Guinness’s ‘Unsung Heroes’ Campaign Scores Big with Retail Staff

A Premier League Partnership with a Purpose

Guinness - the Official Beer (and Official Non-Alcoholic Beer) partner of the Premier League - has launched a unique competition that empowers convenience store owners to celebrate their “unsung hero” employees. The campaign, running from January 12 through February 9, 2026, invites retailers to nominate a standout team member who goes above and beyond in serving customers and the community. The prize on offer is truly memorable: the winning nominee will receive tickets to an English Premier League match for themselves and a guest. By tying a rewards program to its Premier League sponsorship, Guinness is not just promoting its brand - it’s creating a people-centered initiative that resonates with local community values and the nationwide passion for football.

This initiative comes at a time when community engagement in retail is especially pronounced. Industry research indicates that about 80% of convenience retailers actively support their local communities, often through sports and local initiatives. Guinness’s campaign taps into this grassroots spirit. It acknowledges the vital role of store staff in their neighborhoods and positions the brand as a partner that recognizes and rewards community-minded efforts. In doing so, Guinness builds goodwill both with the frontline employees and the store owners, strengthening its relationship with the very people who stock and sell its products.

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How the ‘Unsung Heroes’ Competition Works

Guinness’s promotional visuals urge retailers to “Nominate the unsung heroes in your team and win a matchday to remember,” highlighting the campaign’s focus on celebrating staff contributions. Branded point-of-sale materials, featuring the iconic Guinness logo alongside Premier League imagery, help attract attention in stores and remind everyone that an exciting reward is up for grabs.

Entering the Score Big for Your Team competition is designed to be straightforward for retailers. The key mechanics include:

Nomination Process: Convenience store owners who are members of Diageo One (Guinness’s trade portal) can log in and fill out a short entry form to nominate a deserving staff member. The form likely asks for details about the employee and why they deserve recognition.
Eligibility: The promotion runs from 12 January to 9 February 2026, and any retailer with access to Diageo One in the UK can participate during this period. For those not yet on the portal, Guinness is using the contest as an incentive to sign up - new members can register on Diageo One and then submit a nomination.
Prize Details: After the contest window closes, one nominated employee will be selected as the winner. The prize is two tickets to a Premier League match, allowing the winning staffer to enjoy a top-flight football game with a guest. The experience is billed as “unforgettable,” aligning with Guinness’s goal to reward real heroism with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. (Standard terms and conditions apply, and full details are available on the Diageo One site.)
In-Store Promotion: To drive participation, Guinness has provided eye-catching in-store signage and promotional materials. Co-branded Guinness × Premier League point-of-sale displays and even gift-with-purchase Guinness glassware are part of the broader campaign, turning ordinary shop visits into a celebration of football season excitement. These visuals not only advertise the contest to shoppers and staff but also reinforce Guinness’s association with the Premier League in the retail setting.

By keeping the entry steps simple and leveraging an existing platform (the Diageo One trade portal), Guinness reduces friction for busy store owners. In essence, the company is saying: “Take a moment to recognize your best team member, and we’ll handle the rest.” This simplicity is crucial for uptake, as independent retailers often juggle many responsibilities - a complex process might deter participation. Guinness’s approach lowers that barrier, ensuring the focus remains on celebrating the employees rather than paperwork.

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Celebrating Community Champions to Drive Engagement

At the heart of this promotion is a recognition that great retail experiences are made possible by great staff. “Retail teams are the backbone of their communities - working long hours, supporting local causes, and delivering exceptional service,” notes Nick Payman, Head of Guinness. By publicly affirming this sentiment, Guinness aligns itself with the values of hard work and community service. The campaign effectively lets store owners “say thank you to the people who make a real difference every day” - with Guinness facilitating that thank-you in a grand way.

The benefits of such a campaign are two-fold. First, it boosts morale and loyalty among retail staff. Even being nominated for an award can be motivating; it shows employees that their efforts are noticed not just by their immediate bosses, but also by a major global brand. This kind of appreciation can increase job satisfaction and inspire staff to continue going the extra mile. A motivated sales team can translate into better customer service and, by extension, stronger sales of Guinness products in that store - a win-win outcome for the brand and the retailer.

Second, the promotion generates positive brand sentiment and word-of-mouth. A store owner nominating an employee is likely to talk about it with their staff and possibly customers. If a particular store’s employee wins, that news could spread in local media or community circles, highlighting Guinness as a brand that values local heroes. In an age where consumers are drawn to authentic, purpose-driven brand actions, Guinness’s emphasis on real people (rather than just pushing product) sets it apart. It’s not hard to imagine a customer choosing Guinness at that store because they’ve heard about the company’s community-oriented contest - the kind of subtle brand lift that traditional ads can’t easily achieve.

There is, of course, a practical limitation: only one staff member (across all participating stores) will ultimately win the Premier League tickets. The impact on that winner will be huge, but Guinness is clearly aiming for a ripple effect that extends beyond the single prize. By encouraging every retailer to engage and nominate, the campaign sparks countless moments of recognition in shops nationwide. Each nomination is essentially a pat on the back for a hardworking individual - and that act alone has value, even if most nominees won’t end up at the big game. In future iterations or similar promotions, brands might consider offering secondary rewards (such as certificates, gift cards, or a simple shout-out in company communications) to all nominees, ensuring the appreciation is widespread. Nonetheless, as it stands, the very process of nominating an “unsung hero” turns the campaign into a celebration of retail staff at large.

