Bud Light sales continue to plummet after transgender marketing controversy

St Louis Post Dispatch ^ | May 1, 2023 | Daniel Neman

[Morgana]

ST. LOUIS — Sales of Bud Light have been plunging since the company enlisted the help of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a marketing campaign a month ago.

In the week that ended April 22, the brand's in-store sales plummeted more than 26%, according to figures reported by Bump Williams Consulting, a Connecticut-based firm that specializes in the alcoholic beverage industry.

And the decline is only accelerating. The week before, sales dropped by 21%. The week before that, it was 11%.

Bud Light is still the best-selling beer in America by far, said Bump Williams, the founder, president and CEO of the agency that bears his name. In 2022, Anheuser-Busch InBev sold more than $4.8 billion worth of it in stores, he said, far outpacing Modelo Especial ($3.75 billion) and Michelob Ultra ($3.3 billion).

But if the company can't stop the decline in sales, especially as the peak beer-drinking summer season approaches, "then Bud Light is in serious trouble this year. And I think it runs the risk of losing that No. 1 position at the end of calendar year 2023 to Modelo Especial," Williams said.

Already, sales are off 8% for the year.

In early April, Anheuser-Busch sent a can of Bud Light to the 26-year-old Mulvaney with a picture of her face on it. The influencer posted a brief video of herself on TikTok — in black gown and black gloves — drinking a Bud Light, noting that the promotion was part of March Madness and joking that she did not know what sport that was for.

[CFW]

“30 days and not going away any time soon. AB really thought it’s customers were that stupid.”

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Yeah, as of today it has been 30 days since their trans-marketing campaign started. Every single day since there has been a new story or opinion piece regarding their disastrous endorsement of the GIBLET life-style.

If the controversy and boycotting of Bud Light was going to go away soon, then the drop in sales would have started to reverse and the articles would have dwindled to updates once a week or so. The Bud Light brand is in serious trouble.

[whitney69]

You dance, you pay the piper.

wy69

[old-ager]

> Yuengling

meant to try it for years. now it’s time

[Bernard]

I am surprised at the volume and duration of this whole thing. My theory is that normal people are just tired of the special treatment self-proclaimed victims want for everything, and hopefully this is just the start. You can ignore ghetto shootings if you don't spend any time in the big city ghettos and you don't know anybody who gets shot; you can work around other stupid intrusions from the marginals who want to feel normal, but when they start messing with your brand it affects you personally, and light beer made in mass quantities is generic enough that you can switch brands the next time you make a purchase.

Disclosure - I gave up beer a long time ago, and now if I do have one it's Dos Equis Dark at a Mexican restaurant, or a Kirin Ichiban at a Japanese steak place, or a Stella if available at other places. Of course, if Henry Weinhart Dark was available in my part of the country, all bets are off.

[joe fonebone]

Crest is a P&G product, the parent company of Gillette, the company that called all men rapists.

Try Colgate, just as good, cheaper and less woke

[blackdog]

It's the only way to be heard as a citizen on these ESG / DEI mandates being forced on us thru regulation, as it is outside our elected representatives ability to legislate.

OH they are going to hear. This really has their attention. They are cornered like rats. They will either run away and hide or come out full teeth and claws. So far it seems they don't respect us much, so I see teeth and claws coming.

If Budweiser makes you angry, the SEC has mandated this crap in all our retirement investments. I'm transferring it all into 5.12% guaranteed bonds. Blackrock can kiss Vanguards Fidelity back side.

[joma89]

8% sales loss is a rookie number. Let’s get that to 30%.

[comps4spice]

I spent about 5 hours at a big festival in Dripping Springs, TX this past weekend. There were thousands there. Many had beers in hand.

I saw only 2 with Bud Light...one was a dude wearing fish net stockings.

You figure out how much of an impact AB’s decision to hire Mulvaney will have on their bottom line. That’s being repeated nationwide.

[dforest]

I am not a beer drinker so I am always helpful on a beer boycott ;)

[inchworm]

Butt Light

[zeugma]

They should try issuing an apology. But I’m afraid it is too late for that.

They've already tried a non-apology apology. At this point it's not going to help them at all.

[Donnafrflorida]

We have a baby shower Saturday. I’ve threatened the men that I will dump any bud products down the toilet.

[RatRipper]

I think it is good beer.

[AFreeBird]

The only Yuengling flavor I like is Golden Pilsner. Tried to like the lager, but it just doesn’t do it for me.

[AFreeBird]

They also own Stella and Spaten. I really like those. We should send in postcards demanding that they sell off the good beers. Cause otherwise, I won’t drink em if the money is funding AB…

[FamiliarFace]

I get it. They have some good brands besides the sucky beers like BL. I am looking at all companies I do business with. I’m starting to do my homework on who has DEI statements on their websites. A lot of them do. If they are supporting a tranny spokesperson, I’m no longer buying those products. Just like I don’t want products made in China. Done with that where I can find products made elsewhere. Preferably USA.