King Charles III’s coronation is a real marketing opportunity
But which products will get the biggest sales boost?
By Catherine Nixey: Britain correspondent, The Economist
ON SATURDAY MAY 6TH 2023, King Charles III will be crowned in Westminster Abbey. The ceremony will involve rites that date back more than a millennium; holy oil seasoned with cinnamon, jasmine and civet-cat musk; and, if history is any guide, a sudden spike in sales of some unexpected consumer products. For among his other ancient royal roles—king, head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith—the new monarch also takes his place at the head of a de facto royal marketing board.
The royal family has remarkable power to make things fly off the shelves. Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 prompted a surge in sales of television sets. It also did wonders for curry powder, used in “coronation chicken”, a still-popular dish created for the event. When the queen died, after 70 years of regally discreet product placement, the cost of buying a corgi (her favourite type of dog) doubled, and Dubonnet (her preferred tipple) sold out across Britain.
