The pandemic has changed all of our lives in many ways. Additionally, it has landed some famous brands in a bit of an identity crisis. This article compares how the Corona beer and The Coronas have handled the unlucky naming dilemma they’ve found themselves in. ‘Corona’ the Latin term for ‘crown’ has recently taken on a whole new meaning. The crown like shape of the virus is how it got it’s name. The featured image of this post is also a corona – the sun’s outer layer.

Corona Beer

Corona beer has nothing to do with the Coronavirus apart from sharing a similar name, yet the brand has been significantly impacted by the crisis. Its owner Constellation has not acknowledged the issue in advertising, continuing to disassociate itself from the virus.

SEO Nightmare

From an SEO perspective, the alcohol brand would have previously been synonymous with the keyword ‘Corona’ before Covid but now the latest stats, warnings and information dominate pages of Google search results for the term. Google Trends shows searches for “corona beer virus” peaked worldwide in early 2020 as memes and rumours began circulating online. 2020 was a mixed year for Corona. Production was halted in March as it dealt with the same pandemic related challenges as every company, with the added name difficulty. However Ann Legan, Vice President of Corona Marketing describes it as “an optimistic brand.”

The Fine Life

The fully integrated “La Vida Mas Fína” or “The Fine Life” campaign began at the start of 2020 but was delayed when Covid-19 hit. It was then launched in August, making no reference to the virus. The ads across digital and social channels star Snoop Dogg chilling on a beach with a Corona and achieved plenty of engagement with his endorsement.

Reputational Damage?

The popularity of Corona saved it’s image from severe damage. According to investment bank Cowen Inc. there wasn’t much of a negative impact on Corona sales. Once it was clear the beer and virus were completely unrelated, it became the go to beer to enjoy on Zoom calls and post on social media. They are also on a mission in collaboration with environmental organisation Parley to protect 200 islands from plastic pollution. In this way the brand is writing its own narrative and distancing itself from the deadly virus.

The Coronas

It’s strange to think that The Coronas were the last Trinity Ball headline act. The band were set for a very busy 2020 releasing their new album and touring, then Covid-19 struck. The Coronas have not shyed away from the situation. Although the seriousness of the pandemic has made it difficult to joke about, they’ve had the name long before the virus and are not going to change it.

“If it puts us in a few people’s way, even if it’s just because of having a weird name, then so be it!” – Singer Danny O’Reilly (Hotpress Interview)

Silver Lining

Their twitter bio is now simply “unfortunately named” almost as if it’s a new USP for them. Engagement with social media posts about the name similarities were up compared to interactions with their normal posts. They tweeted @Corona beer asking what their plans were which got over 15,000 likes. This original content went viral generating a buzz around the band. Although they’ve said they’d rather be in the position of “The Vaccines”, the name has increased their Spotify streams and landed them interviews with media outlets around the world. Without the name, The Coronas arguably wouldn’t have had this exposure.

Lesson

The beer and the band have adopted different strategies in dealing with this situation. Corona beer has remained silent on the issue whereas The Coronas have embraced it. The key take away is to not surrender your brand identity to something out of your control. Instead it’s important to be resilient and focus on sharing your own message through which to define your brand. Apart from being the centre of jokes online, both Coronas have actually managed to benefit from these undesirable circumstances. On a positive note, sales of Corona beer and The Coronas’ streams have increased. To learn more about effective branding and issues other companies have faced click here.

Sources

Corona USA., 2021. Corona® USA: La Vida Mas Fina. [online] Available at: <https://www.coronausa.com/> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

Ives, N., 2021. Echo of Coronavirus Didn’t Keep Beer Drinkers From Corona. [online] WSJ. Available at: <https://www.wsj.com/articles/echo-of-coronavirus-didnt-keep-beer-drinkers-from-corona-11608590773> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

Nguyen, G., 2021. Corona to COVID: How Google’s ‘corona’ results page has evolved. [online] Search Engine Land. Available at: <https://searchengineland.com/corona-to-covid-how-googles-corona-results-page-has-evolved-331245> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

O’Toole, L., 2021. Interview – The Coronas: What Happens When A Lethal Virus Tries To Steal Your Name? | Hotpress. [online] Hotpress. Available at: <https://www.hotpress.com/music/interview-the-coronas-what-happens-when-a-lethal-virus-tries-to-steal-your-name-22824328> [Accessed 2 April 2020].

RTE.ie. 2020. Corona beer producer halts brewing over virus. [online] Available at: <https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2020/0403/1128236-corona-beer-brewing/> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

The Coronas, 2021. [online] Available at: <https://twitter.com/TheCoronas> [Accessed 2 April 2021].