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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Jun 5, 2023 1:28:15 GMT -5
Bud Light Salespeople Lose Thousands of Dollars in Commission, But That's Not All
By Michael Austin June 4, 2023 at 2:30pm When Anheuser-Busch subsidiary Bud Light chose to platform and promote Dylan Mulvaney, the nation’s foremost advocate of the gender identity movement, the beer company insulted and offended a large portion of its customer base. History tells us that the company should have been safe to do so; typically, it’s a small handful of far-left progressives that boycott and pressure companies to bend to their politics, not middle-America conservatives. Usually, the latter group has more important things going on. However, after years and years of passively turning their heads the other way, many conservatives have woken up to find their country is not the wonderful place it once was. What was once degenerate and immoral is now seen as virtuous and vice versa. Conservative Americans have had enough, and with Bud Light they have finally chosen to take a stand by boycotting. Since then, the company’s sales numbers and stock prices have floundered. In fact, things have gotten so bad that Bud Light salespeople are beginning to feel a hit to their wallets. According to ABC News, the typical salesperson at Bud Light made as much as $2,000 less in May compared to the previous two years. “This has really, really killed a lot of the guys who are commission-based. That’s who it’s really hurting,” one supervisor told ABC News. “There’s nothing they could’ve done — this was thrown in their faces.” Now, no thoughtful boycotter is wishing ill on the salesmen and women caught in the middle of this mess. It’s quite unfortunate that they’ve had to pay a price for their employer’s misdeeds. But make no mistake, a price needs to be paid for what Bud Light has done. It bears remembering why exactly Dylan Mulvaney’s activism is, at its core, so very offensive. During an appearance on Megyn Kelly’s podcast, Christian-conservative author and commentator Andrew Klavan perhaps distilled the core point here better than anyone else could. During the mid-April interview, Kelly asked Klavan how he would respond to those who see the Mulvaney boycott and say, “What’s the big deal? Why are people mad about this?” “If you watch the Dylan Mulvaney ad for Bud Light, he comes on, and he says, ‘Well, I don’t know anything about sports … it must be some kind of game I don’t know,'” Klavan said. “Now, my wife is one of the most feminine people I know. She doesn’t know anything about sports. She doesn’t talk anything like that because she’s a grown-up lady who just happens to have lady’s interests. … That’s not the way women behave.” “He is not being a woman. He is doing a woman. Everything about what he is doing is a show and a performance. … It’s as if I smeared my face with blackface … did an ‘Amos and Andy’ cliched, old-fashioned, racist black voice and tried to sell some product … that was for black people.” link
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Post by schwartzie on Jun 6, 2023 14:28:22 GMT -5
REPORT: Bud Light Risks Losing Retail Shelf Space if They’re Unable to Reverse Plunging Sales
By Mike LaChance Jun. 5, 2023 10:00 pm Bud Light remained on store shelves across the country while other brands were gone over the Memorial Day weekend. Things just keep getting worse for Bud Light. Not only have their sales plummeted in recent months, but they’re now facing the prospect of losing shelf space if the trend continues. It makes sense. Why would retailers continue to fill their shelves with a product that almost no one wants to buy? The brand has made itself toxic and may not be able to recover, ever. The Daily Mail reports: Why A Veteran-Owned Freeze-Dried Beef Company Unabashedly Embraces An American-First Worldview Bud Light is running out of time and could lose market share FOREVER: Brand will lose retail shelf space to Miller and Coors if they cannot reverse plunging sales, warns ex Anheuser-Bush exec If Bud Light sales continue to lag, the brand risks losing shelf space at major retailers to competitors and ‘locking in’ lower market share, a former Anheuser-Busch executive has claimed. In recent weeks, Bud Light sales have been down roughly a quarter from a year ago, as the brand faces conservative backlash over an April marketing deal with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Anson Frericks, the former US president of sales and distribution for St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch, said that retailers such as Walmart and Kroger typically ‘reset’ their shelf space allocations in the spring and fall, based on sales data. For the fall reset in September, ‘they generally take sales data from April, May, June, July, and then based off of that data in that time period, they will reallocate shelf space,’ he told DailyMail.com in a phone interview on Saturday. If Bud Light sales continue to slump, ‘that shelf space will be allocated to Miller Lite, Coors Light, Yuengling, and some of the other brands that have that have taken share from them,’ he said. Memorial Day weekend is a pretty big time for beer sales. It didn’t work out too well for Bud Light. Yikes — Bud Light Sales tanked 60% over the Memorial Day Weekend pic.twitter.com/Sah21aYH90 — Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 5, 2023 Bud Light risks losing retail shelf space, warns former A-B exec t.co/Xy9V707hbH— Wendy Kortepeter (@wkortepeter) June 4, 2023 This is a disaster for Anheuser-Busch but they did it to themselves. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Jun 23, 2023 3:47:10 GMT -5
Bud Light Returns to Twitter with New Ad: One Click Shows What Company Doesn't Want You to See
By Warner Todd Huston June 22, 2023 at 3:21pm Bud Light beer is desperate at this point to change the narrative surrounding its product. This week it posted yet another all-American style ad to try and convince customers that it isn’t an anti-American brand. The ad opens with a bunch of good old boys drinking Bud Light in the heat and goes on with everyday Americans having a bit of difficulty with their summer activities. But, it’s suddenly all right when they start cracking a Bud Light. The ad ends with the tagline, “easy to enjoy.” “Crack a cold one: we’ve got an epic summer ahead,” the tweet read. “Sock tans included.” The June 22 tweet is the beer brand’s first tweet since it went dark in early April. Many Twitter users were not complimentary about the video ad. However, others began to notice something odd about it all. Many pointed to a small icon at the bottom of the tweet that tells users that the tweet has “hidden replies.” Related: Rob Schneider Lets Garth Brooks Have It Over Bud Light Controversy: 'Just Shut Up' Twitter posters can use the “hidden replies” feature that allows a Tweet to hide particular keywords and keep them from appearing on the main feed. The logo on the Bud Light tweet shows that the company has set up a list of words that will keep its thread less cluttered with negative replies. It sure seems as if the ultra-woke company is censoring its customers. Some users commented about the hidden replies feature being used. The ad wasn’t really all that bad. But censoring replies does not make the company look very good. And it is at least the second time the company has tried to change the narrative with an ill-timed ad. It doesn’t seem that Bud Light’s new tweet is much of a help to get the company past the massive boycott effort that has sent it tumbling from its onetime perch as the number-one selling beer in the nation, a boycott that rose organically in the wake of its disastrous partnership with transgender activist and TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Jun 27, 2023 21:42:33 GMT -5
