Corona CMO Talks Social and Mobile Marketing: Q&A

If you don’t know where your beach is, real or imagined, Corona will help you find it. It’s latest program, “Find Your Beach,” uses social and mobile to encourage people to dream up their own beach setting as opposed to just enjoying the tranquil beach images Corona has conjured up for years.

In May, a major retail promotion, “Corona Beach Getaway,” sweepstakes set the stage for the summer program with codes placed on bottles and cans of Corona and hidden in packages distributed across the country. Phase two, “Find Your Beach” kicked off with TV spots, but focuses on a new Facebook page and mobile program.

Jim Sabia, chief marketing officer for Corona parent Crown Imports, talks about the importance of social media in the Corona campaign.

PROMO: What is the goal of the “Find Your Beach” promotion?

SABIA: The main purpose of the campaign is to engage users within their digital environments and encourage them to engage with our Facebook platform to "Find Their Beach".

PROMO: How are you marketing the new Facebook page?
SABIA: "Liking" Corona is actually a secondary objective. We will have a significant media investment on Facebook and, of the traffic being driven there we expect a large percentage will fan the brand.

PROMO: How do you measure the impact of social media?

SABIA: As with any promotional campaign, our success is measured by consumer brand awareness and sales. If consumers can recognize that the Corona brand [campaign messaging] serves as a beacon that leads them to their beaches and points of relaxation, we know our social media campaign has made an impact.

PROMO: How do you view social media in the overall marketing plan for Corona?

SABIA: Social media is an integral part of the overall marketing plan. Consumers are not what they were 20 years ago. Our consumers seek information on Facebook and mobile platforms. In order to remain competitive it’s crucial for Corona to engage in the social media conversation.

PROMO: Have you diverted funds from other areas of marketing into social or increased your budget for social?
SABIA: We’ve made several creative and advertising shifts from local to national markets. With that change comes a bigger responsibility to advertise more aggressively using social media outlets. In today’s market, it’s an absolute necessity to devote assertive attention to social marketing efforts and our brand is aligned with that approach.

PROMO: Can you offer more details about the mobile promotion?
SABIA: The Corona mobile app will be available in September and will serve as an engagement platform to connect users to the Corona Facebook page. The mobile app component will challenge users to unplug from their digital routine by checking-in at a variety of locations, like a stadium or a concert, and completing a task to earn points. It is our hope that the app will serve to help consumers find their own beach, while rewarding them for interacting with the brand.

PROMO: How will you get mobile users to participate?

SABIA: We’re investing significant media dollars around both major mobile platforms to drive downloads of the “Corona Beach Break” application. The app will have unique challenges that will encourage users to find their beach and share the app with friends.

PROMO: How will you measure the impact of the mobile program?

SABIA: The impact will be measured against the number of downloads of our application as well as time spent and engagement metrics. Success will also be based on the number of challenges each user undertakes in the mobile space.

PROMO: Can you explain the "new twist" on Corona's iconic imagery? What is different?
SABIA: Our advertising has always been synonymous with the iconic beach setting. An evolution from 2010, this year Corona is not just shifting consumers’ “beach mindset” of the brand, but helping them actually get there by unplugging from their daily routines and tapping into the relaxing mindset the brand represents. In the new creative, characters are enjoying Corona in unexpected places and finding their own “beach” away from the sand.

PROMO: Are you testing the new creative in certain markets?
SABIA: We are implementing the new creative through on-premise and outdoor advertising, TV and digital in key U.S. markets.