Recently, Country Music Television (CMT) received backlash from fans after removing the music video for Jason Aldean’s powerful new song “Try That In A Small Town.” However, the network may face consequences similar to Bud Light for this action as angered consumers have demonstrated they are willing to punish companies for going against their values.
Entrepreneur Ted Jenkins spoke with Fox News, explaining that the American consumer has grown tired of woke companies forcing an agenda down their throats. “I think people are just saying, ‘Enough is enough. Don’t force an agenda down my throat, especially when it comes to the products I buy or the TV that I watch,’” Jenkins said.
The CEO of oXYGen Financial also said that there are consequences when companies make these political decisions, where consumers will voice their opinions with their wallets. “What we’re seeing as a trend in America is that people are exercising their free speech on businesses one way or the other,” Jenkins said. “When businesses decide to take these actions, they also need to be responsible for the consequences. We saw it with Bud Light and other brands, and this could happen to CMT.”
Jenkins suggested that businesses should really consider if it is in their best interest to get involved in politics or whether they should just stick to offering a quality product to their consumer base. “I don’t know whether businesses should be involved in politics, and that’s the real decision they have to make. Do we want to take a political stand or not? Or are we in the business of selling a product or delivering a service,” the entrepreneur said.
Like Bud Light, CMT has a niche, blue-collar, conservative audience, similar to Bud Light’s. As Bud Light demonstrated, this consumer base has no appetite for the woke agenda in today’s culture war shown by the consequences the beer company has faced over the past four and a half months.
Bud Light sales have plummeted well north of 20 percent week-over-week since the beginning of April when the beer enacted a disastrous promotional partnership with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light sales tanked nearly thirty percent in some weeks compared to the prior year.
Moreover, Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch had lost billions of dollars throughout the boycott, erasing market value for stakeholders. Additionally, Bud Light was dethroned by Modelo Especial from its coveted title of top-selling beer in America. Modelo has outsold Bud Light for two consecutive months, and if trends persist, the Mexican beer could outsell the woke beer on an annualized basis.
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By no means is CMT facing a level of controversy remotely comparable to Bud Light at this point, but conservative consumers have been energized and have significantly punished woke companies that do not align with their values. It appears that Aldean’s message resonates with country music fans, a very similar audience to those who have boycotted Bud Light. Therefore, CMT could face substantial consequences for hindering Aldean’s song.