Bud Light offers $15 beer rebates for Fourth of July weekend amid boycott, declining sales
Saman Shafiq USA TODAY As the Fourth of July weekend rolls in, Bud Light is offering a rebate of up to $15 on purchases of a 15-pack of Budweiser, Bud Light, Budweiser Select or Budweiser Select 55. And in places where a 15-packs sells for less than $15, the beer could be practically free. Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch offered the same promotion over Memorial Day weekend. The rebate applies to purchases of up to $15 that are made between June 15 and July 8 and will be offered via a prepaid digital card. Customers can redeem rebates on the Bud Light website. Rules vary by state. Bud Light battles boycott, loses LGBTQ rating The promotion comes as Bud Light battles with a conservative boycott and plummeting sales following its partnership with a with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Modelo Especial dethroned Bud Light as the best-selling beer in America earlier this month. As the conservatives rallied against Bud Light for the partnership, sales slumped, prompting Anheuser-Busch to put two of its executives on leave and issued a statement from its CEO Brendan Whitworth: “We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over beer.” Whitworth’s statement triggered a backlash from the LGBTQ community and its allies. In May, the nation's largest LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign suspended Anheuser-Busch's Corporate Equality Index score, accusing the company of caving to political pressure. The Corporate Equality Index score is a tool that scores companies on their policies for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer employees. Anheuser-Busch, which had a score of 100, has 90 days to respond or the organization will consider docking its score. Bud Light's new partnerships In an effort to win back customers and revive sales, Bud Light has announced partnerships with country music and NFL stars. The company introduced a new television commercial “Easy to Summer," set to the soundtrack of "Good Times," the 1979 hit by Chic. Social and digital content will feature famous NFL players like Travis Kelce, George Kittle and Dak Prescott, while Tyler Braden and Seaforth will headline a national summer music tour − the Bud Light Backyard tour. link
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Post by maybetoday on Jun 27, 2023 22:41:26 GMT -5
Bud Light Marketing Executives Behind Disastrous Stunt Are No Longer Employed at Company David HawkinsJune 27, 2023 - 2:30 pm1 Comment The two top Anheuser-Busch marketing executives behind the stunt that sunk the popular beer brand Bud Light no longer work for the company a source inside Anheuser-Busch confirmed to the Daily Caller on Tuesday. Group Vice President for Marketing Daniel Blake and Bud Light Marketing Vice President Alissa Heinerscheid were placed on leave amid the fallout of the Dylan Mulvaney marketing stunt but they are now “gone gone,” according to the source. The source said: “To my understanding if we publicly announced the word ‘fire’ it opens up the potential for them to sue us. “Thats why we said leave of absence. “The wholesalers would have had an absolute HAY DAY with leadership if they didn’t remove her. “To be fair- Daniel Blake was actually awesome. “I think he was just caught in cross fire. “But also he did hire her, so that’s a fault. “Wholesalers were told they are both gone for good by leadership during in person conversations. “They already shifted all their direct reports to new people and the head of marketing.” “Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence, which we support,” an Anheuser-Busch spokeswoman said earlier. “Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence.” According to The Daily Caller: Heinerscheid, the 39-year-old who allegedly lives in an $8 million apartment close to Central Park, appeared on a podcast in late March to promote Bud Light’s new marketing. She said the company needed to update its “fratty” image and change its “out-of-touch humor.” The Caller obtained leaked images in April that showed Heinerscheid partaking in the same behavior she seemed to be criticizing during a Harvard social club event. The photos were obtained from a source who had screenshots of the album on Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid’s Facebook page. The album was named “Isis Senior Reverse Initiation Scavenger Hunt” and included photos of Heinerscheid and others drinking and holding condoms up to their mouths. EXCLUSIVE: SOURCE: Top Anheuser-Busch Marketing Executives Behind Boycott Are No Longer Employed Read my latest for @dailycaller here first: t.co/LzmNP9fv99— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 27, 2023 link
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Post by maybetoday on Jun 30, 2023 1:03:07 GMT -5
Dylan Mulvaney Bashes Bud Light for Lack of Support Amid ‘Transphobia’
PAUL BOIS 29 Jun 2023 Transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a man living as a woman, publicly bashed Bud Light, charging that the company has not been supportive enough amid the backlash over their botched partnership. In an Instagram video, Mulvaney declared himself a beer lover as he enjoyed a cold brew. “One thing I will not tolerate people saying about me is that I don’t like beer because I love beer and I always have,” Mulvaney said. Mulvaney said that the initial partnership with Bud Light sparked more “bullying and more transphobia” than he ever could have imagined. “I should’ve made this video months ago but I didn’t,” said Mulvaney. “And I was scared, and I was scared of more backlash, and I felt personally guilty for what transpired, so I patiently waited for things to get better. But surprise, they didn’t. And I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did.” “And for months now, I’ve been scared to leave my house, I have been ridiculed in public, I’ve been followed, and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” Mulvaney continued. “And I’m not telling you this because I want your pity, I am telling you this because this is my experience from a very privileged perspective, know that it is much, much worse for other trans people.” Mulvaney then slammed Bud Light for not being supportive enough. “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, adding that it will have “serious and grave consequences” for the LGBTQ community. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuFQBdjRFFV A post shared by Dylan Mulvaney (@dylanmulvaney) Corporations have been put into a difficult corner amid backlash over massive Pride Month campaigns, especially in markets directed at children. A recent report from CNBC showed that companies will have to make difficult decisions in the years ahead. As Breitbart News reported, Bud Light has been a floundering brand since it partnered with Mulvaney and has been replaced by Modelo as America’s number-one beer. Anson Frericks, who previously served as president of sales and distribution at Anheuser-Busch, said that some corporations need to have a better understanding of their audience. “Anheuser-Busch has lost sight of who its customer is. A brand like Bud Light is a brand that has never been political, but now they’re being shunned by customers on the right, who see this partnership as a very politicized position they’ve taken, and also customers on the left who don’t feel supported amid the backlash,” he told CNBC. Just this week, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth refused to say if his company would partner with Dylan Mulvaney again now that the backlash has settled. Whitworth told CBS Mornings: It’s been a challenging few weeks. I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive. And Bud Light really doesn’t belong there. Bud Light should be all about bringing people together. And there’s an impact on the business, and I think that’s publicly covered on Bud Light specifically. When co-host Gayle King asked what the company intended to do, he dismissed the controversy as just being “one can.” “We have to understand the impact that it’s had … it’s the impact on our employees, the impact on our consumers, and as well the impact on our partners,” he said. “One thing I’d love to make extremely clear is that impact is my responsibility and as the CEO, everything we do here I’m accountable for.” Asked if the company would partner with Mulvaney again, he did not give a straight answer. “There’s a big social conversation taking place right now, and big brands are right in the middle of it and it’s not just our industry or Bud Light. It’s happening in retail, happening in fast food. And so for us what we need to understand is — deeply understand and appreciate — is the consumer and what they want, what they care about and what they expect from big brands,” Whitworth said. link
