38% of US beer drinkers say they won't drink Corona because of Coronavirus, claims study
Following the deadly coronavirus outbreak, a survey conducted by 5W Public Relations found some American beer drinkers avoiding Corona, the beer brand. A New York Post report said 38% of the beer drinkers insisted they would not buy Corona.
In his statement, 5WPR founder, Ronn Torossian said, "There is no question that Corona beer is suffering because of the coronavirus". Barring the name, there's no connection between the virus and the beer and Torossian shed light on how important the name was. "Could one imagine walking into a bar and saying, ‘Hey, can I have a Corona?’ or ‘Pass me a Corona'," he said.
The survey also saw 14% of the people who are regular Corona beer consumers admitting they wouldn't order it in public, while 16% were unsure if the beer had any connection to the virus.
Torossian opined this would be a major blow for the beer brand. "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,” said Torossian. "After all, what brand wants to be linked to a virus which is killing people worldwide?"
The survey had reached and queried 737 beer drinkers, according to the report. On the other hand, there were some who continued to drink Corona despite the confusion. The site added that a group of students threw a coronavirus-themed party and had the beer.
On the sales front, Beverage giant Constellation Brands, which brews and distributes Corona, said in a statement to CNN that its customers "understand there is no link between the virus and our business."
However, TheKnow put out a report that said Constellation Brands' stocks have had an impact as it fell nearly 11% on February 28.
The virus has been a pressing issue worldwide and is fast becoming a global pandemic killing close to 2,800 people. Also, two new and unexplained cases of coronavirus emerged in Northern California and in Oregon on Friday.