The Good Corona: Find out how this brand inspired consumers to make a positive change!
To encourage consumer interaction and help your target market easily remember your brand in a fun and interesting way. But did you know that some businesses also use Guerrilla Marketing not just to capture their target audience’s attention but also to participate in a good cause? Allow me to share one example of this tactic with you. Keep reading to know how this beer brand generated buzz and encouraged consumer participation in an environment-friendly marketing campaign.
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The Good Corona: Find out how this brand inspired consumers to make a positive change! According to the National Geographic’s website, about 8 million tons of plastic waste goes into the world’s oceans every year. That’s equivalent to 2 Empire State Buildings dropped into our oceans every month! Imagine all the negative impacts plastic wastes have on the environment and wildlife! In order to help lessen the problem of plastic waste, Corona, a pale lager beer brand, set up a campaign that not only promotes its products, but also encourages people to do their part in making the world a better place to live in.
Enjoying the Simple Pleasures of Life… With a Cause During the summer of 2019 (summer = Corona’s biggest selling period every year), the brand turned its attention to “protecting paradise.” In light of the 2016 World Economic Forum data that showed about 8 million tons of plastic waste go into the world’s oceans every year, Corona decided to highlight the issue by creating a campaign that would encourage consumers in selected countries to be part of the solution. The brand called it… The “Pay With Plastic” Campaign! Corona partnered with environmental organization Parley for the Oceans (Parley) and enlisted the service of advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy to launch the campaign as part of the 2019 World Oceans Week. The campaign aims to interact with consumers who are “looking for ways to make changes that benefit the environment while engaging with brands that share their values,” and took place in Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Italy, and Colombia. To achieve this objective, Corona, Parley, and Wieden+Kennedy’s campaign representatives created geo-targeted digital assets that would direct people to protectparadise.com/paywithplasticwhere, an interactive map that displayed nearest locations for people to exchange plastic for Corona beers. Posters were put up around cities in the selected countries to further promote the activation of Corona’s campaign.
The campaign team also set up Corona recycling machines that accepted plastic bottles as a form of payment for beers. For every three plastic bottles dropped into the machine, it would dispense one bottle of Corona beer.
Retailers and bars that participated in the campaign also accepted plastic wastes in exchange for Corona beers. Aside from that, Corona designed a limited edition bottle that is made of upcycled materials. For every six-pack of this bottle sold, Corona and Parley would clean up one square meter at a local beach in Mexico, Canada, UK, Italy, Spain, and Brazil.
Consumers could also participate in the clean up activities by signing up on Corona and Parley’s partnership website, protectparadise.com. As the campaign continued to run its course, 110 more countries signed up for the initiative. Was Corona’s “Pay With Plastic” Campaign Effective? The “Pay With Plastic” Campaign is still ongoing. So far, a total of 3 million square meters of beach have been cleaned. That’s almost five times the size of Disneyland, California! The “Pay With Plastic” Campaign is not just a mere guerrilla marketing tactic by Corona to raise brand awareness and increase sales. It is also a global movement that combines a cause-driven initiative with a fun and effective approach. According to Corona’s Brand Director Evan Ellman, when the brand partnered with Parley for the campaign, its goal was to raise awareness of the marine issue by focusing on how plastic pollution is threatening even the world’s most remote paradises. When consumers asked how they could help, Corona gave them a variety of ways to be part of the movement. In Ellman’s words: “Everything―from attending a clean-up to buying Corona’s products. It all helps protect paradise.” By declaring “war on plastic wastes” and engaging with thousands of consumers, Corona and Parley were able to dedicate their summer campaign to a good cause. Associate your brand with a good cause too! It doesn’t have to be as big as the “Pay With Plastic” Campaign; it can be just donating a percentage of your profit to a local charity, a simple community clean-up, or a tree planting activity within your brand’s location―anything that your marketing budget allows. Go beyond just promoting your products for profit. Leave a good impression on your target market as well by establishing your brand as a “brand that cares.” Hope you’ve found this week’s guerrilla marketing insight interesting and helpful. Follow us on LinkedIn. Stay tuned for next Thursday’s Gorillas of Guerilla Marketing! Do you want to learn about how a Canadian airline company tugged at air travelers’ emotions through a fun, warm, and interactive Christmas campaign? See it on next week’s Gorillas of the Guerilla Marketing! |
