Bud Light’s Decline Continues After Mulvaney Scandal, Slips To No. 3 Spot In Beer Rankings
According to recent reports, Bud Light has not fully recovered from its marketing debacle over a year ago when it collaborated with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. For decades, the Anheuser-Busch brand held the title of America’s top beer. However, the latest data from Bump Williams Consulting shows Bud Light has now slipped to the number three position.
Modelo Especial and Michelob Ultra currently occupy the first and second spots, respectively. Year-to-date, Modelo has dominated the beer market, accounting for 9.3% of beer dollar sales in U.S. stores. Michelob Ultra holds a 7.1% share, while Bud Light has fallen to 7%, according to NielsenIQ data. Nevertheless, Bud Light remains the top-selling beer in terms of volume.
“Bud Light is still the number one selling beer in the United States on a volume basis (cases) and has started to recover from the Dylan Mulvaney situation that occurred on April 1st of 2023,” the consulting firm told Fox News. “While dollar sales aren’t quite back into the positive yet, the declines for the brand have improved dramatically and retailer support continues to improve week after week.”
An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson highlighted that other brands under its corporate umbrella are performing exceptionally well. Michelob Ultra and Busch Light have reportedly benefited from successful partnerships with various sports organizations, such as NASCAR, the PGA, and the NBA, significantly increasing their market share.
“In the last four weeks, Michelob Ultra and Busch Light are two of the top three share-gaining brands in the industry, demonstrating that our partnerships with the NBA, PGA, NASCAR, Team USA at the Olympic Games, and others continue to resonate and connect with millions of sports fans and beer drinkers and drive growth. We are focused on what we do best—brewing great beer for everyone and earning our place in the moments that matter,” the spokesperson said.
The American Tribune previously reported on commentary from former President Donald Trump and rockstar Kid Rock regarding the Bud Light controversy, both of whom criticized the woke advertising campaign. “It’s time to beat the Radical Left at their own game. Money does talk—Anheuser-Busch now understands that. Great new book by Wayne Allyn Root. Buy your copy today!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in May 2023, during the height of the boycott.
Kid Rock echoed similar sentiments, expressing frustration over Bud Light’s marketing choices. “So [Trump and I] go over, and we actually had a great conversation [with Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth]. I told him, ‘You signaled to a lot of people like myself… by sending that can to the trans kid, you kind of signaled to us that you support that lifestyle, and more importantly, men being in women’s sports or in my granddaughter’s locker room. Most of us draw a hard line right there,’” Kid Rock said. He added, “I said, ‘eff you. What are you doing, injecting yourself into this conversation, these polarizing social issues? You could be doing so much more positive stuff just making us laugh and drink beer.’”As Bud Light navigates the aftermath of its controversial campaign, it remains to be seen whether the brand can fully reclaim its former glory. Watch Kid Rock speak about the Bud Light backlash below: