Promoting the Pint: Ale and Advertising in late Victorian and Edwardian England

Abstract

According to historians, most nineteenth-century brewers did little to promote sales of their product, few alcoholic drinks having been widely advertised by their manufacturers. In general, it appears most English brewers believed a good product was their best form of advertisement. Despite not pursuing bold advertising strategies, many English brewers appear to have relied on indirect or "below the line" methods of advertising, some of which are still employed in the marketing world. Although most brewers continued to register their addresses in trade directories and regularly place notices in local newspapers, many also realised the commercial value of a strong public role, often spending far greater sums on community events than on printed publicity. Viewed in this way, nineteenth-century brewers displayed more creativity when it came to advertising their wares than they have been given credit for by the trade's historians.

Social class tensions, habitus and the advertising of Guinness

“…This perhaps contributed to the reluctance of some to engage in the practice 2 or alternatively to adopt a more discreet approach (Church, 2000). Yet, as an overall explanation for the ambivalence or hostility towards advertising it is somewhat problematic in that there remains considerable evidence (see Gutzke, 1984;Reinarz, 2007) to suggest, as we do here, that a wider class prejudice overshadowed this.…”

“…What we mean here is that the decision should be construed as a further step in the move towards more overt advertising rather than the initiation of advertising per se; a position that has symmetries with Reinarz's (2007) analysis of nineteenth century beer advertising. Prior to this the promotion of Guinness was widespread though primarily directed and controlled by and through intermediaries.…”

“…As the degree of competitiveness pervading the British brewing industry increased at the turn of the twentieth century the functional importance attributed to promotional activities increased across the wider brewing figuration (Reinarz, 2007). One manifestation of this was the increasing number of direct appeals to brewers from intermediaries -those in retailing and distribution functions -to support their promotional efforts in both domestic 12 C 2016 Sociological Review Publication Limited and export markets.…”

“…For Cronin, much of this unwillingness to advertise was on the grounds of perceived uncertainly around 'the persuasive potential ' of advertising (2004: 24). Others noted the pernicious image of advertising throughout the 1800s following the often unscrupulous advertising activities and promises of some medical practitioners in both Ireland and Britain (Nevett, 1982;Reinarz, 2007;Strachan and Nally, 2012). This perhaps contributed to the reluctance of some to engage in the practice 2 or alternatively to adopt a more discreet approach (Church, 2000).…”

Habitus, social elevation, and the channel of shame‐fear: The decision to expand Guinness advertising

“…Advertising, it would seem, was one such practice. Several business historians have noted the reluctance of some business owners to advertise, or the tendency to adopt a more cautious approach towards it, in the late nineteenth century (see Church, ; Reinarz, ). While this reluctance can in some cases be attributed to unease about the efficacy of advertising it was also connected to concerns as to whether advertising was a dignified practice – an activity a gentleman could engage in without losing status and self‐respect.…”