How retail audio turned awareness into double digit sales growth
14
Product Sales Uplift
2
iROAS
48
of sales during promo period occurred within 10 min of ad play
*Uplift was measured using a Difference-in-Difference (DiD) approach, comparing average sales during the campaign to a 4-week pre-campaign baseline and to control stores not exposed to audio ads.
Guinness set out to turn its 2025 Lions Tour sponsorship, a major rugby event bringing UK and Irish players to face Australia’s top teams, into meaningful retail impact. The goal was to drive incremental sales of Guinness Draught six-packs in Coles Liquor stores by connecting national partnership awareness to in-the-moment purchase decisions.
Brand awareness was high thanks to the Lions Tour sponsorship, but turning that excitement into conversion in-store was the real challenge. In a crowded beer category, Guinness needed to stand out at the point of purchase and connect the energy of the Tour to shopper action.
To align with the excitement of the Lions Tour, QSIC’s AI-powered Ad Creator was used to quickly produce and launch in-store audio creative across Coles Liquor stores. The ads tapped into Guinness’ rich brand heritage with the familiar line “It’s a lovely day for a Guinness,” paired with a limited-time $26 offer and a direct call to action to “grab your six-pack now.” This blend of emotion, value, and urgency created a compelling reason to purchase in the moment. The campaign ran for 28 days across 719 stores, delivering over half a million ad plays. By enabling faster creative production than traditional audio methods, QSIC ensured the campaign landed at the peak of national rugby excitement. The result was significant product uplift, with nearly half of all Guinness sales during the campaign occurring within 10 minutes of an ad playing.
