The document discusses a visit by MCCP to explore the polysensory experience at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin. It finds that the Storehouse engages the senses through interactive historical displays, tastes of the brewing process, and guided sensory experiences. However, it is missing elements of human interaction, thought provocation, and a deeper exploration of the cultural heritage of Guinness in Ireland. The Storehouse provides sensory stimuli but could better support emotional connection through speech, personal stories, and highlighting Guinness's roots.

1. Exploring poly-sensorial learnings in
The Guinness Storehouse
Every 2 months, The MCCP team
visit a brand experience with a set of Fresh eyes
to explore a facet of a brand.

2. We wanted to explore a poly-sensorial
experience of the Storehouse
• As people move further into their search for experiences
and brands try to keep up with them, it becomes
increasingly important for brands to allow consumers to
interact with them on a multi or Poly-sensorial way. In
order to explore this in action, MCCP went to Ireland’s
second most popular tourist attraction (as on July 5th
2011): The Guinness Storehouse.

3. How are the senses engaged?

4. How are the senses engaged?
The physical Elements of the Tools of action
presence of history physical world
The Storehouse cleverly places Water, grain, hops, the textures of wood The inclusion in the tools and
history literally in the room. He and metal from the casks and vats, all machines of the process itself
lease, portrait, and tangible open, all touchable, allows people to allowed a physical understanding
touchable pieces of the history interact in a poly sensorial way. The sound of the origins of the brand, you
of the brand allow the origins of and power of water, the smell of hops and could touch the antique tools and
the brand to become touchable roasted ingredients, the feel of grain physically start the brew yourself

5. How are the senses engaged?
Immersion and Movement –
Temperature
consumption settling
Temperature was controlled at The sense were stimulated by real Movement was used to catch the
different levels in the tour. The immersion. The waterfall was not just eye through out the tour.
fans near the water blew cool air there, you walker under it. The TV’s were Unsurprisingly the settling
and the gravity bar is cooled to not just hung, but integrated into the mechanism was used
instantly deliver an atmosphere barrels themselves. You did not just see everywhere, it created a sense of
of refreshment on arrival the product, but tasted and smelled it energy and movement to the eye

6. How are the senses engaged?
Prompting, they tell Immersion and Music and light to
you what is being consumption create mood
stimulated
Not only were senses The language used both in signposting and Music and light used the sense to
stimulated, but were are told audio commentary was heavily sensually fool the mind into creating differing
which sense to use and where. biased. Imagery through adjectives was moods at different sections of the
There is a literal signposting used everywhere tour. Bright and lively for the
effect to accompany the subtle transport section, dark and craft-
cues like in the cooperage

7. How are the senses engaged?
Touch Screens Open Spaces
Touch screens were used with Open spaces created a feeling
Cameras to create an of movement, a control for the
interactive sense with the email tourist and a peace and serenity
and advertising sections. It put to the experience through touch
the tourist in control (movement) and sight

8. How does using the senses stimulate
emotion? Where are the peaks?

9. Emotional peaks are created by
interaction, not just by the presence
sensory stimuli
Observation can be There were several
very emotional but
will always be
times in the tour It is these moments Emotional
during which of interaction, where
Interaction trumped by
interaction in this
tourists were invited
to interact with
we saw the
emotional peaks
peak
regard aspects of it

10. High points of the Storehouse tour are
in the elements that allow interaction
• The childlike wonder of feeling the grain and water. Trepidation “should I
Ingredients section touch this?”. The power and tranquillity of the water. The curiosity that
evokes a need to touch
• Both satiation of initial curiosity, the appreciation of taste and the
Tasting section anticipation of a full pint later on
• Connection to others and also a sense of status. It acts as a check in.
Emailing section “Look where I am”
• Reminiscence of times gone past with the ability to pick your favourite.
Advertising section Also advertising by its nature covers the full spectrum of human emotion
• Sense of control, sense of achievement, sense of being taught
Pouring section something
• The part of the tour elicited awe and appreciation, of the view and the
Gravity Bar drink itself. It also acted as an emotional peak on which to end the tour

11. How else does the Storehouse tour
work well in a poly-sensorial
manner?

12. Enter via an Old World into a New
Contemporary
Old product built New
World on a rich World
heritage
• Red brick • Turquoise colour of
• Cobblestone beans.
• Industrial • Modern shop with
structure/beams plasmas.
• Horses & • State of the art
Carriages visual & audio
• Dark equipment

13. Be the essence of Guinness
The entire Guinness Store house uses
glass, lighting, structure and other visual
cues to give the sensation of being
inside a pint.
This allows the visitor to experience the
very essence of Guinness.

14. What was missing (in our view)?

15. A part poly - sensorial experience but
missing crucial parts
1
The Storehouse is a part poly-
sensorial experience.
Sound, sight, taste, smell, touch
are all in use.
x
x
2
Speech is surprisingly unused,
even in all bar and catering areas.
Even our greeting was brief.
Thought is sparse. Touch has a
narrow application and seems as
an add on.
3 The experience aspect is therefore
relatively void as core aspects
such as human interaction and
involvement are largely missing.

16. What is missing?
Irish
Inter-
national
There is a lack of human There were a few cues which The cues did not
interaction on the tour. You reminded visitors that force people to stop
see no people who you Guinness comes from Ireland. and think or
interact with and can share Such cues are powerful and question the world
stories about the brand until can summon real emotion and they live in. As such
you hit the gravity bar, the nostalgia. Is Guinness now it was cognitively
story of Arthur Guinness simply a GLOBAL brand with passive
himself is quite minimal. a nod to it’s Irish roots?

17. What is missing?
While there were positive areas
of interaction these tended to be
more about the marketing than
the product or the consumer.
Emails from the Storehouse are
about getting the next person in
rather than real greeting, The
most interactive section of the
tour is about the history of the
brand’s advertising.
There are human stories about
the brand that might have been
explored in a poly-sensorial
manner to greater effect

18. What is your
brands
polysensorial
experience and
are you
leveraging the
right elements
to optimise the
experience?

19. MCCP Lighthouse™
Quarterly Report – latest
market dynamics in
Ireland
Contact us:
00353 1 6350030
shane@mccp.ie
kay@mccp.ie
susan@mccp.ie

20. Contact MCCP on:
00353 1 6350030
shane@mccp.ie
kay@mccp.ie
susan@mccp.ie