Bud Light, one of the leading beer brands in the United States, has experienced a significant decline in sales, with a drop of nearly 30% since last year. The decline in sales has been attributed to a controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in April.
Former employees of Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, have expressed frustration and criticized the leadership for their handling of the situation. They claimed that the leadership bowed to the criticism instead of standing by their decision to partner with Mulvaney. One ex-employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Guardian, "I really wish that we had stuck to our guns and said: 'We did this; beer is for everyone; get over it.'"
According to The Guardian, Anheuser-Busch faced one of the biggest boycotts in U.S. history following the backlash over the customized beer cans sent to Mulvaney to celebrate her "365 days of girlhood." Former employees revealed that the leadership responded with panic and rash decisions, leaving them uncertain about their own job security and concerned about Mulvaney's welfare.
Anheuser-Busch initially defended the campaign, stating that it aimed to "authentically connect with audiences." However, as the backlash grew, CEO Brendan Whitworth expressed regret for inadvertently contributing to the division and stated, "We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer."
Former employees highlighted a lack of diversity and incompetence at the top level of the company as factors that contributed to the mishandling of the controversy. They pointed out that having more diverse representation in the boardroom could have led to a more empathetic response. The company's previous cautious approach to marketing campaigns was also criticized, with one employee arguing that Anheuser-Busch had always operated from a position of fear.
The company's response to the backlash included temporarily turning off comments on its social media pages and instructing its publicity department to stop communicating with the press. This further fueled criticism from employees and industry experts, who believed that the damage to the company's reputation might be long-lasting.
Harry Schuhmacher, publisher of Beer Business Daily, stated that Bud Light's decline in sales could be “quasi-permanent” and suggested that the company might continue to experience year-over-year declines until 2024 when the controversy is expected to fade into the past.
As a result of the sales decline, Anheuser-Busch announced in July that it would be laying off hundreds of employees across its U.S. corporate staff. The future of Bud Light remains uncertain, with industry experts suggesting that the company may have lost long-time consumers forever.
Anheuser-Busch has not yet responded to requests for comment on the matter.
