Dive Brief:

• Corona has partnered with e-commerce platform Obsess to launch a virtual clubhouse experience on the Corona website that is centered around golf, according to details shared with Marketing Dive.
• The Corona Premier Virtual Clubhouse launch coincides with the PGA Tour. Consumers 21 years-of-age and older are able to explore the clubhouse, learn about the brand and order Corona products through Instacart, Drizly and other retailers.
• Additionally, the experiences includes a sweepstakes to win four tickets to the 2023 U.S. Open tournament in June. The virtual experience marks the first of a series of initiatives planned for the brand this year, which will also see summer and holiday-themed activations.

Dive Insight:

Working with Obsess, which leverages virtual shopping and AR shopping technology, Corona has built an interactive environment to spur consumer engagement and interest. Using an interactive virtual space for education has proven to be a go-to strategy for alcohol brands. Commerce is also a focus of immersive technology, with AR shopping expected to grow. Heineken opened a Decentraland space to educate consumers on its beer and Jose Cuervo used the same platform to launch a virtual distillery. By hosting the experience on its own website, Corona can retain control over customer engagements. The challenge, however, will be to drive consumers to its website and give them a reason to come back. 

As part of the experience, consumers will be able to order Corona directly and play a matching game within the experience for a chance to win a discount code for apparel and accessories. The beer brand, which is owned in the U.S. by Constellation Brands and internationally by Anheuser-Busch InBev, is using its virtual clubhouse to not only sell its product, but to help educate consumers. The virtual space will provide information on Corona Premier’s flavor profile, along with recipes and suggested food pairings.

“We know consumers are spending more and more time online, so this platform provides another touchpoint to meet them where they are,” said Alex Schultz, vice president of brand marketing for Corona, in a press statement.

Obsess worked with Upshot, Corona’s creative agency, on the project. The clubhouse employs imagery often associated with the brand, including a beach scene with waves in the background. Corona has long drawn on beach imagery in its advertising, notably with a series of advertisements featuring Snoop Dogg lounging in the sand, Corona in hand.

In an effort to attract consumers to the digital space, Corona launched a sweepstakes that allows consumers over the age of 21 to enter for the chance to either win instant prizes, like merchandise and golf apparel, or a grand prize of four tickets to the U.S. Open, which includes an expenses-paid five-night trip to Los Angeles to attend the event along with $4,500 in spending money.