ABSTRACT
Gary Matthews’s values branding for its ability to increase margins and secure premium pricing. He ran Guinness in the United States. When he inherited the Brand, Guinness had two unique equities: a differentiated product, a bitter tasting stout with a creamy head, and an Irish heritage. The three-part strategy ignited Guinness growth. Guinness was only distributed on premises in Irish pubs and bars catering to beer drinkers who are willing and able to pay premium prices for premium products. The advertising and promotion jump started Guinness growth in its traditional bar channel. The new Guinness in a can product opened up the off-premise channel for the first time. Off premise channels such as supermarkets control about 75% of beer volume. On a management level, Gary feels that most marketing teams are highly skilled left-brain thinkers. Skills that are needed for all the analysis required for marketing programs, e.g., volume by segment, ROI.
