Anheuser-Busch U.S. CEO Brendan Whitworth said Bud Light will keep supporting LGBT activists despite the ongoing boycott over the brand’s partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Whitworth appeared Wednesday on “CBS Mornings” to speak about the Bud Light boycott and Anheuser-Busch’s strategy for winning customers back. (RELATED: Anheuser-Busch Accepts Creative Marketing Award Announced Shortly Before Bud Light Boycott Began)
In response to recent controversy, @AnheuserBusch CEO Brendan Whitworth tells CBS Mornings that his company will continue to support the LGBTQ community.
He did not directly answer the questions of whether the promotional campaign with a transgender influencer was a mistake. pic.twitter.com/19PXJQkoem
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) June 28, 2023
“It’s been a challenging few weeks and I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer. The conversation has become divisive, and Bud Light really doesn’t belong there. Bud Light should be all about bringing people together,” Whitworth said.
He acknowledged the boycott’s impact on Bud Light’s business. The boycott began in April when the transgender influencer posted advertisements on social media touting a customized beer can from Bud Light. Conservatives responded to Mulvaney’s videos by calling for a boycott of Bud Light for promoting transgender ideology. Mulvaney is a biological male who identifies as a transgender female and supports transgender procedures for minors.
EXCLUSIVE: SOURCE: Top Anheuser-Busch Marketing Executives Behind Boycott Are No Longer Employed
Read my latest for @DailyCaller here first: https://t.co/LzmNP9fv99
— Henry Rodgers (@henryrodgersdc) June 27, 2023
“Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years. And as we’ve said from the beginning, we’ll continue to support the communities and organizations that we’ve supported for decades. But 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 we do right by our employees, take care and support our partners and ultimately make an impact in the communities we serve,” Whitworth said.
Shortly after the boycott began, video footage resurfaced that showed Bud Light marketing executive Alissa Heinerscheid trashing the brand’s “fratty” and “out of touch” image. The Daily Caller reported Tuesday that Heinerscheid and another marketing executive are no longer employed by Bud Light, based on texts provided by a source inside Anheuser-Busch (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Social Media Pics From Bud Light Ad Exec Who Slammed ‘Fratty’ Culture Seem Pretty Fratty)
Bud Light sales continue to plunge compared to 2022 totals according to data from Nielsen IQ and Bump Williams consulting. The boycott has also affected other Anheuser-Busch beer brands, and some beer distributors have suggested that the downturn will be permanent.