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Post by schwartzie on Jun 30, 2023 16:32:01 GMT -5
Anheuser-Busch Fires Back after Dylan Mulvaney Trashes Bud Light for Failing to ‘Stand By’ Him
Frank Bergman June 30, 2023 - 1:53 pm Anheuser-Busch has fired back at Dylan Mulvaney after the transgender influencer issued a statement trashing Bud Light. Mulvaney blasted the beermaker for failing to “stand by” him after his marketing stunt destroyed the brand. The disastrous campaign has seen over $20 billion wiped from the company so far. Industry experts predict that the failed ad partnership with Mulvaney will ultimately result in 25% being permanently wiped off Anheuser-Busch’s business, as Slay News reported. Mulvaney blasted Bud Light and parent company Anheuser-Busch for being “political” and not sympathizing with him as the company lost billions of dollars. “It must’ve been a slow news week because the way that this ad got blown up, you would’ve thought I was like on a billboard or on a TV commercial or something major,” he said in a video posted to Instagram. “But no, it was just an Instagram video. “I have some lesbian friends who could drink some of those haters under the table “To turn a blind eye and pretend everything is ok, it just isn’t an option right now. “And you might say, ‘But Dylan, I don’t want to get political.’ “Babe! Supporting trans people, it shouldn’t be political. “There should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us. I know it’s possible. “Hey, it’s still Pride Month,” he noted. “So I’m going to celebrate being alive, and I’m going to celebrate the trans people in my life and the ones I haven’t met yet. “And I’m going to celebrate the fact that no matter how many thousands of horrible messages, or news anchors misgendering me, or companies going silent, that I can look in the mirror and see the woman that I am and that I love being,” he claimed. “I was waiting for the brand to reach out to me, but they never did. “I’ve been scared to leave my house. “For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all. “Because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and as hateful as they want. “There’s should be nothing controversial or divisive about working with us. “I have been ridiculed in public I’ve been followed and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. “I realized that I needed to protect this can so I hid it somewhere and I can’t find it because I hid it so well. “But when I do find it, I feel like it needs to go in a museum, preferably behind bullet-proof glass. “One thing I will not tolerate people saying about me is that I don’t like beer because I love beer and I always have.” Anheuser-Busch responded to Mulvaney’s comments. A company spokesperson said in a statement that Anheuser-Busch remains “committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community. “The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. “As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best – brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.” link
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Post by OmegaMan on Jul 3, 2023 4:07:42 GMT -5
Glass Bottling Company Lays Off Hundreds After Bud Light Implosion
PAUL BOIS 2 Jul 2023 A glass bottling company has reportedly laid off over 600 employees in the wake of the fallout over Bud Light’s partnership with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney. As Breitbart News reported, Bud Light has been a floundering brand since it partnered with Mulvaney and has been replaced by Modelo as America’s number-one beer. Anson Frericks, who previously served as president of sales and distribution at Anheuser-Busch, said that some corporations need to have a better understanding of their audience. “Anheuser-Busch has lost sight of who its customer is. A brand like Bud Light is a brand that has never been political, but now they’re being shunned by customers on the right, who see this partnership as a very politicized position they’ve taken, and also customers on the left who don’t feel supported amid the backlash,” he told CNBC. Now it seems that the Bud Light controversy has now spread out to affect other companies that the brand worked with. According to WRAL, The Ardagh Group, the glass bottling company that includes Anheuser-Busch as a partner, has laid off roughly 645 employees. New documents obtained by WRAL News show a drop in Bud Light sales forced a glass plant in Wilson to cut down bottle production starting in May. With Bud Light’s huge drop in sales, last week, the plant’s owner, the Ardagh group, announced it would be shutting down the factory in Mid-July, laying off close to 400 employees. In a statement last Thursday, the company told the Ruston leader in Lousiana that the Wilson plant is closing, along with the Ruston plant, which employs 245 people. The statement doesn’t identify a specific reason for the closures, only calling them part of a “Multi-year Performance Optimization Program.” James Munhall, Journeyman Machine Repair Mechanic, said that a “couple of machines” have been down since April, which stemmed from “the Bud Light situation.” A memo from the Wilson plant manager in mid-May said that “slow sales with Anheuser Inbev” would cause two of the factory’s production lines to shut down. Employees at the plant said that they primarily worked with Budweiser and Bud Light. Industry data shows that Bud Light sales fell 24 percent in May just after the backlash hit over the Dylan Mulvaney partnership. “Because of Budweiser no longer selling the bottles, they no longer needed our product,” said David Williams, Machine Repair Mechanic. Another employee said they believe the industry itself had a shift and did not necessarily blame the Bud Light controversy. Just this week, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth refused to say if his company would partner with Dylan Mulvaney again now that the backlash has settled. Whitworth told CBS Mornings: It’s been a challenging few weeks. I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive. And Bud Light really doesn’t belong there. Bud Light should be all about bringing people together. And there’s an impact on the business, and I think that’s publicly covered on Bud Light specifically. When co-host Gayle King asked what the company intended to do, he dismissed the controversy as just being “one can.” “We have to understand the impact that it’s had … it’s the impact on our employees, the impact on our consumers, and as well the impact on our partners,” he said. “One thing I’d love to make extremely clear is that impact is my responsibility and as the CEO, everything we do here I’m accountable for.” Asked if the company would partner with Mulvaney again, he did not give a straight answer. “There’s a big social conversation taking place right now, and big brands are right in the middle of it and it’s not just our industry or Bud Light. It’s happening in retail, happening in fast food. And so for us what we need to understand is — deeply understand and appreciate — is the consumer and what they want, what they care about and what they expect from big brands,” Whitworth said. In response, Mulvaney accused the company of enabling “transphobia” by not supporting him enough. “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, adding that it will have “serious and grave consequences” for the LGBTQ community. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Jul 3, 2023 15:20:37 GMT -5
