In a striking example of wokeness gone awry, a major beer brand faces plunging sales and backlash from conservatives after partnering with a controversial transgender influencer.
BeerBoard, a technology firm offering insights into the beverage sector, has reported a significant slump in Bud Light sales at thousands of bars and restaurants across America, following the brand’s decision to collaborate with the contentious transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Axios revealed that around 3,000 locations using BeerBoard’s technology saw Bud Light sales plunge by 6% between April 2nd and April 15th, in response to calls for boycotts against the company. This partnership between Bud Light and Mulvaney, which began on April 1st, immediately backfired, as numerous prominent conservatives expressed their disapproval of the brand.
According to NielsenIQ and Bump Williams Consulting data, Bud Light sales nosedived by 11% in the week after the announcement, and then plummeted even further, with a 21% drop in sales volume during the subsequent week. The Wall Street Journal reported that Anheuser-Busch‘s marketing head for mainstream brands, Daniel Blake, has been placed on leave due to this fiasco.
Alissa Heinerscheid, Vice President of Marketing for Bud Light, was also placed on leave last week. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson stated in an email, “Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence which we support. Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence.” The report suggested that their decision to take leaves of absence may not have been voluntary.
Anheuser-Busch is now restructuring its marketing department to ensure that senior staff are closely involved in decisions regarding brand activities. The company stated, “These steps will help us maintain focus on the things we do best: brewing great beer for all consumers, while always making a positive impact in our communities and on our country.”
Following the Mulvaney controversy, a video surfaced featuring Heinerscheid’s comments during a recent podcast, where she expressed her intention to change Bud Light’s image. Heinerscheid acknowledged that Bud Light had been in decline for a long time, and her primary goal was to attract younger drinkers to the brand in order to secure its future.
Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s VP of Marketing, doubles down on her extreme woke strategy to promote the “declining” American beer brand to “young people”, while smearing her former customers as “fratty and out of touch”.
How’s that working out for you, lady? @budlight pic.twitter.com/zNYKbMnZnu
— Old Row (@OldRowOfficial) April 9, 2023
During the podcast, Heinerscheid outlined her “super clear” mandate to evolve and elevate the iconic brand, aiming for inclusivity, a shift in tone, and a campaign that appeals to both men and women. She emphasized the importance of representation in the brand’s evolution, stressing the need to include people who reflect the target audience.
However, Heinerscheid’s strategy to promote the “declining” American beer brand to “young people” while labeling her former customers as “fratty and out of touch” has clearly backfired, as evidenced by the plummeting sales figures. Bud Light’s attempt to embrace extreme wokeness has left the company scrambling to mitigate the damage and appease its disenchanted customers.
Sources: DailyWire, Axios, WallStreetJournal