Guinness & Co. unveiled new research to mark the launch of Guinness Plus, the first Guinness mobile App for Android and iPhone. The research revealed that when given the choice, almost two thirds of Irish men (59%) would most like to have a pint with their friends, placing friends above celebrities or sports stars in the poll.

While friends topped the poll for most men, followed by their spouses, partners and family members; a number of Irish celebrities and sports stars also featured. Renowned rugby player Brian O’Driscoll and broadcaster George Hook came out on top as the celebrities Irish men would most like to have a pint with (12%), closely followed by celebrated Irish actor Chris O’Dowd (10%), RTE and BBC presenter Grainne Seoige (8%), ‘Republic of Telly’ star Jennifer Maguire (6%) and RTE weather presenter Jean Byrne (6%).

The online research conducted by Millward Brown and commissioned by Guinness, revealed what the majority of Irish men like about their local is the chance to connect with their friends and family. Almost half (46%) said a great night out with friends is their favorite pub occasion, which increased to 57% for 25-34 year-olds, and 17% opted for a quiet pint or catch up with friends, but just 3% of 18-24 year-olds said the quiet pint was their favorite. Over half (59%) of the men surveyed stated that their favorite thing about going to the pub is the chance to catch up with friends face to face, for 11% it is the chance to have an in-depth chat with friends, whilst for 6%, it’s about catching up with people they haven’t seen in ages.

The Guinness Plus App connects great people to great pubs to enjoy their favorite pint and also offers incredible money can’t buy experiences that will give App users unrivalled access to some of the best Guinness events and festivals throughout 2013. The more the user checks in to the pub using the app, the more they get out – with each and every check-in boosting their chances of winning extraordinary prizes {with Guinness Plus such as a trip to New York for St. Patrick’ Day and a party in the Guinness Storehouse®. The experiences at next month’s Guinness Series will be announced in the coming weeks.

And when it comes to the pubs themselves, the research revealed that almost three quarters (73%) of Irish men would like to know what the atmosphere is like in a pub before deciding where to meet their friends at the weekend. The Guinness Plus App also features a social map of over 6,500 participating pubs across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The feature provides users with the social hot spots where they can find like-minded Guinness drinkers!
Stephanie Sheehan, brand manager, Guinness said; “The Guinness Plus App is a new way for us to reward pub goers around the country. People are more likely to redeem their Guinness rewards by using a mobile App, and 92% of men bring their mobile to the pub, so we’ve created Guinness Plus to provide them with more value from their pub visits. We’re particularly excited about offering some incredible money can’t buy experiences, including next month’s Guinness Series, that will give App users the chance to win the ultimate rugby experiences from Guinness.”

How it works?
The Guinness Plus App contains a Reward Wallet, and to become eligible for rewards users simply need to check into the pub and follow the steps. To check-in users simply tap the pub name they wish to check in to after hitting the check in button on a given reward. To redeem a complimentary welcome pint for example, users simply ask the bar staff for their 5 digit code, enter it and show the animated surge to enjoy a perfect pint. In addition to receiving a welcome pint users will get the chance to claim pints at various other times during the year to enjoy sensibly.

Users will be kept up to date on Guinness rewards via the in app notifications section.

In addition to rewarding users, the innovative App will support over 6,500 participating pubs in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland by rewarding customer check-ins.

The Guinness Plus App is available to download for iPhone and Android Smartphones from the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store, now. }