Calls Mount for Anheuser-Busch CEO to Be Fired for Bud Light Disaster
Frank Bergman July 3, 2023 - 3:15 pm Calls are mounting for Anheuser-Busch’s CEO Brendan Whitworth to be fired ahead of July 4th over the disastrous Bud Light ad campaign. Anson Frericks, the former president of Anheuser Busch Sales and Distribution Co., is calling for Whitworth to be ousted ahead of the holiday – the biggest sales day of the year, The ad campaign featuring transgender Dylan Mulvaney has wiped billions off the company’s value and is continuing to destroy the brand. If Anheuser-Busch suffers poor sales for the Fourth of July holiday, as predicted, it would be disastrous for the embattled beermaker. Frericks says this weekend is make-or-break for the company that has lost $20 billion in market cap value since Bud Light partnered with Mulvaney, the Daily Mail reported. However, Whitworth claims that the battle for the beer giant has been lost after Mulvaney took to social media to cut ties with the now number-two beer in the country. As Slay News reported, Mulvaney broke his silence in an Instagram video and trashed the company for failing to “stand by” him. “For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse than not hiring a trans person at all because it gives customers permission to be as transphobic and hateful as they want,” Mulvaney said in an Instagram post uploaded Thursday. “It has serious and grave consequences for the rest of our community, and we’re customers too.” Mulvaney said the beer giant never reached out to him once the controversy ensued following his April 1 Tik Tok post displaying a Bud Light can with his face on it. AB-Inbev responded to Mulvaney’s comments on Friday, as Slay News reported. “The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority,” the beer giant said. “As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers.” Frericks blasted the company for its lack of clarity. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Jul 12, 2023 0:10:23 GMT -5
Bud Light Becomes Laughingstock at Concert as Beach Boys Alum Takes Shot at Woke Company
By Warner Todd Huston, The Western Journal Jul. 11, 2023 9:07 pm215 Comments Beach Boys alum Mike Love took to the stage recently to take a jab at the woke corporate masters running Bud Light and Budweiser beers, as well as to joke about left-wing cancel culture over his “gender specific” surfer girl tunes. As he introduced his next song, the Beach Boys’ summer anthem “Surfer Girl,” Love showed how Anheuser-Busch has become a massive laughingstock because of its fealty to the radical transgender and LGBT agenda. From the stage, he delivered a mock apology that “Surfer Girl” was “gender specific” and said he hoped no one from Budweiser was in the audience. “At any rate, this next song I’m a little concerned about doing, on account of … it’s gender specific,” Love said ahead of the song, as the audience laughed. “And … I hope there’s nobody from Budweiser here … or the FBI.” “Sorry, I apologize in advance for anything I might say or do … it’s a family tradition, you know what I’m saying?” Love joked. As Central Banks Stockpile Gold, a Christian Company Helps Americans Get Ahead of the “Retirement Bubble” Nonetheless, he went on, saying, “This is dedicated to all the ladies.” WARNING: The following post contains language that some may find offensive. The concert appears to have occurred in May, but even then, Budweiser, Bud Light and their owner, Anheuser-Busch InBev, had risen — or fallen, as the case may be — to the status of a laughingstock. Indeed, Bud Light in particular has become the focus of constant ridicule. For instance, when Yuengling beer introduced golf influencer Madi Frerking as one of its recent spokeswomen, many fans joked that at least Yuengling knew what an actual woman was like. Even apparently-former Bud Light partner Dylan Mulvaney is now out of love with the beer brand and spoke out, saying he feels abandoned by the company in the wake of the boycott of the beer. Condemnation for Bud Light exploded early in April when Mulvaney posted an Instagram video showing off the specially-made can of Bud Light with his face on it, which Bud Light made for their advertising partnership. Bud Light was far from the only corporate giant scrambling to hire Mulvaney, who had many brands paying him millions to advertise for them. Before the Mulvaney fiasco, Bud Light had a reputation as an all-American brand popular among blue-collar Americans. But even though Bud Light had been throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at radical gay groups all along, the Mulvaney deal shocked beer fans and sparked a boycott that seriously hurt Bud Light and sent parent company Anheuser-Busch into panic mode. Two executives were “put on leave” and later confirmed to be out of a job. The disaster ultimately ended Bud Light’s reign as America’s best-selling beer. The company ultimately responded to Mulvaney’s criticism. Last month, an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told The Daily Beast that the company remains “committed to the programs and partnerships we have forged over decades with organizations across a number of communities, including those in the LGBTQ+ community.” “The privacy and safety of our employees and our partners is always our top priority. As we move forward, we will focus on what we do best – brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in moments that matter to our consumers,” the company insisted. Still, Anheuser-Busch never mentioned Mulvaney at all in its statement, according to the Daily Beast. According to Forbes, some analysts are saying that Bud Light’s decline is “permanent,” and others say it might lead Bud Light to become a defunct brand because this boycott has become cultural and not just a blip on the beer-selling radar. Bud Light has become the quintessential example of going woke and going broke. link
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Post by Midnight on Jul 13, 2023 4:10:13 GMT -5
Cratering Bud Light Reportedly Receives the Painful “Star of Death” from Major Retailer (PHOTOS)
By Cullen Linebarger Jul. 12, 2023 6:50 pm It appears one of the world’s largest retailers may eventually stop selling Bud Light. Newsweek reported Tuesday that social media sleuths have discovered that America’s most disgraced beer company has received Costco’s “star of death.” The “star of death” is a small asterisk located at the top right-hand corner of items’ price tags. Costco uses this to signal a product will no longer be restocked once it is sold out. One Twitter user displayed an image showing Bud Light being sold at $14.97 for a 2 x 12 pack. The user said this meant the Costco was “practically giving away Bud Light. These images were captured at different Costco stores across the country. The exact location of these stores remains unknown at this point. LOOK: This reported death blow from comes as the woke beer company was hit with more embarrassing sales numbers. According NelsonIQ data, Bud Light sales cratered 28% over the four-week period ending July 1 and the number of units of beer sold was down over 31% compared with the same time last year. Bud Light received even worse news earlier this week as a recent survey revealed the beer had crashed to 14th place in terms of popularity with the public. Yahoo notes this shift in popularity jeopardizes the livelihoods of the 65,000 people whose jobs linked to Anheuser-Busch’s success. Costco is the fifth largest retailer in the entire world. Just imagine how bad the carnage will get for Bud Light will get should they stop selling the product completely. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Jul 21, 2023 22:32:34 GMT -5
