Bud Light is screwed. Sales for the number one-selling beer in America have fallen off a cliff in every region in America. There is no good news for the brand that spent 20 years building a reputation only to have it gone in a minute.
Data from Beer Business Daily tells the grim tale. Sales in the Rocky Mountain states fell 29 percent. In the South Atlantic, West North Central, and East South Central all saw sales drop by 25 percent.
Sales in the East North Central area were down 23.5 percent. It gets worse for the company, a major Wall Street analyst just downgraded Anheuser-Busch InBev’s stock over the falling sales.
Carlos Laboy, a managing director at HSBC’s global beverage sector, downgraded the stock to a hold status saying the backlash shows there are ‘deeper problems than ABI admits.’
Laboy said: “If Budweiser and Bud Light are iconic American ideas that have long brought consumers together, why did these marketers fail to invite new consumers without alienating the core base of the firm’s largest brand?”
And it is not just conservatives boycotting the brand. Gay bars were furious when the parent company’s CEO threw Dylan Mulvaney under the bus.
Several Chicago gay bars announced Friday they will not be selling Anheuser-Busch beverages in response to the company disavowing transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Sidetrack Bar, in Chicago’s Boystown neighborhood, posted a message to their Instagram account: “In response to actions and statements taken by Anheuser-Busch which strongly bring into question their support of the LGBTQ+ community, Sidetrack will cease selling Bud, Bud Light and 312.
“For 41 years Sidetrack has encouraged liquor and beer companies that have wished to garner the LGBTQ+ customer base to actively support our community. For many years, there were very few companies that were willing to risk this sort of exposure.
“We must hold brans accountable if they take active steps against LGBTQ+ equality, visibility, and safety.
“Bud Light’s recent decision to drop the Dylan Mulvany campaign, to put on ‘leave’ those who created it, as well as the statement by its CEO, wrongfully validates the position that is is acceptable to acquis to the demands of the whose who do not support the Trans Community and wish to erase LGBTQ+ visibility.
“Until Anheuser-Busch can clearly demonstrate that they will not acquiesce to the voice of hate that wishes to erase LGBTQ+ existence, Sidetrack will continue to boycott their products.”
2Bears Tavern Group joined the boycott.They own 2Bears Tavern, The Sofo Tap, Meeting House Tavern, and Jackhammer. They said:
“In view of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s abandonment of its support of transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney, the subsequent reprehensible and divisive comments by its CEO, 2Bears Tavern Group is discontinuing all Anheuser-Busch InBev products including Busch Light, Bud Light, and Goose Island 312.”
Robert Lachky, the man behind the iconic Bud Light ads that helped propel the brand to the number one selling beer, finally broke his silence on the debacle.
He said: “It took us 20 years to take Bud Light beer to the No. 1 beer in the country, and it took them one week to dismantle it.
