The CEO of Anheuser-Busch has finally disavowed Bud Light’s partnership with the transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in a rare cultural victory for conservatives.
Anheuser-Busch Backtracks
“We need to clarify the facts that this was one camp, one influencer, one post and not a campaign,” Anheuser-Busch CEO Michel Doukeris told investors, according to Daily Mail.
“We will continue to learn, meet the moment in time, all be stronger and we work tirelessly to do what we do best: Bring people together over a beer and creating a future of more cheers,” he continued.
In the wake of Bud Light’s campaign with Mulvaney, sales for the beer plummeted 26 percent, despite Anheuser-Busch reporting first-quarter earnings of $1.65billion. On top of the comments made by Doukeris, Anheuser-Busch also sent out a letter to retailers, bars and restaurants by Grey Eagle – which distributes Anheuser-Busch products around St Louis, Missouri.
“Anheuser-Busch did not intend to create controversy or make a political statement,” the letter read. “In reality, the Bud Light can posted by a social media influencer that sparked all the conversation was provided by an outside agency without Anheuser-Busch management awareness or approval.”
“Since that time, the lack of oversight and control over marketing decisions has been addressed and a new VP of Bud Light marketing has been announced,” it added.
Bud Light Execs Step Down
This comes after Bud Light’s VP of marketing, Alissa Heinerscheid, took a leave of absence from the brand. Days later, the VP for Mainstream Brand, Daniel Blake, stepped down from his position.
Robert Lachky, a former chief creative officer at Anheuser-Busch, told STL Today that partnering with Mulvaney was a “calamitous mistake.”
“The minute you step into the political or religious spectrum, when you know your target audience is going to have a real issue with this, you know you’ve alienated at least half of your target audience,” he said. “In the end, people don’t like getting preached to, especially when it comes to drinking beer.”
Lachky went on to say that marketing changed after Bud Light was bought by Belgian-Based InBev in 2009, when non-US teams were brought in.
“None of these marketing folks has ever been to a NASCAR race, none has been to a football game or a rodeo,” he explained. “That’s insanity. That’s marketing incompetence.”
Related: Bikini-Clad Model Recreates Kid Rock’s Iconic Bud Light Video
Anheuser-Busch Defended Mulvaney Campaign
Anheuser-Busch had initially stood by the decision to work with Mulvaney.
“Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics,” the company said in a statement after the backlash began.
“From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Mulvaney,” it continued. “This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
After the backlash continued, however, U.S. CEO Brendan Whitworth delivered an apology on April 14.
“We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer,” he said. “‘My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect from one another.”
“I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands and our partners,” Whitworth added. “I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors and others. Moving forward I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.”
It’s safe to say that Anheuser-Busch has learned the hard way that when you go woke, you also go broke. Only time will tell if they are ever able to come back from this scandal!
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