Bud Light's Popularity At Bars And Restaurants Is "Almost Non-Existent"
BY TYLER DURDEN FRIDAY, JUL 21, 2023 - 08:45 AM Union, a data-driven hospitality engagement platform with a point-of-sales system in bars and restaurants nationwide, published a new report showing Bud Light's "fall from No. 1 was swift following the marketing controversy that spurred a nationwide boycott." "Sales of what was once America's best-selling beer dropped 2.6 points from 11.3 percent dollar sales share to 8.73 percent at Union's network of thousands of high-volume venues in the first week of the boycott alone," the report said. It continued, "That sales spiral continued throughout Q2 at Union venues as the boycott took a stronghold across the US, dropping 34 percent in sales share compared to the prior year, since the fallout began on April 1." On April 2, we were among the first to point out Did Bud Light Go 'Woke' With Trans-TikTok Star? Boycott Calls Intensify... And it was only weeks that high-frequency data from bars, restaurants, and distributors that Bud Light's marketing partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney on TikTok led to one of the largest boycotts by consumers of a product in recent memory. From neighborhood bars to high-end restaurants, even on golf courses, the message with many beer drinkers was consistent: Bud Light's too 'woke.' "Our on-premise ordering data shows that domestic beer brands are reaping the most benefits from the Bud Light fallout," said Layne Cox, chief marketing officer at Union. Cox said, "Modelo may have unseated Bud Light at retail, but at high-volume bars and restaurants, it's a different story." We have noted that Bud Light was dethroned last month as the number-one-selling beer in America by Constellation Brands' Modelo. However, Cox said data from their POS machines "reveals that guests are now spending more on Miller Lite than Bud Light in on-premise accounts." POS data shows Miller Lite's sales are up 21% in the three months ending June 30, while Bud Light's sales tumbled 34%. Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra, and Coors Light are now the top three selling beers on Union's POS machines. AB InBev owns not just Bud Light but also Michelob Ultra, which many beer drinkers probably don't realize of the parent company's extensive beer portfolio. "With the boycott still making headlines three months after the initial incident and Bud Light sales at Union venues still struggling, we believe it will take a while for the brand to see a full rebound," said Cox. POS data also showed North and South Carolina experienced the most significant declines in Bud Light sales while Miller Lite demand surged. Clayton Dukes, general manager of the Blind Tiger Pub in Charleston, South Carolina, which uses Union's POS, told the data firm that Bud Light sales became "almost non-existent" since the boycott erupted in early April. Dukes continued, "At first I thought this might blow over pretty quick, but I think it is pretty apparent that this isn't going anywhere for a long time." In a separate report, Deutsche Bank analyst Mitch Collett estimated Bud Light risks a permanent loss of nearly 25% of its business. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Jul 27, 2023 2:45:40 GMT -5
Anheuser-Busch Lays Off Hundreds of Workers amid Bud Light Boycott
JORDAN DIXON-HAMILTON 26 Jul 2023 Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch laid off hundreds of U.S. workers after Bud Light sales declined for months following a collaboration between Bud Light and transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. Anheuser-Busch said the layoffs would impact less than two percent of its nearly 18,000 U.S. workforce. “While we never take these decisions lightly, we want to ensure that our organization continues to be set for future long-term success,” Anheuser-Busch Chief Executive Brendan Whitworth said in a written statement. “These corporate structure changes will enable our teams to focus on what we do best—brewing great beer for everyone.” Corporate and marketing roles at major U.S. offices, including St. Louis, New York, and Los Angeles were eliminated, the Wall Street Journal reported. Conservatives began the Bud Light boycott in April after Mulvaney posted a video to social media celebrating his first year of “womanhood” while flaunting a Bud Light can that bore his likeness. Anheuser-Busch’s market value plummeted by billions in the months following the boycott. Bud Lights competitors, like Modelo and Coors Light, have seen sales skyrocket in the time since the boycott. “If Bud Light continues its double-digit declines for the balance of 2023 and Modelo Especial continues to grow at 10% or greater for the balance of the calendar year, then it’s probable that Modelo Especial surpasses Bud Light as the No. 1 selling beer in America on a calendar basis,” Bump Williams, CEO of Bump Williams Consulting, told FOX Business this month. The Ardagh Group, the glass bottling company that includes Anheuser-Busch as a partner, has also laid off roughly 645 employees following the decrease in Bud Light bottle production. link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Jul 29, 2023 2:04:38 GMT -5
Dylan Mulvaney Charging $40,000 for Speaking Gigs as Bud Light Fires Hundreds of Workers
Frank Bergman July 28, 2023 - 6:40 pm Dylan Mulvaney is cashing in big time after his disastrous ad campaign with Bud Light destroyed the brand. Mulvaney is charging thousands for speaking gigs as Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch lays off hundreds of workers. Anheuser-Busch has seen around $27 billion wiped from its value after partnering with transgender Mulvaney in an effort to turn the beer brand “woke.” Last weekend, Mulvaney posted an advertisement encouraging students to contact his booking agent with “serious inquiries.” “University and College friends!” he wrote. “I am booking speaking opportunities for the upcoming 23/24 school year and would love to come visit.” His agent, Crista Spadafore, reportedly confirmed to the New Guard that Mulvaney’s speaking fee is $40,000. This is nearly twice as much as it was a few months ago when he delivered a speech at the University of Pittsburgh for $26,250. Meanwhile, Anheuser-Busch will lay off nearly 400 workers at its corporate offices over slumping sales at Bud Light, the former best-selling beer in America, as Slay News reported. The layoffs will not affect front-line workers such as brewery and warehouse staff, the company said. Instead, the company will eliminate corporate and marketing roles at major U.S. offices, including St. Louis, New York, and Los Angeles. Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said in a statement: “While we never take these decisions lightly, we want to ensure that our organization continues to be set for future long-term success. “These corporate structure changes will enable our teams to focus on what we do best — brewing great beer for everyone.” “The world’s largest brewer, which also sells Stella Artois and Budweiser, on Wednesday said the cuts would affect less than 2% of its roughly 18,000 U.S. workforce,” according to The Wall Street Journal. The New York Post reports: In the week ended June 17, Bud Light suffered its steepest weekly drop since its disastrous tie-up with Mulvaney, falling an eye-popping 28.5% versus a year ago, according to sales figures issued by Bump Williams Consulting and NielsenIQ. Then over the Fourth of July weekend — the most important beer-drinking holiday on the US calendar — Bud Light sales fell 23.6% in the one-week period ending July 8 compared to the same week in 2022, Bump Williams’ data showed. link
