New Bud Light sales data shows a “staggering” decline after the brewer attempted to position itself as the king queen of “woke” beers with the help of a transgender TikTok influencer partnership.
According to the New York Post, data from NielsenIQ and Bump Williams Consulting reveals a significant decline in Bud Light sales for the week ending on April 15, with a 17% plunge in revenue and a 21% slide in volume.
For the week ending April 8, the seven days following trans-TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoting Bud Light on April 1, sales fell 6%, and volume sank 11%.
“These numbers are staggering … and right now this is an extremely difficult scenario for Anheuser Busch, the Bud Light brand, and for AB distributors,” according to an Insights Express report published on April 23, which focuses on the beer industry.
Meanwhile, the boycott of Bud Light has sent Coors Light and Miller Lite’s sales surging, suggesting consumers’ deep opposition to Bud Light’s marketing mishap.
Recall on April 2. We were the first to report “Did Bud Light Go ‘Woke’ With Trans-TikTok Star? Boycott Calls Intensify.”
Additional data from BeerBoard, a tech company that monitors 3,000 locations, such as Buffalo Wild Wings, TGI Fridays, and Hooters, found Bud Light pours were 6% lower than other light lagers from April 2 to April 15.
Bud Light made a series of moves late last week following the backlash and increasing boycott calls for its products. Alissa Heinerscheid, the vice president of marketing for Bud Light, was forced to take a leave of absence. Another top exec, Daniel Blake, is also stepping aside.
Fox News said Anheuser Busch hired consultants with experience in Washington, DC’s conservative circles in an attempt to stop the hemorrhaging of sales.
Former Anheuser-Busch exec Anson Frericks told co-host Will Cain on “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Sunday that the brewer is seeking to restore its conservative base might be a “wrong bet” because many diehard drinkers won’t forget the Mulvaney TikTok marketing blunder.
“That’s the bet they’re making. I think that’s the wrong bet to make. And I think now is the time to go back and, for companies like Anheuser-Busch, to say that, ‘Hey, moving forward for brands like Bud Light, we’re not going to be political. We’re not going to get involved in the environmental social governance movement because that’s not what the customer wants,‘” Frericks said.
Coors Light and Miller Lite are the biggest beneficiaries of Bud Light going super woke. Companies should avoid involving themselves in political matters.
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