The parent company of once popular beer brand Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch, is making offers to buy back unsold cases of the beverage from retail stores where the product is just sitting on store shelves expiring as sales continue to swirl the bottom of the toilet bowl following the partnership the company made with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Some folks out there do not think that the whole “go woke, go broke” thing is effective and forcing companies to pull out of politics and just focus on product creation and improvement, and to some degree, there’s truth to that point. However, as we’re seeing with Bud Light, if you get enough people to join you in the boycott, it can have tremendous impact, even on major corporations.
“The offer, reported by The Wall Street Journal, comes as boycotts continue to dog the brand in the wake of the controversial deal. Mulvaney raved in a TikTok video about a gift from Bud Light — a can featuring the trans-influencer’s face — and the partnership, which reportedly consisted of just the one can, sparked a boycott that caused sales of the beverage to plummet nearly overnight,” the Daily Wire reported.
“By mid-May, Bud Light sales were down 28% in comparison with 2022 sales numbers for the same time period — according to a Bump Williams analysis of Nielsen data — and several high-profile celebrities had thrown their weight behind a total boycott of the brand,” the report continued.
When the Mulvaney controversy first exploded on social media, musician Kid Rock posted a video of himself firing a weapon at several cases of Bud Light, saying, “Grandpa’s feeling a little frisky today. Let me say something to all of you and be as clear and concise as possible. F*** Bud Light. And f*** Anheuser-Busch. Have a terrific day.”
John Rich, a popular country music singer who owns a bar in Nashville, said customers were no longer purchasing Bud Light at his establishment.
“I think the customers decide,” Rich commented. “Customers are king. Our number one selling beer up until a few days ago was, guess what? Bud Light. That was the number one beer. We’ve got cases and cases and cases of it sitting back there.”
Now, as stated above, there are a lot of boycotts that don’t make it very far and don’t have enough participants to effect change, but this one with Bud Light is totally different. However, despite the pressure of lost sales and watching money bleed from the companies now opened veins, the brand is having a very difficult time getting things back on track.
Bud Light was already facing an uphill battle in the market place due to the rise of hard seltzers and craft beers, and has been attempting to expand the brand and reach new demographics to prevent the company from losing relevancy. Their solution to the problem? Hire Alissa Heinerscheid, a total wokester, who thought it would be a bright idea to do a partnership with Mulvaney, which alienated their own customer base. Now she’s been placed on leave. Too little, too late.
Let’s hope they get a clue real quick if they want to stay in business. Or not. Their beer sucks anyway.
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