During the July 4 holiday, Bud Light, suffered a significant sales drop of 23.6% due to the ongoing backlash against their partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Anheuser-Busch, the parent brand of Bud Light, found it challenging to compete against rival brands such as Modelo Especial, Coors Light, and Miller Lite during this period. Nielsen IQ data provided by Bump Williams Consulting, revealed that Bud Light’s sales plunged by 23.6% in the week ending on July 8, as compared to the same time frame in the previous year.
On the other hand, Coors Light and Miller Lite experienced a surge in their sales numbers by 30.2% and 25.3% respectively, during the week ending July 8. Modelo Especial also had a significant increase in sales, up by 20.7%, gaining swiftly on Bud Light’s longstanding position as the country’s top-selling beer.
While Bud Light’s recent sales decline was less severe than the preceding weeks, which noted drops of 28.5% and 27.9%, it continues to impact other brands under the Anheuser-Busch umbrella, as reported by the Daily Caller. Budweiser, for example, saw a sales reduction of 6.6% during the week ending July 8.
Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch face an uphill battle to regain consumer trust following a poorly received advertising campaign with Mulvaney. The influencer began promoting Bud Light to her large social media following in April, leading to accusations that the brand was pushing a trans agenda.
In an attempt to recover from the controversy, the company launched a self-deprecating advertising campaign, but this has been met with strikingly negative responses.
