Americans drank less beer in 2023 than in any other year this century, as a widespread boycott of Bud Light led to an overall decline in demand.
Analysts at Beer Market Insights say the boycott sparked by Bud Light's sponsorship deal with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney doesn't explain the overall downturn. . According to NBC News, BMI Vice President and Editor-in-Chief David Steinman said the boycott was rather a more general decline in demand for “domestic premium” brands such as Bud Light, Miller Lite, and Coors Light. He said that it was just an acceleration of the
BMI found that U.S. consumption is on track to fall below 200 million barrels for the first time since 1999.
Anheuser-Busch led the decline. According to BMI, sales increased. Nevertheless, Coors Light, Miller Lite, and other top U.S. beers also saw declines.
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Americans drank less beer in 2023 than in any other year this century, as a widespread boycott of Bud Light led to an overall decline in demand. (Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket, Getty Images)
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The uproar against Bud Light began in the spring when the company partnered with Mulvaney to celebrate a full year of the influencer identifying as a woman. The company delivered Mulvaney cans with the influencer's face on them, which were featured in many posts online.
of Social media The video sparked angry reactions from conservatives and beer drinkers who felt the classic American brand was abandoning its customer base in favor of far-left identity politics.
Days after the Mulvaney firestorm broke out, comments from Bud Light's former vice president of marketing, Alyssa Heinerscheidt, caused further headaches for the company.
The uproar against Bud Light began in the spring, when the company partnered with Mulvaney to celebrate a year of identifying its influencers as women. The company delivered Mulvaney cans with the influencer's face on them, which were featured in many posts online. (Instagram)
Heinerscheid revealed in an interview that he was instructed to change the brand from its “cheating” image to a more “inclusive” image.her comment I got a virus The company's problems become even bigger when considering its partnership with Mulvaney.
As sales began to plummet, the company's CEO, Brendan Whitworth, anheuser-busch, Bud Light's parent company addressed the controversy on April 14th.
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The CEO insisted that the company “didn't want to be part of a debate that would divide people,” adding: “Our job is to bring people together over a beer.”
Bud Light will be available for $19.99 (includes $15 rebate) in Nashua, New Hampshire stores on May 24, 2023. (Alexa Moutevelis/Fox News Digital)
By May, Anheuser-Busch's market capitalization had fallen by $27 billion and its sales had declined. nearly 30% compared to last year.
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Bud Light has struggled to revamp its public image ever since.
FOX News' Kristin Parks contributed to this report.
