A former executive for Anheuser-Busch, the company which owns Bud Light, predicted that the troubles which the beer brand induced for itself through a partnership with self-described transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney will continue.
Bud Light garnered controversy among conservatives after the brand partnered with Mulvaney, a man who claims to be a woman. Market data indicate that sales for Bud Light declined nearly 24% in the week ending on May 6 in comparison to the same period last year, a slightly more severe outcome than the decline witnessed for the week ended April 29, even as other Anheuser-Busch brands suffered to a lesser extent.
Anson Frericks, who spent more than a decade at Anheuser-Busch and served as president of the company’s business unit devoted to sales and distribution, said in an interview with Fox Business that consumers presently “feel like they’re having an impact,” meaning that the boycott against Bud Light will not cease until the brand meaningfully apologizes for the misstep.
“Every single week these sales numbers are being reported, and they’re getting worse and worse every single week. So I see this continuing to drag on until Bud Light makes a comment about what they stand for and what customers they’re going to serve,” Frericks said.
“With Bud Light, that was never part of the brand or part of the message. And I think that’s what’s upset so many people here. And that’s why I think this boycott is going to go on a lot longer than people give it credit for.”
Current executives for Anheuser-Busch have indeed downplayed the extent of the partnership in recent weeks and even solicited veteran lobbyists in efforts to win back conservatives who once consumed the brew.
The company meanwhile seems to have alienated those on both ends of the political spectrum: leftists and owners of gay bars across the country likewise threatened to launch additional boycotts after the firm backed away from Mulvaney.
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