Brewdog faces hangover from ‘punk’ investment model Hospitality Once offering a craft beer revolution to its “punk” investors, Brewdog’s likely sale has angered some of its thousands of small-scale shareholders and could see the brand’s elements be flogged off in segments. The UK’s largest independent brewer kickstarted the country’s craft beer obsession and challenged traditional financing models by offering cheap shares to consumers. [...]
Mind the G: Guinness takes over tube platforms in TfL brand deal Transport & Infrastructure Commuters with sore heads and a creeping sense of dread may fear they’ve seen a mirage when alighting from the Northern Line platforms at Tottenham Court Road for the next week. Eleven tube route maps in the station have been temporarily resigned to mimic a pint of Guinness in Transport for London’s (TfL) latest advertising [...]
The real Guinness Six Nations showdown is happening in the pub Sport Business As the Guinness Six Nations kicks off, Britain will do what it does best: argue about referees, over-analyse scrums, and drink a respectable amount of beer. And while the games unfold on the pitch, another contest will play out in pubs, feeds and group chats across the country. For beer brands, live sport remains one [...]
The Debate: Should brands like Heineken be able to alter Tube signs? January 14, 2026 Heineken's temporary takeover of the Bakerloo line has got Londoners riled up. We get two experts to debate the pros and cons.
Badging isn’t dead: In defence of a sports marketing fundamental November 30, 2025 Sports marketing may have come a long way but let’s stop pretending that brand badging doesn’t matter, says Matt Riches. In modern sports marketing “badging” has become a dirty word, seen as outdated, inefficient, maybe even lazy. “This isn’t a badging exercise,” has become the opening gambit to many a sales pitch. But in the [...]
Fifa casts net as Budweiser Uefa talks throw World Cup contract into doubt November 5, 2025 Fifa has begun exploratory talks with other alcohol companies as a contingency measure in case long-term partner AB InBev, maker of Budweiser, opts against extending its contract as the world governing body’s official beer supplier after next year’s World Cup. AB InBev’s flagship brand Budweiser has been the official World Cup beer since the 1986 [...]
Exclusive: Budweiser to challenge Heineken for Uefa Champions League deal October 29, 2025 Uefa’s long-standing Champions League beer partners, Heineken, are facing competition from Budweiser for the contract to be the competition’s official suppliers from 2027 onwards. City AM has learned that Budweiser’s parent company, AB InBev, are willing to pay Uefa €200m per season, a significant increase on the €120m-a-year they are currently getting from Heineken. Budweiser [...]
Strongbow and Jägermeister social media ads banned for promoting irresponsible drinking September 10, 2025 Social media posts by Strongbow and Jägermeister have been banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog for suggesting that alcohol takes priority in life and social settings. Two Jägermeister ads on social media and one Instagram skit promoting a can of strawberry Strongbow – which is owned by Heineken – have been banned by the Advertising [...]
WPP wins Heineken marketing deal amid AI push March 31, 2025 Beer giant Heineken has selected WPP as its global marketing and commerce partner, as it looks to leverage AI to enhance its retail and customer experiences. Under the new agreement, the ad giant will use its AI-powered operating system, WPP Open. Together, both companies will collaborate to optimise in-store activations, retail strategies and various e-commerce [...]
Sport sponsorship: Best deals, who’s investing and 2025 growth January 5, 2025 As 2025 kicks off, the sports sponsorship landscape is brimming with opportunity. New trends are emerging and the environment is ripe for seasoned sponsors to make bold investments promoting new brand offerings. With Premier League clubs preparing for life after gambling sponsors and athlete-driven media platforms gaining traction, the industry is undergoing a transformation that [...]