In June, three months after controversy over partnerships with transgender influencers began, Bud Light’s year-over-year sales continued to decline, according to new sales data.
Nielsen IQ sales data provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation by Bump Williams Consulting shows that Bud Light’s sales fell 26.8% year-over-year in the week ending June 10, down 10 June. It decreased by 25.2% in 4 weeks. The price cut is part of a backlash against the Bud Light brand after it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote March Madness. (Related: Bud Light’s parent company owns many of your favorite beers)
So far, Bud Light’s 2023 sales are down 10.3% overall, while top competitor Modelo Es Special is up 8.3%. In the four weeks ending June 10, Modelo overtook Bud Light as the best-selling beer in the United States, with Bud Light at 7.2% market share and Modelo Especial at 8.4%. Despite growing market share in terms of sales, Bud Light was still dominant in his four-week sales volume, accounting for his 8.7% of total market sales, while Modelo Especial was his 7.1%. bottom.
Bud Light is no longer on top https://t.co/cujKRnwP63
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 14, 2023
Bud Light’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch, saw year-over-year declines in sales of its other beer brands. Year-over-year sales for the week ending June 10 were down 10.2% for Budweiser and 4.2% for Bushlight.
The drop in sales compared to last year marks a bigger drop than the 24.4% decline in the previous week ending June 3, the worst week since the controversy began in April.
The backlash against Bud Light began after the company partnered with transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney. Mulvaney has gained notoriety for her TikTok series, in which she documents influencers’ experiences as transgender women. The promotion included an advertisement by Mulvaney featuring a customized beer can with Mulvaney’s face on it.
Bud Light marketing executives Daniel Blake and Alyssa Heinerscheidt have been placed on administrative leave by the company following the boycott. A video of Heinerscheidt was released and she said: “Bud Light was a brand of light humor. It was really important to have a different approach.”
Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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