Kits containing flags, bunting and hats will be sent to bars and pubs to help them potentially double sales of Guinness on St Patrick’s Day.
The visibility kits, each containing a variety of themed merchandise worth £30, will be distributed to 10,000 outlets nationwide in time for the March 17 celebration.
Owner Diageo GB is also providing licensees with tips on how to make the most of the day, based on the insight that the average venue can sell 98 more pints of Guinness on St Patrick’s Day on top of the average of 86 pints a day.
Its communications will also remind licensees of the opportunity of incorporating food into the day’s celebrations, recommending themed dishes such as Irish stew as well as pint-and-pie deals.
It is based on Kantar Alcovision data that indicate that Guinness’s 6.5million loyal consumers spend more on food and drink than the average beer drinker: £19.78 compared to £18.44.
Katerina Podtserkovskaya, head of Guinness activation in the on-trade, said: “As St Patrick’s Day continues to increase in popularity, the scale of the event has definitely increased, with the celebratory events taking place in a greater variety of outlets and not just Irish pubs.
“It’s a great opportunity to provide customers with a unique and exciting on-trade experience and we’re keen to help with this through our dedicated advice and Guinness visibility kits.
“We’d also recommend that publicans fully embrace it by including additional extras such as live music, entertainment and themed food and drink.
“Whilst celebratory days such as St Patrick’s Day are natural footfall drivers, it’s still important that licensees take these steps to ensure they are making the most of the events and differentiating themselves from the competition.”
