More than two months have passed since Bud Light became the target of a boycott that has cost the brand roughly $30 billion in market value, and the backlash doesn’t appear to be softening any time soon.
Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, has remained fairly quiet since outcry began in early April following the brand’s partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. But, after losing its place as America’s best-selling beer last week, the company’s CEO issued a statement that unveiled some new initiatives.
Brendan Whitworth, Anheuser-Busch CEO, addressed the controversy in a statement released June 15, saying: “We recognize that over the last two months, the discussion surrounding our company and Bud Light has moved away from beer, and this has impacted our consumers, our business partners, and our employees.”
He added, “We are a beer company, and beer is for everyone,” before sharing that the company is announcing some new initiatives that they will be implementing moving forward.
Those action items include investing in job protection for their frontline employees, providing financial assistance for independent wholesalers and launching a new summer advertising campaign.
Regarding the campaign, Whitworth wrote, “To all our valued consumers, we hear you. Our summer advertising launches next week, and you can look forward to Bud Light reinforcing what you’ve always loved about our brand – that it’s easy to drink and easy to enjoy.”
As a whole, the statement was looking to the future, a testament to Bud Light’s hope that they can win back the customers who abandoned them in the wake of the boycott.
Anheuser-Busch’s statement came the same week that Bud Light was replaced by Mexican brand Modelo as the best-selling beer in the United States.
Bud Light held the title of America’s best-selling beer for more than two decades. In the month of May, following weeks of declining sales due to backlash over the brand’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light was overtaken by Modelo Especial.
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The Mexican lager captured more 8.4% of U.S. retail beer sales, nearly one full percent more than Bud Light. Overall sales of Bud Light were down 24.4% in May, while Modelo’s sales grew 12.2%, according to data gathered by consulting firm Bump Williams. These numbers are retail sales percentages only and don’t include bar and restaurant sales which are more difficult to track.
THE BUD LIGHT BOYCOTT EXPLAINED
The Bud Light Boycott is the result of the company’s recent partnership with transgender star Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, recruited Mulvaney to promote the company’s March Madness contest.
Mulvaney, who boasts 1.7 million Instagram followers, posted a video announcing the partnership on April 1, 2023. In the clip, the influencer sipped a Bud Light and revealed a special can the company made featuring her face. READ MORE…