Case Study: How Carlsberg grew share of sales during football while other lagers lost ground

Client: Diageo Ireland

Brand: Carlsberg

Sponsorship Asset: Liverpool FC

What was the client’s problem?

In an increasingly competitive category, squeezed by the growth of stout, Carlsberg needed a way to recruit new consumers and convert existing lager drinkers from competitor brands on the island of Ireland (IOI).

On top of that, they were looking for a way to authentically commemorate Liverpool’s on-field successes, both historical and current.

What were they looking for?

A digital partner that could help them run a campaign that hit three specific goals:

• Drive awareness and association with Liverpool FC
• Commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Champions League win
• Celebrate Liverpool’s current on-field success with fans in a meaningful way

What concerns did we need to overcome?

Like any activation tied to live sporting outcomes, showcasing how we’d mitigate the client’s risk in terms of user scale and budget management was a key proof point.

What operational challenges did we need to consider?

Taking place at the same time as a Guinness Premier League campaign in IOI meant there were venues running both - effectively briefing those venues whilst avoiding overcommunicating required careful planning.

On the fan side, we needed to isolate Liverpool FC fans within our existing user base before we could communicate with them.

What was our solution?

A special version of our popular Spin to Win mechanic, whereby users check in on FANZO at a participating venue to gain entry to a digital draw for prizes. Rather than free pints,, these included limited edition commemorative merchandise or money-can’t-buy Liverpool FC matchday experiences.

This drove daily fan engagement with the client across the final month of the season before we introduced a surprise-and-delight element.

Timed to coincide with the two emotional peaks of the season for fans:

When Liverpool FC mathematically became 2024/25 Premier League champions When Liverpool FC lifted the Premier League trophy on the final day of the season

FANZO users in the IOI who had identified as Liverpool FC fans were sent a push notification inviting them to enjoy a free pint of Carlsberg to celebrate both occasions.

Has it been a success?

Both elements of the campaign delivered excellent returns with more than 30,000 confirmed visits to pubs registered by players of the Spin to Win mechanic.

The strength of this engaged audience was shown by the massive 48% conversation rate across thousands of Liverpool FC fans who received a free Carlsberg voucher to celebrate the two defining moments of the club’s season.