After boycott, Bud Light beer loses market in the US – 06/14/2023 – Market

Bud Light has been dethroned as the country’s top-selling beer in recent weeks, according to a data analytics firm, signaling that the backlash the brewer has received from conservatives over its relationship with a transgender influencer may be having an impact.

Taking over the top spot is Modelo Especial, a Mexican beer brewed by Constellation Brands, making up 8.4% of U.S. retail beer sales in the four weeks to June 3, according to Nielsen IQ data analyzed by the consulting firm. Bump Williams. Bud Light sales dropped to 7.3% over the same period.

This change follows a conservative-led boycott of Bud Light that began after Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, posted a video on Instagram on April 1 promoting a Bud Light contest. Bud Light’s share of retail sales has declined by about 3 percentage points since the boycott began.

Sales began to drop after right-wing commentators and celebrities began to protest. Anheuser-Busch, maker of Bud Light, later announced the departure of two marketing executives, but the company’s attempt to pull back drew further criticism, this time from progressives and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The controversy highlighted the challenges brands and retailers face when trying to communicate with LGBTQIA+ consumers in a polarized political environment.

“Bud Light’s mistakes felt like a betrayal to its progressive and conservative clients alike, and that trust will take months, if not years, to rebuild,” said Daniel Korschun, associate professor of marketing at Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business.

Bud Light sales held at around 10% of US retail beer sales until the four weeks ending April 22, when they dropped to 8.7%, and have been on a downward trend ever since. Modelo, Coors Light and Miller Lite, on the other hand, increased their share of the retail beer market over the same period.