Bug Light recently launched an ad campaign with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. This decision has caused a backlash, particularly among the brand’s conservative consumers, reports The New York Times.
“I had this super clear mandate: We need to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand,” said Anheuser-Busch marketing VP Alissa Heinerscheid in a recent podcast interview. Doing that “means having a campaign that’s truly inclusive.”
The company had been trying to launch in liberal urban areas to remedy its eroding market share over the last few years. However, the result has led to double-digit sales declines in rural, conservative markets, where many are combatting transgender rights, according to the report.
“They’ve stepped into a polarized America,” said Benj Steinman, the editor of Beer Marketer’s Insights. “They’re in the center of the culture wars in a way that no company could possibly want to be.”
Despite the drop in sales, Anheuser-Busch stock has not wavered, staying near its highest point in the last year. This signals that many believe the backlash will be short-lived.
“Companies will not end the standard business practice of including diverse people in ads and marketing because a small number of loud, fringe anti-L.G.B.T.Q. activists make noise on social media,” Sarah Kate Ellis, the president and chief executive of the L.G.B.T.Q. advocacy organization GLAAD, said in a statement. Full Story (Subscription Required)
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