Some American beer drinkers are refusing to drink Corona since the outbreak of the coronavirus. (No, this is not an article for The Onion.)
A staggering 38 per cent of the beer drinkers that took part in a survey insisted they would not purchase Corona while the virus spreads around the world. There is, should you need reminding, absolutely no correlation between the virus and the beer beyond the similar name.
Ronn Torossian, the founder of the public relations team behind the survey, said in a statement:
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’. 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?
The survey spoke to 737 American beer drinkers and, while it’s not the largest sample size, clearly the name is having some sort of effect.
Won’t somebody please think of the beer companies?
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