Well over four months in, we still have yet to see the end of the Dylan Mulvaney backlash against Bud Light. In early April, Bud Light enacted a promotional partnership with the transgender activist and social media influencer, and from that moment on, the rest is history.
Fed up with Bud Light’s marketing decision that completely contradicted the values of the customer base, beer drinkers began an aggressive boycott of the beer that has persisted for over an entire financial quarter, creating disastrous consequences for the woke beer and its parent company Anheuser-Busch. Sales have consistently plummeted in the double digits, billions in market value have been completely erased, and a once-dominant brand in the beer industry has been significantly tarnished.
As consumers have shunned Bud Light, sales data shows they are picking up beer from other popular brands. Some have tried to defend Bud Light and blame its plummeting sales on declining demand for beer across the board. However, this argument doesn’t make sense considering that competitors’ sales are increasing while Bud Light’s have dropped.
The American Tribune recently reported that Bud Light sales experienced a steep decline during the Fourth of July holiday. According to data analyzed by Bump Williams Consulting, Bud Lights sales dropped approximately 23.6 percent for the week ending July 8th and 27.1 percent for four week period ending July 8th.
On paper, this decline is par for the course and in line with the plummeting sales figures that have been observed over the past few months. However, it’s important to note that this occurred during the Fourth of July, which is widely regarded as one of the most important holidays for the beer industry, where demand is heightened. Dave Williams, vice president of Bump Williams Consulting, said, “The Fourth of July is the biggest beer holiday in terms of retail sales and an opportunity to move a lot of volume.”
Simultaneously, Modelo Especial is seeing increases in its sales figures. For the week ending July 15th, Model sales were up 13.2 percent. The Mexican beer has been outselling Bud Light for two consecutive months, growing its year-to-date market share to 8.1 percent against Bud Light’s 8.5 percent.
Moreover, other beers, such as Coors Light, Yuengling, and Miller Lite, have also seen substantial gains in sales. Yuengling has grown the most, seeing a 25 percent increase in sales, Coors Light’s sales have risen 21.6 percent, and Miller Lite has gained 16.9 percent more sales. Beer experts have commented on Yuengling’s notable growth, where the beer is beginning to expand its distribution to new regions around the United States.
Other industry experts have been discussing the potential for Model Especial to overtake Bud Light in sales on an annualized basis, truly knocking the woke beer out of the top-selling spot. “If Bud Light continues its double-digit declines for the balance of 2023 and Modelo Especial continues to grow at 10% or greater for the balance of the calendar year, then it’s probable that Modelo Especial surpasses Bud Light as the No. 1 selling beer in America on a calendar basis,” said Bump Williams, CEO of Bump Williams Consulting.
"*" indicates required fields