Posted on 07/03/2023 8:25:08 AM PDT by Red Badger
Anheuser-Busch’s botched promotion featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has led to the closure of two glass bottling plants operated by Ardagh Group, a global glass producer and contractor for the company. As Bud Light continues to face significant financial losses and declining sales, approximately 645 employees will be laid off as a result of the plant closures in North Carolina and Louisiana, according to WRAL.
While the bottling company did not officially disclose the reason behind the closures, an investigation by WRAL revealed that the plants are shutting down due to plummeting Bud Light sales. Nationwide boycotts in response to the controversial Bud Light partnership with Mulvaney, known as “365 Days of Girlhood,” have adversely affected retailers, distributors, bars, and contracted companies associated with the brand.
Workers at the affected bottling plants reportedly observed a decrease in production after Mulvaney’s video announcement of the collaboration on social media gained attention in April. The impact of the boycott resulted in some machines being taken offline at the Louisiana and North Carolina plants, as noted by a machine repair mechanic interviewed by WRAL, who attributed it to “the Bud Light situation.”
An internal memo from Ardagh Group obtained by WRAL stated that the decision to close the two plants was due to slow sales with Anheuser-InBev. Longtime employees expressed little surprise at the closures, given that a significant portion of their business at those plants involved producing bottles for Budweiser and Bud Light.
Employees at the Wilson, North Carolina plant reportedly confirmed that their manager attributed the closure to the Bud Light boycott, with David Williams, a machine repair mechanic, stating, “‘Because of Budweiser no longer selling the bottle, they no longer needed our product.'”
Since the controversial promotion featuring Mulvaney and the subsequent backlash, Bud Light sales have suffered a decline that shows no signs of recovery. The brand has experienced substantial losses in market value and has taken various measures to mitigate the fallout. These steps include significant beer discounts, consumer rebates that make Bud Light practically free in certain markets, support for distributors, increased marketing efforts, a new summer ad campaign, and CEO Brendan Whitworth’s appearance on “CBS Mornings” to address the situation.
Despite these efforts, the negative sentiment surrounding the Bud Light brand persists, resulting in ongoing sales slides. NielsenIQ data provided to FOX Business by Bump Williams Consulting revealed that Bud Light sales were down 24.4% compared to the previous year for the week ending June 3. During the same period, Modelo Especial surpassed Bud Light as the top-selling beer brand on a dollar basis.
Mulvaney recently criticized the controversy surrounding Bud Light, highlighting the increased bullying and transphobia faced as a consequence. The transgender influencer also expressed disappointment with the lack of support from the company while dealing with transphobic incidents.
Is beer consumption down as a whole? Their loss is somebody else’s gain.
That's odd.
Butt Light is NOT the only beer (yeah, I know ...) sold in bottles.
I assume the bottling plants for other beers are busier with their extra demand.
Trickle down economics in the 21st century.
i guess they can learn to code.
I blame the management and marketing arm of the bottle plant.
There are more bottles needed to produce all other beers these former Bud Light drinkers have switched to drinking. Sell to them.
Wouldn’t that make other bottle beer cheaper?................
Nonsense. Americans haven’t stopped drinking beer
Yeungling’s sales are (according to MSNBC) up 32% in the most recently reported quarter. They have had supply-chain trouble meeting the surge in demand early-on.
No doubt their workers are doing fine.
“I assume the bottling plants for other beers are busier with their extra demand.”
Of course, but the woke media won’t mention that to the stupefied masses.
That’s what I was thinking.
Apparently they put all their eggs in one basket.............
Funny story, we were at a party on Saturday night and there were two coolers one said beer one said Bud light. My husband opened the lid to the Bud light cooler because he was curious and inside there was a jug of transmission fluid and they had written “tranny fluid” on it.
Yes, but I’d bet that this one company had them as their sole or major customer and didn’t market to others. ....................
LOL. That’s why the boycott is so devastating. People who normally don’t care one way or the other still don’t want to be caught drinking Bud Light in public.
Ridicule works! And it’s time we started using it!
I would submit bud light is not the only A/B enbev beer being boycotted...there are many..smart folks know this and are avoiding those as well, which is adding to their problem.....just a guess.
Around here Bud Light is being bought by the Latinos, who don’t speak English and probably don’t know about the controversy.......................
Learn to Yuengling.
I thought Latinos drank Modelo.
As I understand it Modelo is now the most popular beer......the last few times I was at the grocery store I checked the price and its still what it has been...at least where I am.
Not the influence AB Inbev thought Dylan would have. Ooops.
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