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Post by Midnight on Aug 9, 2023 2:44:46 GMT -5
Anheuser-Busch Heir: Ancestors Would Have ‘Rolled in Their Graves’ over Dylan Mulvaney
A staffer is seen with an anti Bud Light can koozie during the House Appropriations Committee markup of "Fiscal Year 2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill and Interim Suballocation of Budget Allocations" in Rayburn Building on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc …Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images, Facebook/Dylan Mulvaney PAUL BOIS 8 Aug 2023 Billy Busch, an heir to the Anheuser-Busch beer empire, said that his ancestors would have “rolled in their graves” over Bud Light’s recent decision to partner with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Busch weighed in on the controversy in an interview with TMZ, adding that his great-grandfather, Adolphus Busch, would never have approved of partnering with Dylan Mulvaney. “I think my family — my ancestors would have rolled over in their graves,” Busch said. “They believed that transgender, gays, that sort of thing was all a very personal issue. They loved this country because it is a free country and people are allowed to do what they want, but it was never meant to be on a beer can and never meant to be pushed in people’s faces.” Busch said that the type of customers who would drink a Bud Light are “common folk” who work hard every day and do not want political messaging shoved in their faces. “You know, I think people who drink beer, I think they’re your common folk. I think they are the blue-collar worker who goes and works hard every single day,” Busch said. “The last thing they want pushed down their throat or to be drinking is a beer can with that kind of message on it. I just don’t think that’s what they’re looking for. They want their beer to be truly American, truly patriotic, as it always has been. Truly, America’s beer, which Bud Light was and probably isn’t any longer,” he added. When TMZ’s Harvey Levin attempted to paint the backlash against Bud Light as “prejudice” on par with hating blacks, Jews, and even gay people, Busch disagreed. “Absolutely it’s prejudice,” Levin said. “Look, I remember my dad telling me stories that there were bars in LA that used to have signs that said, ‘No dogs, no Jews.’ So there’s been a history of prejudice in the country. People get over certain things. It’s happened to Jews. It’s happened to black people. It’s happening to gay people, and it’s happening to transgender people. So to me, it is absolutely prejudice.” Busch said that he ultimately believed people’s sexual preferences should be private and they have no place in a beer advertisement. As Breitbart News reported repeatedly, Bud Light has been hemorrhaging business since the Dylan Mulvaney controversy, forcing the company to lay off hundreds of workers. “While we never take these decisions lightly, we want to ensure that our organization continues to be set for future long-term success,” Anheuser-Busch Chief Executive Brendan Whitworth said in a written statement. “These corporate structure changes will enable our teams to focus on what we do best—brewing great beer for everyone.” link
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Post by Midnight on Aug 12, 2023 4:22:49 GMT -5
Budweiser Tent Stands Empty at Sturgis Motorcycle Rally – WATCH
By: Jason Walsh August 11, 2023 The Anheuser-Busch brand continues to feel the devastating effects of using transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney to head its brand after the Budweiser tent at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota stood empty. The video of the empty Budweiser tent quickly went viral, showing a vacant lot of branded booths. According to its website, Budweiser declared itself the official sponsor of this year’s motorcycle event. Watch Budweiser and its local distributor, Quality Brands of the Black Hills, are proud to be the Official Malt Beverage Sponsor of the 83rd Annual – City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. Through their combined efforts, you will see: Custom Sturgis / Budweiser signage and; Our mutual donations to local charities raise money for the Black Hills area. The local Budweiser distributor, Quality Brands of the Black Hills, has been associated with The Rally for more than 50 years. Budweiser and its distributor partners are long-time supporters of motorcycle events nationwide. Bud Light has suffered since partnering with Dylan Mulvaney, forcing the company to lay off hundreds of workers. “While we never take these decisions lightly, we want to ensure that our organization continues to be set for future long-term success,” Anheuser-Busch Chief Executive Brendan Whitworth said in a written statement. “These corporate structure changes will enable our teams to focus on what we do best—brewing great beer for everyone.” Heir to the Anheuser-Busch beer empire, Billy Busch, said that his ancestors would have “rolled in their graves” over Bud Light’s recent decision. “I think my family — my ancestors would have rolled over in their graves,” Busch told TMZ. “They believed that transgender, gays, that sort of thing was all a very personal issue. They loved this country because it is a free country and people are allowed to do what they want, but it was never meant to be on a beer can and never meant to be pushed in people’s faces.” Busch said that the type of customers who drink Bud Light are “common folk” who work hard every day, not to have ‘woke’ political messaging shoved in their faces. “You know, I think people who drink beer, I think they’re your common folk. I think they are the blue-collar worker who goes and works hard every single day,” Busch said. “The last thing they want to push down their throat or to be drinking is a beer can with that kind of message on it. I just don’t think that’s what they’re looking for,” he said. “They want their beer to be truly American, truly patriotic, as it always has been. Truly, America’s beer, which Bud Light was and probably isn’t any longer,” he added. link
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Post by Midnight on Aug 18, 2023 4:14:14 GMT -5
TOO LATE? Anheuser-Busch Heir Wants to Buy Back Bud Light in an Effort to Save the Brand
