Guinness used ethnographic research called "Xploring" to better understand consumer behavior in Africa. They created the fictional character Michael Power to inspire Africans and doubled sales ahead of schedule. Later campaigns focused on celebrating real examples of African greatness. Through stories discovered via Xploring, Guinness portrayed how ordinary Africans achieve extraordinary things, helping consumers feel empowered. This established Guinness as a brand that believes in Africans and their ability to succeed. Similarly, UNICEF used Xploring in China to develop an awareness campaign highlighting how all adults were once someone's child.

1. Loveworks
Xploring

2. The PURPOSE
• This Chapter features case stories for GUINNESS and UNICEF.
• The common ground for these stories is their creative use of research.
• They used a proprietary type of ethnographic research called “Xploring”.
• Xploring gets to the truth of how people really behave versus what they
say they do.

3. Guinness: Africa Falls in Love

4. Guinness’ Challenge
By 1998, the Guinness brand was already well known in Africa. The
main sale of product was Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. It was well
known by the locals due to similar in color and bitterness to many
traditional African tonics
Nigeria is the biggest market by far. Followed by Ghana, Cameroon,
and Kenya
By 2005, Guinness wanted to double sales in Africa

5. Guinness’ Challenge
To achieve this, Guinness’ team made some research about what life
in countries like Nigeria was like in 1998. They found several facts
such as:
Nigeria has the largest population in Africa (160m people)
Its per capita income is below $3000, many people earn $2 per day
Nigeria’s infrastructure was inchoate
Very few people had televisions, and access to any kind of
entertainment
Few African men were icons in film or television

6. Guinness’ Challenge
Against this backdrop, the Guinness team decided to do something
positive to inspire African consumers. They introduce two big thought
in their advertising
Greatness.
There is a “greatness” inherent in
Africa, in general, in African men
in particular
Believe.
They need to “believe” in their
greatness

7. The Michael Power Campaign

8. The Michael Power Campaign
Michael Power was in essence an African James Bond. On an entertainment-
starved continent, he became a phenomenon. He was an icon of African
cool, but more importantly a role model who communicated that African men
could be admired and could achieve greatness too
“Michael Power became the quintessential man of Africa, a beacon of
hope and inspiration to million of people”
- Graham Cruikshanks, Saatchi & Saatchi South Africa’s deputy managing director -

9. The Michael Power Campaign
95%
Guinness‘ brand awareness in key country
93%
Michael Power’s awareness
(versus 98% Nelson Mandela)
89%
Michael Power’s movie
awareness in Nigeria
Guinness doubled its sales in Africa by 2003, two years ahead of schedule

10. Xploring
One way Saatchi & Saatchi helped Guinness figure out what the next step
should be was to conduct “Xploring” research. Unlike the standard interviews,
which usually take place in false environment (research facilities), Xploring is
a type of research called “ethnography”
Xploring is where the researchers get actively involved in observing people
in their real day-to-day lives. Its goal is to go deep into a country and the
psyches of the people who live there. To provide intimate portraits and stories
that snap a picture of the country’s typical consumers into sharp focus
“If you want to understand how the tiger hunts, don’t go to the zoo, go
to the jungle.”
Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide Saatchi & Saatchi

11. A Drop of Greatness in Every Man
While Xploring, the Xplorers found out that African people drew inspiration
from anything that signaled their ability to rise above their circumstances and
make more of their life
Michael Power was a fictional character as a source of idolized inspiration.
Now the team decided to be focused on real African men who achieve
greatness by improving their lives and the lives of their communities every
day
Greatness would no longer be about Michael Power, it would be about the
“Drop of Greatness in Every (African) Man.

12. A Drop of Greatness in Every Man

13. A Drop of Greatness in Every Man
The “Udeme” commercial had a big impact to society and brand awareness.
It was voted one of Nigeria’s all-time favorite commercials. More importantly,
the commercial became a staple of popular culture, entering the vernacular in
myriad ways
The word “Udeme” has become a nickname for Guinness. Patrons often say,
“I’ll have an Udeme please!” It is also common to hear drinkers toast by
saying,
“Let the beer see the sky.”

14. A Drop of Greatness in Every Man
A Story of a European Football scout traveling across the continent looking
for talent.
As the scout is driven through cities and remote villages, the quality of the
play he sees is astounding.
“I was expecting to see greatness,
just not so much of it”
This Commercial came from an Xploring exercise, in an Interview with one of
the coaching staff from the Nigerian national football team.
It showed how many real African men had lifted themselves up from humble
beginnings to GREATNESS

15. A Drop of Greatness in Every Man
A Story of two brothers. The elder brother has made a name for himself in the
city and is now returning to the village for a visit. The younger man clearly
admires what his brother has achieved.
“My older brother Femi is more than a man…”
This Commercial understand a culture where fathers, brothers, and other grown
men share a strong social responsibility to improve the futures of their younger
sons or brothers.
It Challenges those who have lifted themselves up to do good for their families
and also challenges younger men to reach for GREATNESS within themselves.

16. A Drop of Greatness in Every Man
“ The strength of this commercial is that it
doesn’t feel like advertising; it feels like a story
about two real people”
“Guinness is now seen as acting as an
empowerment brand, and a confirmation of
Nigerian manhood”
Nigeria is now one of the top three Guinness markets in the world.

17. Reaching GREATNESS: You’ve got to BELIEVE
Reaching GREATNESS is not just about advertising.
Focus on LOVE.
How Guinness leveraged the brand and Nigeria’s belief in itself to make the
seemingly impossible, possible.
“A brand that people really love, believes in its consumers as much as they
believe in it. For Guinness to be a Lovemark, it needs to take a risks. It needs
to invest and believe in its drinkers.”
Ruari Twomey – Diageo’s Head of Marketing & Innovation

18. GUINNESS: The Match
A quest to fulfill every Nigerian football fan’s dreams.

19. GUINNESS: The Match
“On the paper, there was no chance we could pull it off”
How to convince Argentina?
What if Nigeria were humiliated?
How would people feel?
Would they still love Guinness?
“You’ve Got to Believe”
To the Nigerian people and their national team, they were
saying that the Guinness brand believes in you, so you need
to believe in yourselves.
And if we all believe, greatness can and will be achieved.
Nothing is Impossible

20. GUINNESS: The Match
The Guinness brand is finely in tune with the hopes, dreams, and
aspirations of African men.
The brand earns their love and admiration.
It inspires young African men to reach for GREATNESS and to
believe in themselves, their people, their families, and their culture, to
live better lives.
“It touches on the core of African society”
“It defines what Africa is”
“It’s speaking to me because that is what we do”
“It is challenging me that I should do the same things: it is a
wake up call to me”

21. UNICEF Gets to Know China
In 2006, Saatchi & Saatchi started its greatest Xploring challenge ever by
covering 50.000 kilometers in China.
“To Xplore, you need to have the courage to approach strangers and
ask dumb questions. You need to realize that statistics mean nothing
and that you know nothing. An Xplorer needs to be fearless”
UNICEF breakthrough in China: Raising Awareness
The Idea came when a young girl selling roses passed by…
And get throwed with stones by an Adult, a Father.
Treating the child like animals.

22. UNICEF Gets to Know China
• The need to help people
think about children
differently.
• UNICEF need people to
realize that, every day,
someone else’s child has an
impact on their life.
There is not a single child in the commercial: just adults.
Reminding the viewers that these adults are all other people’s children, and that
they have had an impact on our lives everyday.

23. Thank you