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(Not dangerous – Corona)
Admit it, you took a double-take upon learning that the concerning new virus, which has already infected more than 4,500 people in China and is spreading across the world, was called a coronavirus…Corona being the bestselling Mexican beer in the US.
And according to Google you weren’t alone.
Google searches for “Corona Beer” and “Corona Beer Virus” are both up significantly in the last week, when the first cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the US
The confusion may not be solely due to concerned beer consumers according to the Miami Herald.
Google itself may be part of this beer vs pandemic mix up. Especially when typing “corona” into Google, ends with “corona beer virus” being presented in the search engine’s results as the second option.
Another option that cames up significantly in a Google “coronavirus” search was “beer virus.” furthering the casual relationship between the dangerous outbreak and beer.
For inexplicable reasons the search engine ranking “corona beer virus” is most common in Iowa and Oklahoma. But people in Connecticut, New Hampshire and New Mexico are searching for “beer virus” more.
(Courtesy Google)
When WWJ Newsradio amazingly asked Wayne State Marketing Professor Jeffrey Stoltman whether the possible confusion between the name of the beer and the virus should spur THE BEER TO REBRAND, Stoltman said no.
“ Apparently, there’s a very large number of people in a very populated country — India — that sort of started the ball rolling on this and then individuals such as yourself who kind of wondered the same thing.
“But so far, other than Google searches, there’s no indication of damage to the brand, and quite frankly, I, and a number of others don’t think there will be.”
(Maybe avoid the lime)
Stoltman added Corona beer is monitoring the virus situation closely, but is most likely “not going to try to capitalize on it.” (Yah think?)
Other beer analysts are suggesting that it should be Corona’s legal team lobbying for the virus family to be renamed.
“It’s ridiculous to assume that an established worldwide brand like Corona would change its name overnight even to accommodate an emerging global pandemic” said Tom Bobak Editor, American Craft Beer.
”Can’t they come up with another medically scary term that we’ll all find threatening?”
“And even though health experts haven’t entirely established all the ways this particular virus is transmitted, Bobak added, “I think it’s safe to say that drinking Corona is not a reason.”