By Mike LaChance Aug. 17, 2023 10:30 pm Billy Busch is the heir to Anheuser-Busch and he is not happy about what has happened to Bud Light. He recently said that his ancestors would be rolling over in their graves if they saw what has happened with Dylan Mulvaney. Now he is saying that he wants to buy back the brand in order to save it. Unfortunately for him, it may already be too late. Via MSN: Busch heir says he wants to buy back Bud Light, make it ‘great again’ For the past 15 years, the Anheuser-Busch family of beers has actually been part of a larger corporate conglomerate. Now, in light of a cultural firestorm and a steep drop in sales, the heir to the Busch family name says he’d like to get at least one of those beers back and “make it great again.” Billy Busch, appearing on conservative activist Benny Johnson’s podcast, offered to purchase the beleaguered beer that was, as recently as this past spring, the leading seller in America for decades but saw a sudden 10.5% decline in sales, according to the company’s latest financial report, after partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney for an advertising promotion. “I know Anheuser-Busch InBev just sold off eight brands and if they ever decide to sell the Bud Light brand they could sell it to me,” Busch said. “I’d sure as heck try to pull some people together and buy that brand because I think we can make Bud Light great again.” See the video below: The damage has already been done. It’s difficult to see consumers coming back to Bud Light any time soon. linkSubmit additional information. TruthGettrGabTelegramShare Photo of author Mike La
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Aug 25, 2023 21:25:37 GMT -5
Bud Light Backlash "Shows Little Signs Of Abating", Citi Warns
BY TYLER DURDEN TUESDAY, AUG 22, 2023 - 07:05 PM The Bud Light backlash shows no signs of stopping: AB InBev's US volumes tanked 15.2% this past month, according to Citi, citing new data from Nielsen. The brewer has not apologized to its base drinkers for its tone-deaf transgender TikTok campaign in April. Here are the main points of Citi analyst Simon Hales' note to clients about "the ongoing backlash to Bud Light's social media campaign": ABInBev beer volumes dropped by 15.2% in 4 weeks. Market average decrease: 2.8%. Beer price/mix increased by 4.1%. Total dollar sales for beer fell by 11.7%. ABInBev's total value share decreased by 484bps. Beer value share dropped by 555bps. Bud Light backlash persists. Bud Light contributes to ~30% of the group's US revenues (about 8% of the group). Bud Light volumes: -29.7%; previously -29.9%. Budweiser volumes: -25.3%; previously -26.2%. In the US beer, flavored malt beverage, cider, and seltzer markets, AB InBev is the only major brewer experiencing widespread declines in total value share and volumes in the last four weeks. AB InBev's brand portfolio is suffering at a time when US beer, flavored malt beverage, cider, and seltzer markets are marginally growing. Citi's Hales shows AB InBev's sales are at a critical low -- where either the brewer can revive demand through proper marketing -- maybe an apology might work -- or face a second exodus wave as drinkers switch to other beers. Hales shows Molson Coors has been one of the biggest winners following Bud Light Marketing VP Alissa Heinerscheid's move to 'nuke' the brand with 'woke' transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. She was eventually fired. In a separate report, Deutsche Bank analyst Mitch Collett warned Bud Light faced a 25% permanent loss of its business. Billy Busch, the heir to the Anheuser-Busch dynasty, made a few recent television appearances, telling AB InBev that he would like to buy back the ailing brand to "make the brand great again" (free from woke). Bud Light's PR nightmare, combined with its summertime marketing flop, has failed to revive the brand (for now). Could consumers have finally seen through the façade and realized Bud Light has been handing them 'piss water masquerading as beer' for years? Meanwhile, the new top-selling beer in the US is Modelo Especial. Epoch Times explained more: Modelo Especial is now the top-selling beer in the United States, surpassing Bud Light, whose popularity has plummeted in the midst of a lengthy boycott. Data from Nielsen IQ shows Modelo Especial's sales at beer and grocery stores surpassed Bud Light's for the entire year, according to CNN. Modelo got 8.34 percent share of dollars spent on beer, as compared to 8.28 percent for Bud Light from the start of 2023 to Aug. 12. "The fact that we became the number-one beer in America due to a competitor's moves is not accurate," Jim Sabia, executive vice president and managing director of Constellation Brands, said in a recent statement. Several brewers in the Mid-Atlantic region told us they've increased light beer production and expanded portfolios to take market share away from AB InBev. For those seeking a real American-owned beer, ditch the Belgian brewer in favor of local brewer. Charts and graphs at link
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Post by J.J.Gibbs on Sept 6, 2023 18:16:00 GMT -5
Creeps Love Bud Light: Bill Gates Buys 1.7 Million Shares of Anheuser-Busch Valued at $95 Million
ELAINE MALLON 6 Sep 2023 Bill Gates has acquired 1.7 million shares of Anheuser-Busch Inbev through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation trust during the second quarter of this year. The billionaire may have made the investment on the hopes that the company can get past its Bud Light fiasco, or he may think its new brand image fits with his infamous reputation as an “office bully” and friend of Jeffrey Epstein. The market value of Gates’ investment in Anheuser-Busch is valued at $95 million, according to TipRanks. Over the past six months, the company’s share price has fallen nearly nine percent, the New York Post reported. In the past five days, the stock has been down over three percent. Sales have been on a steady decline since Dylan Mulvaney flaunted the customized Bud Light can with his face on it on April 1. As Breitbart News reported at the time, the nationwide backlash against this marketing disaster vaporized $6 billion in market value. Gates’ acquisition of 1.7 million shares reveals that he sees the beer giant making a comeback with consumers following its ill-fated advertisement campaign with trans gender activist Dylan Mulvaney. Morgan Stanley analyst Sarah Simon told TipRanks the beer giant’s growth in emerging markets like in the Asia Pacific region limits the impact of the U.S. share loss. ”After one-off costs in 2023, we see profitability growth resuming in 2024, with strong cash flow growth driving leverage to the target 2.0x, allowing for both an increase in the payout ratio as well as the resumption of share buybacks from 2026,” Simon told TipRanks. “Current valuation fails to reflect this upside, in our view.” Despite this rosy view of the feature, Bud Light continues to suffer in America. Breitbart News recently reported on Modelo continuing to widen its lead over the brand, which once ruled America’s retail establishments. The latest NielsenIQ data provided to FOX Business by Bump Williams Consulting shows Bud Light sales in off-premise locations such as grocery stores and gas stations tumbling 15.9 percent on a dollar basis and down 20.1 percent on a volume basis year to date as of Aug. 19. Modelo was up 10.3 percent in sales and 9.6 percent in volume. Bill Gates recently made news when it was revealed that women seeking employment at his private office were asked sexually explicit questions. As Breitbart News reported: Some of the women were asked about their involvement in extramarital affairs, their preferences in pornography, and whether they had any nude photographs of themselves on their phones. “This line of questioning would be unacceptable and a violation of Gates Ventures’ agreement with the contractor,” a spokeswoman for Gates Ventures stated, expressing unawareness of such practices during background checks. Concentric Advisors, the firm responsible for the screenings, defended their practices, stating that their protocols comply with all applicable laws. The firm’s primary goal, they claimed, was to uncover any information that could potentially be used to compromise or blackmail individuals who would be working closely with one of the world’s wealthiest men. This behavior mirrors some of his past situations. Microsoft insiders referred to Gates as an “office bully” pursuing affairs with women in the office. Gates’ ongoing shenanigans with women and his close relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which he continually attempts to downplay, also put him in a sticky situation when he initiated an affair with a young Russian bridge player. link
