App Idea for Guinness

eddieb88

Hi everyone

I'm currently a student in AIT in the higher diploma in computing course. Our main project is to design software to make a business better or more efficient.

My idea is to create a pint rating app for Guinness.

Basically it would work in a similar fashion to trip adviser but be exclusively be for finding the best pint of Guinness no matter where you are.

I have received no feedback from Guinness which is surprising and am hoping to get peoples opinions on the idea and maybe some advice.

Tigger99

I'm not surprised you haven't received a response. Firstly there would be implied criticism of pubs that don't feature in the best pint category. Secondly Guinness does a lot of pr about how its pint is of equal quality in any pub (signage on the side of their van etc) and your idea suggests otherwise.

I suggest you think more with a marketing head about your app. Find an idea that benefits a company, that adds value to their product. Your idea doesn't do that.

Buford T Justice

As above, I'm not surprised you've not heard anything from Guinness. Basically you're looking to open up an un-moderated forum about their product that would be freely available to the market where anyone can say anything they like about it. Also, as has already been mentioned it wouldn't do the pubs in question any favors really. I can't see it doing their brand reputation any good.

blindside88

As the lads have said its probably a non runner. An idea for you might be a "beer finder" app. Allow pubs to list the different beers, ales and stouts that they offer and customers can search for a particular brand in their locality. Therefore no pub or brand is negatively effected by it and customers can find that specific brand in any town. For example I know some people who like Harp but find it very difficult to find a pub that sells it.

Just an idea for you.

Blindside

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

eddieb88

Hi again

Firstly thanks for your replys

I suppose this idea came from wondering what it would be like to work as a taste tester for Guinness, and that evolved into developing an app where everyone was a taste tester.

As a college project, we will probably crack ahead. Hopefully get good marks and see what happens after that.

EdenStudios

You've got to remember too that most corporations are extremely cautious about receiving or responding to unsolicited ideas.

Aside from the fact that Guinness will never use this App*, if they were actually developing something in-house and were to release it, they'd leaving themselves very open to IP issues had they actually responded.

I think Google, Apple and Facebook are similar. Some companies automatically claim ownership of your ideas if they are sent through. Apple explicitly states that your ideas are theirs and it's common enough practice
See: apple.com/legal/intellectual-property/policies/ideas.html


* I'm not knowking your idea but I imagine they'd insist that their Quality Team ensures a certain consistency

EdenStudios

Yep - just checked the Diageo site and your App is now owned by them.
See point 6 on diageo.com/en-row/Pages/termsconditions.aspx

6. Materials submitted by you – Unless specifically requested, we do not solicit nor do we wish to receive any confidential, secret, or proprietary information or other material from you through the Site or any of its services, by email or in any other way. Any information or material you submit that has not expressly been requested by us will be deemed not to be confidential, secret, or proprietary. You agree that any information or materials you submit to the Site, whether ideas, creative concepts or other materials, in any format (including, but not limited to, writings, images, illustrations, audio recordings, and video recordings), may be used, reproduced and disclosed by us without restriction for whatever purpose we deem fit and without payment of any sum or acknowledgement of you as their source. You also warrant that any "moral rights" in posted materials have been irrevocably waived by the appropriate authors. WE SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE SUFFERED BY YOU AS A RESULT OF USE OR DISCLOSURE OF SUCH MATERIALS BY US TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. This paragraph does not affect any rights you may have under data privacy laws that protect your personal information or similar privacy laws, to the extent that such rights cannot be waived or excluded.

eddieb88

EdenStudios wrote: »

Yep - just checked the Diageo site and your App is now owned by them.
See point 6 on diageo.com/en-row/Pages/termsconditions.aspx

6. Materials submitted by you – Unless specifically requested, we do not solicit nor do we wish to receive any confidential, secret, or proprietary information or other material from you through the Site or any of its services, by email or in any other way. Any information or material you submit that has not expressly been requested by us will be deemed not to be confidential, secret, or proprietary. You agree that any information or materials you submit to the Site, whether ideas, creative concepts or other materials, in any format (including, but not limited to, writings, images, illustrations, audio recordings, and video recordings), may be used, reproduced and disclosed by us without restriction for whatever purpose we deem fit and without payment of any sum or acknowledgement of you as their source. You also warrant that any "moral rights" in posted materials have been irrevocably waived by the appropriate authors. WE SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE SUFFERED BY YOU AS A RESULT OF USE OR DISCLOSURE OF SUCH MATERIALS BY US TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. This paragraph does not affect any rights you may have under data privacy laws that protect your personal information or similar privacy laws, to the extent that such rights cannot be waived or excluded.

be great craic if they made it

Thelomen Toblackai

eddieb88 wrote: »

Hi again

Firstly thanks for your replys

I suppose this idea came from wondering what it would be like to work as a taste tester for Guinness, and that evolved into developing an app where everyone was a taste tester.

As a college project, we will probably crack ahead. Hopefully get good marks and see what happens after that.

It's not a bad idea for a project and would be of benefit to the end consumer. But if your project is to improve a business or help it run more efficiently I'm not sure your idea does that. I don't see how you can show the benefits to Guinness as a company in an end presentation.

Just something to consider.

EdenStudios

eddieb88 wrote: »

be great craic if they made it

Absolutely. Didn't mean to sound negative.
Personally, I'd definitely use a beer rating app. Would love to see it in action.

perfectisthe

Hey Eddie. I'm a former Diageo employee and I worked specifically on Guinness.

I'm not surprised you didn't get a response. Firstly, the company receives absolutely loads of enquiries from students like yourself, it's very hard to keep up with them.

Also, the concept of your app goes completely against the ethos of the Guinness brand. The company spends an absolute fortune in the attempt to make every pint of Guinness taste the same no matter where in the country you drink it.

So, you can see that your app would certainly not be welcomed by Diageo, as it undermines all the money they spend on quality and marketing!

Sorry I don't have something more positive to say to you. It's a nice idea for the consumer, and it should make a fine college project.

Eugene Norman

Maybe do it for best craft beer pubs?

challengemaster

perfectisthe wrote: »

The company spends an absolute fortune in the attempt to make every pint of Guinness taste the same no matter where in the country you drink it.

They're doing a fairly terrible job, all things considered!

perfectisthe

challengemaster wrote: »

They're doing a fairly terrible job, all things considered!

:pac: Haha. Ah yeah, there's no question that Guinness tastes very different from pub to pub. Most of that is down to the pub though. Things like storage conditions, cleanliness of lines, age of the kegs, volume of Guinness sold all make a huge difference in how the pint tastes.

I definitely have my own favourite pubs for a pint. That feels like a conversation for another thread though!