With the runaway success of hard seltzers in 2019, the clock is ticking for those beer brands that haven’t already introduced their own line to get in on the action.
In October 2019, Constellation Brands announced it was introducing a Corona Hard Seltzer this spring. To help with the product launch, and to try and catch up with established brands such as White Claw, Truly, and Bon & Viv, Constellation will spend more than $40 million in marketing alone, the brand’s CEO Bill Newlands announced on Wednesday.
“We’re prepared to have one of the biggest introduction spends that we’ve ever had against a single brand,” Newlands told CNBC.
Newlands is confident that Corona Hard Seltzer can make a splash when it launches this March.
“[We] still believe that there’s a lot of upside in the total size of the seltzer business,” he said during Constellation’s earnings call, also on Wednesday. “It was roughly 60 million cases in 2019, and we believe there could be two-to-three times the opportunity going forward, and we expect to take a significant share of that opportunity.”
Corona Hard Seltzer will be introduced in four different flavors: tropical lime, mango, cherry, and blackberry lime. At 4.5 percent ABV, the flavored malt beverage will contain 90 calories, zero carbs, and zero sugars.
“The strength of Corona in that whole refreshment, relaxation, beach experience is perfect for this,” Newlands said.
