A recent study and consumer scoring system revealed this week show coronavirus is possibly having an impact on consumer perception of Corona beer.
»MORE: How Americans are reacting to the coronavirus
Though the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and other health experts have made it categorically clear that the popular Mexican brew has no connection to the ubiquitous virus, it still seems that public opinion has tarnished in light of Corona sharing its name with coronavirus. Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has killed more than 2,700 people and infected more than 83,000.
A public relations agency, 5W Public Relations, conducted a phone survey of 737 people who identified themselves as beer drinkers over age 21. They participated in a survey Feb. 25 and Feb. 26. The respondents were asked about their opinion of Corona as result of the deadly, emerging virus.
The survey, conducted by the agency lauded as one of the top 15 PR firms in America, revealed that 16% of beer-drinking Americans were confused about whether Corona beer is related to the virus. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed said they would not buy Corona “under any circumstances now.”
More about the results of the survey:
- Among those who said they usually drink Corona, only 4% said they would stop drinking Corona, but 14% said they wouldn't order Corona in a public venue
- 16% of beer-drinking Americans were confused about whether Corona beer is related to the coronavirus
“There is no question that Corona beer is suffering because of the coronavirus. Could one imagine walking into a bar and saying, “Hey, can I have a Corona?” or “Pass me A Corona,” Ronn Torossian, founder and CEO of 5WPR, said in a statement. “While the brand has claimed that consumers understand there’s no linkage between the virus and the beer company, this is a disaster for the Corona brand. After all, what brand wants to be linked to a virus which is killing people worldwide?”
Outside of the survey, YouGov, a global public opinion and data company, has noted a decline in consumer appeal for Corona between January and February. The beer’s buzz score, a net scored based on whether U.S. adults have heard positive or negative feedback about a brand, decreased from 75 in January to 51 at the end of February.
The timing of this seemingly bad news comes as Constellation Brands, the company that has Corona, Modelo Especial and Svedka Vodka under its helm, has invested more than $40 million in promoting new seltzer flavors of the beer, according to CNBC. A new social advertisement for the seltzers has been panned by some consumers as ill-planned. Commenters on the Corona Twitter post promoting the new beverages referred to the promo as in "extremely poor taste" and as having "bad timing."
With stocks facing a drastic plunge Thursday, in part, due to coronavirus, Constellation was not immune. The brand’s stock dropped 6% Thursday afternoon.
A Constellation spokesperson told CNBC most of its core customer base welcomes the promotion of the new drinks and realizes there is no link between the beverage and coronavirus.
“While we empathize with those who have been impacted by this virus and continue to monitor the situation, our consumers, by and large, understand there’s no linkage between the virus and our business.”
About the Author
