A marketing stunt by a Delhaize in Brussels recently made headlines. A striking text hung on a shelf with beers:
2 Coronas bought, 1 Mort Subite free
Joking about the deadly coronavirus? Should be allowed, according to the owner of the store in question. However, a completely different sound is heard at the head office of the retail chain: there they unanimously disapprove of the playful action that has since (sorry for the word) gone viral on social media.
Do consumers still want Corona beer?
How are companies and brands dealing with the virus that has the entire world in its grip? And what impact does corona have on the beer brand of the same name We provides genuine and latest Phone Numbers database, Our phone number are working & living peoples by human collectors. You will asia mobile number list receive our Databases with Activated and Verified Free DEMO part We provide 24/7 Customer Support. Yes is the right answer, you have to run campaign with our same database than sure your can do business better. Our databases well collects from database authorize or legally sites. and on the Belgian insurer Corona Direct? Put on your face mask and take your disinfectant hand cream, because you and I are going to look for the answers.
Mexican beer brand Corona has been one of the most consumed beers on the planet for years. But with a name like that, it’s currently impossible not to be associated with the coronavirus.
In the United States, a survey was conducted to determine whether beer drinkers would turn down a Corona beer. A poll by 5W Public Relations found the following:
38% of beer-drinking Americans would now never buy Corona under any circumstances;
Among those who said they usually drink Corona, only 4% said they would stop drinking Corona, but 14% said they would not order Corona in a public location;
16% of Americans who drink beer were confused about whether Corona beer is related to the coronavirus.
Of course, any reasonable person understands that there is absolutely no link between the beer and the virus, just as there is no link between the Amsterdam hotel Isis and the terrorist group of the same name. Moreover, we must realize that Americans are not Belgians and that a similar poll in Belgium might elicit very different answers. I myself have held a mini-poll among my colleagues and the sentiment is: ‘Yes, of course there is no link between Corona beer and the coronavirus.’ (Although this could also simply mean that my colleagues are particularly intelligent people.)
Incidentally, Corona suffered a loss of $170 million during the virus outbreak. According to parent company AB InBev, this is not because consumers think there is a connection between the beer and the virus, but because fewer people go out in China (an important market for the beer brand). For the same reason, many other beer brands that are popular in China have also had lower sales.
Corona beer for the long wait
The Antwerp company Vintage Ledlight is struggling with delivery problems of LED lamps from Chinese manufacturers. As compensation, Vintage Ledlight is now handing out Corona beers to their customers. The Van Daele brothers, managers of Vintage Ledlight, explain that 80% of production in China has come to a standstill. “That is why we are trying to keep our 150 points of sale in the Benelux and external customers happy with a nice extra with every order that will be placed in back-order”, the gentlemen announced on the regional TV channel ATV .
Vintage Ledlight is not the only technology company that is feeling the effects of the virus. Internet marketer Erik van der Veen noticed that Coolblue stopped its affiliate programs. He received an explanatory email from the Rotterdam retail giant, which he shared on Twitter:
Coolblue explains pic.twitter.com/c8xhRP7uOn
— Erik van der Veen (@erikvanderveen) February 24, 2020
The big advantage of the reduced activity in China? That the Chinese can finally breathe again. Since the outbreak of the coronavirus, the nitrogen dioxide level in the air has dropped drastically, Het Laatste Nieuws reported .
Corona Direct: ‘There is no such thing as bad advertising’
In our own country, no company seems to have such an unfortunate name as Corona Direct at the moment. This Belgian insurer has two words in its name that are unfavorable: ‘corona’ and ‘direct’. Get corona directly? No, thank you.
Yet the insurer does not seem to be bothered by the association between their company and the virus. When the virus broke out, they simply declared to the Gazet van Antwerpen : ‘There is no such thing as bad publicity.’
Since then, Corona Direct has not commented on the matter (to my knowledge), which suggests that their turnover is not suffering. Or is it an indication of the opposite? Corona Direct should better tell it themselves.
Why are most companies silent about corona?
As we have learned by now, there are companies such as the Delhaize branch and Vintage Ledlight that consciously associate themselves with the coronavirus. They do this in a humorous way, which is well received by some and not by others. There are also companies that are forced to make statements about the virus because of their name. Think of beer brand Corona and insurer Corona Direct.
But most companies are being eerily silent when it comes to the coronavirus. This is quite remarkable, as they are usually eager to seize the opportunity to capitalize on newsworthy topics. Even organizations in the travel and healthcare industries are keeping quiet, despite the fact that their services and products are directly affected by the virus.
Owen Lee, a principal at UK marketing agency FCB Inferno, recently told The Drum his explanation for why companies are reluctant to comment: “Brands are afraid to profit from this crisis. There are conversations happening in many boardrooms, but they need to be absolutely sure that they are helping people, not just making money, or creating that perception.”
One exception is cosmetics retailer Lush, a store I know mainly because half of Meir smells of their soaps. Lush is giving customers and passers-by the chance to wash their hands for free in a fresh soap bath to help prevent the spread of corona. In a statement, Lush recently said: “Because we are universally known as ‘that soap shop’, from Friday 28 February we will use our windows to promote the handwashing guidelines as advised by the NHS in the UK and other public health organisations around the world.”
Photo source: Lush
My clients and their experiences
As a marketer in Antwerp, I regularly ask my top mistakes applicants make during job interviews ents (mainly SMEs) if their business is feeling the negative effects of the coronavirus. This situation is not nice, but we will manage.”
A supplier of exhibition stands is experiencing the same thing: “Unfortunately, the cancellations of orders are pouring in. I don’t want to say that we will go under, but it is a bit of a struggle.”
Closing Words
As with any dire situation that affects a large part of the dy leads world’s population, the consequences are more severe for some than for others. I am not just talking about companies that are experiencing negative financial results, but also about the health of individuals. The deaths from the coronavirus are regrettable, let there be no doubt about that.
But I myself have no problem with (moderately) poking fun at the virus in marketing. I am one of those people who finds the action of the Delhaize branch particularly amusing. Death is an inevitable part of life and to make that heavy thought more bearable, there is nothing more satisfying than staring the Grim Reaper in the eye with a smile.
As long as companies don’t use individual victims as
The unintended focus of an advertising campaign, I see no problem in combining humor with drama (the ancient Greeks did it).
