2017 was a good year for Guinness, with net sales growth reaching eight percent worldwide, compared to only two percent of growth in the year before. However, with the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Guinness was hit with a sales decline of 16 percent compared to the year before. In North America, the sales decline was less substantial than globally, with sales declining around 5 percent compared to the previous year. For any beverage company, marketing and advertising is crucial for keeping the brand alive and relevant. Guinness’ parent company Diageo spent 727 million British pounds on marketing in North America in 2020.
Guinness produces a number of different varieties that vary in both alcohol content and flavor. There are the classic Guinness Draught and Guinness Extra Stout, but also Guinness Bitter, Guinness Foreign Extra Stout among many others produced for different global markets. In the United States, Guinness Draught was the most popular variety of Guinness in 2017. In that year, Guinness Draught generated about 60 million U.S. dollars in sales, while Guinness Extra Stout produced 32 million dollars in sales.