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Post by schwartzie on Sept 7, 2023 18:37:14 GMT -5
Bill Gates Makes Massive $100 Million Bet on Bud Light, Immediately Loses $2M
David Hawkins September 7, 2023 - 11:50 am The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust has bought 1.7 million shares of Anheuser-Busch, valued at around $100 million, according to a regulatory filing. Gates thinks the embattled beer company can make a comeback after the Dylan Mulvaney debacle. However, the Microsoft co-founder has so far lost money as the company continues to sink. Anheuser-Busch’s stock is down nearly 2% since Gates made his purchase, costing the billionaire a $2M loss. The stock is down about 7% for the year. Last month, Anheuser-Busch said that its U.S. revenue fell 10% in the second quarter, mostly due to falling Bud Light sales. Gates’s investment comes after an heir to the Anheuser-Busch company said his ancestors would have “rolled in their graves” if they knew the beer company had thrown it all away over a marketing stunt with a transgender influencer. As Slay News reported, Billy Busch, the grandson of Anheuser-Busch founder Adolphus Busch, said: “I think my family, my ancestors, would be rolling over in their grave. “They were very patriotic. “They loved this country and what it stood for. “They believed that transgender, gays, that sort of thing, was all a very personal issue. “They loved this country because it is a free country and people are allowed to do what they want. “But it was never meant to be on a beer can and never meant to be pushed into people’s faces. “You know, I think people who drink beer, I think they’re your common folk. “I think they are the blue-collar worker who goes and works hard every single day. “The last thing they want to be drinking is a beer can with that kind of message on it. “I just don’t think that’s what they’re looking for. “They want their beer to be truly American, truly patriotic, as it always has been. “Truly, America’s beer, which Bud Light was and probably isn’t any longer.” link
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Post by ExquisiteGerbil on Sept 17, 2023 2:08:53 GMT -5
Bud Light Might Soon Lose Retail Shelf Space Amid Boycott: ExpertsSATURDAY, SEP 16, 2023 - 06:40 PM Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times In the midst of a months-long boycott against Bud Light, some experts have forecast that the Anheuser-Busch owned brand will soon lose coveted retail shelf space as sales continue to slide. Bud Light, made by Anheuser-Busch, sits on a store shelf in Miami, Fla., on July 27, 2023. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Beer industry experts, wholesalers, and a former Anheuser-Busch executive told ABC News Friday that places like 7-Eleven, QuikTrip, and Walmart may decrease Bud Light's refrigerator space in stores. “During a busy shopping period on a Friday or Saturday night, if you don’t have the beer available cold on the shelf, consumers pick something else,” former Anheuser-Busch InBev executive Anson Frericks, a frequent critic of his former company, told the outlet. He noted that shelf space is “the single largest determinant of sales in a store," and warned there will be a "dramatic shift" for Bud Light. Dave Williams, vice president of analytics and insights at Bump Williams Consulting, said that retailers often watch for sales figures to determine what brands would be given the best shelf space. “There’s explosive growth on one side and sharp decline on the other,” Mr. Williams said, according to the broadcaster. “This does have that ripple effect where if Bud Light loses space on the shelf, that could make it a longer-term endeavor to claw back to where they were if they’re ever able to do that in the first place.” According to a report from Drinks Market Analysis from several years ago, about 80 percent of beer sales occur at retailers or similar locations where consumers take the product home. The other 20 percent of sales occur at restaurants and bars. Over a month period ending in early September, sales for Bud Light dropped about 27 percent year-over-year, according to Bump Williams Consulting. Those figures are consistent with Bud Light's previous weekly sales figures since the boycott erupted in early April. The Epoch Times has contacted Anheuser-Busch InBev for comment on the report Friday. A general manager at a Wisconsin Anheuser-Busch distributor, who wasn't named, told ABC that retailers do not expect a "drastic change" anytime soon. But he warned that the Bud Light "boycott has lasted longer than anybody thought," adding, "Every retailer has their own opinion for what sales warrant on their shelves. Time will tell." Last month, Anheuser-Busch's American division revealed in its quarterly earnings report that it lost about $395 million amid the boycott and that U.S. revenue dropped about 10 percent year-over-year. Meanwhile, Bud Light lost its No. 1 spot to Modelo Especial, which is owned by Constellation Brands in the United States, in June. Adding more fuel to the fire, a beer industry expert, Harry Schumacher of Beer Business Daily, told Fox News some Bud Light drinkers may never come back and have switched to other brands. The boycott, he warned, is "actually worse than just lost sales because now it’s getting to the point where it’s becoming systemic within the industry, and they’re losing the confidence of the retailers, and that’s when it starts getting bad." Controversy It all started in April when Bud Light made a beer can featuring the face of transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, who then posted the promotional item on social media. Backlash came quickly, and some conservative musicians and influencers called for a boycott, accusing Bud Light of abandoning its traditional consumer base. Musician Kid Rock was seen in a viral video shooting up cans of the beer, while several country singers said they wouldn't serve it at their bars or on tour. Former President Donald Trump also accused the firm of caving to leftists and urged supporters that it's "time to beat the radical left at their own game." Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis later urged the state's pension manager to investigate Anheuser-Busch and potentially take legal action against the firm over the incident. Like President Trump, Mr. DeSantis is also a GOP presidential candidate. Weeks later, Anheuser-Busch confirmed that two top Bud Light executives took a leave of absence the company, namely after a Bud Light marketing executive, Alissa Heinerscheid, gave an interview saying that she wanted to move the brand away from an "out-of-touch" and "fratty" image. Reports have indicated that she was associated with the company's Mulvaney campaign. In an earnings call with investors in May, Anheuser-Busch InBev CEO Michel Doukeris appeared to distance the beer brand from the transgender controversy and said there was no "formal campaign." "This was the result of one can," he said during the call. "It was not made for production or sale to general public. It was one post, not a formal campaign or advertisement." Months later, in August, Mr. Doukeris told investors that Bud Light is "working hard to build it back and to earn back consumers" and worked with a third-party researcher to engage with about 170,000 customers in the U.S. “Most consumers surveyed are favorable towards the Bud Light brand and approximately 80 percent are favorable or neutral,” the firm said. link
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