My warning for Corona Beer as searches increase for “Coronavirus beer”

I shared my thoughts with Adweek about the increase in searches for “Corona virus beer” and similar searches seemingly connecting the recent Coronavirus outbreak with the beverage.

Online reputation expert Andy Beal, however, said the outbreak is not a threat to the beer brand, as it’s more likely consumers are confused about how the virus is named.

“The real threat would come if Corona were to dive in and capitalize on this by running some crass social media post,” he added. “The virus is serious, so they should not make light of it.”

Whether consumers are intrigued by the flurry of memes combining Corona with the Coronavirus, or confused by the origin of the name, Corona is doing the right thing by laying low and not trying to capitalize on the increase in search and social activity.