Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, announced it will begin significant layoffs following the nationwide backlash and boycotts against the company.
In April 2023, Bud Light sponsored transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney by celebrating Mulvaney’s one-year anniversary of “womanhood.” Bud Light produced beer cans to honor Mulvaney’s transition from male to female.
The beer company will lay off roughly 350 employees. It’s unclear if more layoffs are incoming as company sales have tanked.
Anheuser-Busch to lay off hundreds of US corporate workers after Bud Light campaign disaster https://t.co/o0BAZ1E8aj pic.twitter.com/PiOKbs50UA
— New York Post (@nypost) July 27, 2023
Bud Light also fired its marketing vice president, Alissa Heinerscheid, following the disaster with Mulvaney. A video surfaced of Heinerscheid criticizing the brand’s consumer base as “fratty” and “out of touch humor.”
“We had this hangover, I mean Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out of touch humor, and it was really important that we had another approach,” she said in the video.
The company has reportedly lost billions of dollars as the stock price has dropped more than 12% since partnering with Mulvaney.
CEO Brendan Whitworth said, “While we never take these decisions lightly, we want to ensure that our organization continues to be set for future long-term success.”
My local bar finally gave up & is removing Bud Light completely from the bar permanently. pic.twitter.com/8LjJK8M6Lu
— KEEM 🍿 (@KEEMSTAR) July 27, 2023
“These corporate structure changes will enable our teams to focus on what we do best—brewing great beer for everyone,” he said in a statement.
Political commentator David Hookstead responded, “Turns out, people really don’t appreciate a beer brand doing ad deals with a person whose shtick seems to be mocking women and behaving like a child. Whoever could have seen that coming?”
Bud Light was once the best-selling beer in the U.S. and it has fallen from its position as one of the country’s top 10 most popular beers.
According to a YouGov survey, Bud Light was previously the ninth most popular beer in America. Now it’s fallen out of the coveted top ten.
Bud Light has been surpassed by other brands, such as Pabst Blue Ribbon, Miller Genuine Draft, and Miller Lite.
Bud Light Brewer Lays Off Hundreds of U.S. Workers: WSJ pic.twitter.com/jWvcJaoDwP
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) July 27, 2023
The top five most well-liked beers were Guinness, Heineken, Corona, Samuel Adams, and Blue Moon.
In the state of Pennsylvania, a beverage warehouse said a 30-pack of Miller Lite was selling for $24.99 before July 4th.
In comparison, a 30-pack of Bud Light was priced at $8.99 after a rebate. This is cheaper than some cases of water.
In the second quarters of 2022 and 2023, it is interesting to note that surveys consistently found that 42% of individuals held a positive opinion or expressed a liking for Bud Light.
