thanks; an agreement to meet for a Tanqueray Zero; an invitation to subscribe and leave a review.)