The CEO of Anheuser-Busch, the company that owns Bud Light, has attempted to minimize and distance the brand from the marketing push involving transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
CEO Michel Doukeris told investors in an earnings call, “We need to clarify the facts that this was one can, one influencer, one post and not a campaign,” per Fox Business.
He also attempted to minimize the impact of the boycotts following the marketing snafu, saying, “We believe we have the experience, the resources and the partners to manage this. And our four-year growth outlook is unchanged.”
Bud Light received substantial pushback after Mulvaney posted videos on social media of personalized Bud Light cans sent by the company, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Calls for boycotting the beer followed, leading to a 21% drop in sales across the country.
The Mulvaney beers were initiated by Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing, who criticized the brand as being “in decline for a very long time” with a “fratty, kind of out-of-touch humor.” She pushed for new marketing techniques, saying, “representation is [at] the heart of evolution. You’ve got to see people who reflect you in the work.”
Heinerscheid was then criticized for her portrayal of Bud Light after images of her partying in a “fratty” setting were leaked to the Daily Caller shortly after the boycotts started. She has since taken a leave of absence.
Company executives began distancing themselves from the incident following the backlash.
Anheuser-Busch’s U.S. CEO, Brendan Whitworth, apologized, “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.”
“My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another,” Whitworth added. “As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.”
“Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across the nation,” Whitworth said.
Following the statements of the two CEOs, LGBTQ bars began boycotting Anheuser-Busch products as well, with businesses in Chicago taking the lead.
Mark Robertson, the co-owner of 2Bears Tavern Group, said, “It was absolutely an easy decision. … They kept re-doubling their efforts to bow down to those who were spewing hate,” per KSL 5.
“What we are saying is that you cannot erase our community — you cannot put part of our community, particularly the ‘T’, in danger — and think we’re going to continue to give you our money,” Robertson continued. “So we removed the products.”
Anheuser-Busch owns many popular beer brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Stella Artois, Busch, Natural Light, Hoegaarden, Shock Top, and many more.