Bud Light had a long history of practicing corporate wokeness, long before its viral partnership with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney was met with criticisms that the beer brand was out of touch with its customer base.
Bud Light sent Mulvaney a transgender-themed can of beer, to celebrate the TikTok celebrity’s “365 days of girlhood.” The biological man who identifies as a woman also posted several branded advertisements with the beer products. (RELATED: Men Are Sweeping Competitions In Yet Another Female Athletic Category)
A recently resurfaced video shows Vice President of Digital Marketing at Bud Light Alissa Heinerscheid, calling the beer company’s customers base “fratty” and “out of touch.” Heinerscheid claimed in a video dated March 23 she had a “mandate” to “evolve and elevate” the brand to be more “inclusive.”
Heinerscheid has worked in various positions at the company and its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, since 2015.
Meet Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s VP of Marketing. She explains her strategy of using “inclusive” marketing to promote the brand to young people. pic.twitter.com/hFpe8YnbBc
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) April 9, 2023
The vice president of communications at Anheuser-Busch has a similar commitment to corporate wokeness.
“As the nation’s leading brewer, Anheuser-Busch is in a unique position to bring attention to DE&I issues in a way that brings consumers along on the journey to drive positive change and create a more equitable world,” Jennifer Morris, who has held the position since 2019, wrote in a profile.
In 2019, Anheuser-Busch announced a “diversity & inclusion pillar” to provide “unconscious bias training” and “attract diverse talent.”
“Our craft partners are committed to raising the industry standard for diversity and inclusion through measurable action,” Marcelo Michaelis, president of Brewers Collective, a business unit of Anheuser-Busch, said. “The launch of our Diversity & Inclusion pillar shows our commitment as a leader in the brewing industry to building a more diverse team.”
A diversity and inclusion specialist at Anheuser-Busch can make anywhere form $97,627 to $125,980, according to Salary.com.
Anheuser-Busch’s Chief People Officer (CPO) Lindsay King celebrated how the company had “made great strides at accelerating progress for women through workplace diversity and inclusion initiatives.”
“I’ve been proud to witness the impact of our progress, both within the walls of Anheuser-Busch and externally in our marketing and consumer experience efforts,” King said.
Anheuser-Busch’s commitment to DEI is not so surprising considering the fact that 83% of U.S. organizations implemented diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in 2021, according to The Los Angeles Times. All Fortune 100 companies have made a commitment to DEI as of July 2022.
Brands enjoyed mostly by right-leaning Americans are hardly immune to this corporate trend. The iconically Red America sport Nascar posted a statement pleading a commitment to inclusivity on Twitter at the beginning of pride month 2022.
“As we celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, we acknowledge that recent actions have not aligned with NASCAR’s mission to be a welcoming sport for all,” the company wrote. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to create a more inclusive environment — in our workplaces, at the race track & in the stands.”
Carhartt also required its employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 despite a higher court ruling that corporations didn’t have to require the shot.