Declining sales of Bud Light now appear to be “business as usual” for parent company Anheuser-Busch after it was caught up in controversy earlier this year, according to Beer Business Daily publisher Harry Schuhmacher.
In an interview with Fox News published on June 30, Schuhmacher pointed to recent disappointing sales of the beverage in the wake of its partnership with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney for a campaign in March.
Sales of Bud Light dropped 26.8 percent during the four weeks ended June 10, according to data from Bump Williams Consulting and NielsenIQ.
A week prior to that, Bud Light’s sales dropped 24.4 percent, the data show, and in May, Bud Light was overtaken by Mexican lager Modelo Especial as the best-selling brand.
However, Schuhmacher pointed to more recent data from analytics firm Nielsen suggesting Bud Light volumes were down 31 percent for the week going into Father’s Day weekend, while sales of Miller Lite and Coors Light surged around 20 percent.
While Schuhmacher noted that “the entire beer industry did not do well” over the Father’s Day period, Bud Light’s trends were “down even worse,” he said.
“The industry is still surprised that Bud Light’s trends haven’t improved and in fact, they just get a little bit worse,” Schuhmacher said. “The trends have remained almost the same since about mid-May … now it’s almost like business as usual,” he added.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Talks Backlash
In some cases where the 15-packs sell for less than $15, the beer would be “basically free to the consumer,” he said.The company also recently unveiled its new television commercial called “Easy to Summer,” which cut a noticeably less political tone.
Set to the soundtrack of “Good Times,” the 1979 hit by Chic, the advert features Americans from all walks of life enjoying a cold Bud Light during a sweltering hot summer, although some face some typical relatable incidents such as a sudden change in weather and sunburn.
The advert garnered very mixed reviews online, some of whom claimed the company was “trying so hard” to move on from its recent controversy.
In addition, Anheuser-Busch has started giving away $10,000 weekly to drinkers to “make summer easy to enjoy and stock up for all the backyard parties,” and has announced partnerships with artists including Kane Brown, Midland, and Megan Moroney as part of a “backyard tour” for fans throughout the summer.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth also appeared on CBS News on Wednesday morning to address the backlash over the Mulvaney partnership.
During the interview, Whitworth, a former CIA officer, noted that the company has been supporting the LGBT community since 1998, but noted the impact the Mulvaney partnership had on Bud Light and its employees.
“As we move forward, we want to focus on what we do best, which is brewing great beer for everyone, listening to our consumers, being humble in listening to them, making sure that we do right by our employees, take care and support our partners, and ultimately make an impact in the communities that we serve,” Whitworth said.
Mulvaney Speaks Out
Despite the new promotions and the comments from Anheuser-Busch executives, Schuhmacher says sales of the beverage appear to remain unchanged.The beer expert believes the company will continue to just carry on as usual and hope that consumers eventually move on from the controversy.
“I think the reputation they’ve gotten is going to be hard to shake,” Schuhmacher said. “Having said that, I do think that there is a chance, maybe a small chance, but a chance that ... this time next year, Bud Light might be cool to drink again ... the trend might turn around,” particularly among young consumers, he said.
Schuhmacher’s comments came as Mulvaney on Thursday broke his silence regarding the fallout earlier this year, calling the events that followed “more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined.”
“I was scared, and I was scared of more backlash, and I felt personally guilty for what transpired,” Mulvaney said in an Instagram story, adding that Bud Light “never” reached out to him following the backlash.
“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse in my opinion than not hiring a trans person at all because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want,” Mulvaney said. “And the hate doesn’t end with me, it has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community.”
A spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch declined to address the claims made by Mulvaney in the video when contacted by The Washington Post.
“The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority,” the spokesperson said.
The Epoch Times has contacted Anheuser-Busch for further comment.