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Leveraging Sports Sponsorship in Retail Marketing

This staff-focused competition is part of Guinness’s larger strategy to maximize its Premier League sponsorship across both on-trade and off-trade channels. In pubs and bars, Guinness has been rolling out Premier League-themed promotions and point-of-sale kits to create a match-day atmosphere for patrons. For example, many pubs received Guinness/PL co-branded posters and even interactive games to keep football fans engaged all season. By extending the football excitement into convenience stores, Guinness ensures that its partnership with the Premier League touches consumers at multiple points - whether they’re watching the game at the pub or picking up drinks and snacks at their local shop.

Notably, Guinness isn’t alone in using sports partnerships to drive engagement, but its approach here is distinctive. Consider Coca-Cola’s recent “Guess the Goals” promotion, which also leverages a Premier League partnership but in a different way. Coca-Cola invited fans (shoppers) to predict the total number of goals scored each week and enter via a QR code on packs or in-store displays. Correct guesses went into a draw to win official Premier League footballs and other prizes. That campaign was a classic consumer promotion - aimed at boosting product sales and app usage by tapping fans’ enthusiasm for the game. In contrast, Guinness’s “Unsung Heroes” contest is a trade-facing promotion: it targets the people behind the counters rather than the customers in front of them. By doing so, Guinness is strengthening its bond with retailers and staff, which can be just as important for long-term brand success as end-consumer advertising. Both approaches harness football fever, but Guinness identified a clever gap by focusing on staff motivation and retailer goodwill, whereas other brands focused on consumer play-to-win mechanics.

Guinness’s campaign also smartly integrates with its digital infrastructure. Requiring entry via Diageo One (the company’s B2B portal) encourages more retailers to sign up and engage with that platform. This has longer-term benefits: once retailers are in the Diageo One system, Diageo (Guinness’s parent company) can more effectively communicate future promotions, new product launches, and educational content to them. In essence, the Premier League contest serves as both a marketing campaign and a channel-building strategy, driving users to a branded ecosystem where loyalty can be nurtured.

Moreover, the Premier League theme gives Guinness abundant content and collateral to keep stores excited. The gift-with-purchase glassware featuring club crests or the Premier League trophy, for instance, turns a simple beer sale into a fan collectible moment. These items not only incentivize purchases but also act as constant reminders of the brand every time a customer uses that Guinness glass during a match on TV. It’s a reinforcement loop: Guinness is present at the game (as a sponsor), at the pub, at home, and in the convenience store aisle.

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Key Takeaways and Recommendations for Marketers

Guinness’s “Score Big for Your Team” unsung heroes competition provides a compelling case study for alcohol brand owners and marketers looking to design impactful campaigns. Here are some lessons and recommendations drawn from this initiative:

Align Promotions with Brand Partnerships: If your brand invests in high-profile sponsorships (sports leagues, events, music festivals, etc.), think beyond conventional ads. Integrate the theme of the partnership into retail promotions to give it local relevance. Guinness did this by using its Premier League tie-in to reward store staff, making a global partnership feel personal at the community level.
Recognize the Human Element: Frontline workers - whether retail staff, bartenders, or sales reps - are crucial ambassadors for any brand. Campaigns that reward and motivate these stakeholders can foster loyalty and enthusiasm that customers will ultimately sense. Guinness’s contest acknowledges that a friendly, motivated store employee can recommend their product or create a better shopping experience. Competitors might take note: sometimes the best brand advocates are the people already selling your product.
Keep Entry Simple and Leverage Existing Platforms: A key strength of this campaign is its simplicity. By using a short online form on a known portal, Guinness minimized the effort required to participate. When designing a promotion, remove unnecessary hurdles - make it easy for people to say “yes” and join in. If you have a digital platform or loyalty program, integrate the contest into it (as Diageo One was used) to drive traffic there while streamlining the process for users.
Offer Meaningful, Experiential Prizes: The prize of Premier League match tickets is both exciting and relevant to Guinness’s brand image. Such experiential rewards (especially those that money can’t easily buy, like VIP events or exclusive experiences) tend to generate more buzz than generic rewards. They also create a stronger emotional connection. For other campaigns, ensure the reward resonates with your target audience’s interests and your brand’s identity. In this case, football is the common passion point connecting Guinness, retailers, and consumers.
Maximize Multi-Channel Engagement: Guinness’s overall Premier League activation shows a 360-degree approach - consumer on-pack promotions, on-trade pub incentives, and this off-trade staff contest all ran in parallel. This multi-pronged strategy ensures every segment of the market (shoppers, employees, store owners) engages with the brand’s messaging. Marketers designing similar campaigns should consider how a big idea can be executed at different touchpoints. For instance, if you run a staff reward program, you might simultaneously run a customer sweepstake or a social media challenge around the same theme, amplifying reach. Just make sure each extension is tailored to its audience, as Guinness did by differentiating a fan contest versus a staff contest.
Plan for Recognition Beyond the Winner: While a grand prize creates excitement, remember the many participants who won’t win. Consider secondary rewards or recognition to keep more people engaged and appreciated. Guinness’s contest could inspire future efforts to send every nominated “hero” a thank-you note or a small gift (perhaps a custom Guinness merchandise item) as a token of appreciation. In your campaigns, think about how to celebrate not just the champions but all contributors - this will make everyone feel like a winner and reflect positively on your brand’s generosity.

In summary, Guinness’s staff nomination competition exemplifies a people-first marketing approach that other alcohol brands can learn from. By intertwining a global sports partnership with local-level goodwill, Guinness created a promotion that transcends pure sales and fosters genuine loyalty and engagement. It serves as a reminder that sometimes the best way to score a marketing goal is by assisting others - in this case, giving retailers a chance to shine the spotlight on their own team players. For brand leaders and marketers, the campaign is a playbook on how to creatively leverage sponsorship assets, empower key partners (like retailers), and ultimately strengthen the brand’s position in the market through authenticity and community spirit.

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