Diageo

A direct digital channel, from pilot to global platform

Diageo’s sales teams could physically reach only a fraction of the pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels selling its products across the UK and Ireland. Many of those businesses purchased Diageo products through distributors and wholesalers, leaving Diageo without a direct relationship with much of its customer base. The opportunity was to create a digital channel useful enough to change that, while making it possible to serve many more customers effectively. We worked directly with outlet owners and managers to identify the key problems they had, then turned it into a tested prototype in 10 days. That first use case became the foundation for Diageo One, now a major customer channel for the business.

Connected product ux 2025
Pint of Guinness
Rapid problem validation
A customer-tested prototype in 10 days
Pilot in 90 days
From validated concept to live pilot in 12 weeks
Immediate cost saving
Self-service support for issues responsible for around 80% of technical callouts
From pilot to global platform
A growing platform serving >500k customers globally

Creating a reason to engage

The customer experience stretched across sales, marketing, operations and service. But those interactions were fragmented and reactive, costing both Diageo and its customers time and money.

We brought outlet owners directly into the design process to understand where Diageo could make the greatest practical difference, particularly when there was no sales representative standing in front of them.

Technical support emerged as the strongest place to start. When equipment failed or beer quality dropped, outlets often had to stop serving products such as Guinness while they waited for telephone support or an engineer to visit. Yet around 80% of those issues could be quickly diagnosed and resolved by outlet staff themselves.

We created a guided self-service experience that helped staff identify and fix common problems during a shift, or book technical support when an engineer was genuinely needed. That reduced unnecessary callouts, saving Diageo time and money, while helping outlets maintain quality, avoid downtime and keep serving customers.

It also gave Diageo a genuine reason to be part of its customers’ working lives.

Building from utility

We built and tested the early experience with real customers, while establishing a programme that kept their needs close to every stage of development.

Technical support provided the entry point, but the opportunity was much broader. The experience evolved into Diageo One - a digital channel giving outlets access to products, support and marketing, alongside sales tools and live dashboards that helped Diageo teams have more relevant customer conversations.

From experiment to core channel

Diageo One became the primary B2B customer experience channel across Europe. The model was subsequently taken into other markets and extended into areas including product launches and customer rewards.

Our role grew with the platform, from creating and piloting the original proposition to helping Diageo extend it into new capabilities and markets.

“Active Matter is one of the best teams I’ve worked with. They challenge us to think bigger, and frankly, they make sh*t happen!”
Gina Norton, Global Digital Director — Diageo

Next case

A loyalty program that breaks the mould

The Workshop
Assay Studios
141 Newhall Street
Birmingham B3 1SF

Collaborate with us

Progress happens when great minds meet. We’re building a network of specialists who bring experience, energy and imagination to every stage of the work. If you could kindly fill out all the fields below, we’ll be in touch when there’s a project that feels like the right fit.

We’d love to hear about your experience and what you do best, what kind of projects you’re drawn to, or how you like to collaborate.

Thank you!

Someone will be in touch soon.

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