Bud Light is reportedly planning a significant marketing push to reverse the damage caused by its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, according to the New York Post.
Executives for Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, reportedly held a closed-door meeting in Washington, DC, and told beer distributors they will begin spending heavily on marketing, Benj Steinman, editor of Beer Marketer’s Insights, told the outlet. (RELATED: Budweiser Releases Pro-America Ad Amid Backlash)
Bud Light to spend ‘heavily’ on marketing blitz after Dylan Mulvaney disaster https://t.co/AzGK2hGLpu pic.twitter.com/AVkXxKtSVd
— New York Post (@nypost) April 27, 2023
The spending will reportedly begin this week and coincides with the NFL Draft beginning Thursday night, Steinman said. Bud Light’s sales took a 17% plunge in the week ending April 15 because of the company’s partnership with Mulvaney, the NY Post reported.
Mulvaney, a biological male who identifies as a transgender woman, posted videos on social media April 1 promoting Bud Light. The company sent Mulvaney customized beer cans with the influencer’s face on them to celebrate “365 days of girlhood.”
The advertising campaign sparked backlash on social media from conservatives who argued Bud Light was disrespecting its customers by promoting transgender ideology. A viral video of Bud Light marketing executive Alissa Heinerscheid criticizing the company’s customer base created further backlash and contributed to Anheuser-Busch’s stock price plunge. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Leaked Social Media Pics From Bud Light Ad Exec Who Slammed ‘Fratty’ Culture Seem Pretty Fratty)
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth responded to the backlash on April 14 and said the company “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people.”
Heinerscheid and another Bud Light marketing executive were put on leave over the Mulvaney partnership. She had been in charge of the brand since June 2022. Budweiser global marketing Vice President Todd Allen replaced her following the backlash.