The founder of a bartending company recently gave her personal insight into the “plummeting” demand for Bud Light since the controversial marketing collaboration with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. Catarina Tucker founded Barnastics Mobile Bartending, a full-service bar catering company. Having firsthand knowledge of consumer preferences, Tucker shared her experience with the Bud Light boycott.
She spoke about how Bud Light was once an extremely popular choice among consumers. However, that drastically changed after the company enacted the marketing promotion with Mulvaney. “There has been a ‘significant shift’ in consumer preferences,” Tucker said. “Bud Light, once a popular option, is no longer capturing the attention or enthusiasm of event organizers and attendees.” Clearly, Barnastic’s clientele are participating in the boycott against Bud Light.
Tucker continued explaining that none of her clients even want the beer present at their catered events, even having some clients directly express their disdain toward the beverage. “[Demand for Bud Light] has plummeted completely. No one wants it at their event anymore. There are a couple clients that have expressed to me their feelings behind it, and it’s no longer popular,” she claimed.
The business owner shared that she is observing consumers who now have a heightened awareness of the values brands propagate on society. They are apparently becoming increasingly conscious of whether a given company’s values align with their own. Tucker claimed consumers “are actively seeking alternatives to Bud Light, gravitating towards craft beers, specialty cocktails, and premium spirits.”
This makes sense, given the dynamics of the alcoholic beverage industry. In Bud Light’s case, there are so many other cheap, light beers to choose from. A consumer angered by the Dylan Mulvaney promotion would have no reason to stick with Bud Light when they could easily buy Coors Light, Miller Lite, Modelo Especial, etc. Corroborating this change in consumer preferences, competitors have gained over $3 billion in market capitalization amid Bud Light’s tanking market value. Furthermore, Bud Light was dethroned from holding the title of the number-one-selling beer in America by Modelo.
Tucker reiterated that based on the immense negative feedback customers are giving her about Bud Light, she doesn’t see the brewing company recovering from the controversy. She stated, “With the feedback that I’ve gotten and how strongly a lot of clients feel about it, it [the company] doesn’t switch gears, I don’t see the popularity picking back up.” Tucker continued to say Bud Light’s actions have held “a lot of weight” with consumers, drawing questions about how long this boycott could continue.
The American Tribune recently reported on survey findings that indicate the backlash against Bud Light could be permanent. Surveys conducted by several prominent financial institutions, such as Jefferies Group LLC and Goldman Sachs, polled beer distributors. These distributors, like Tucker and Barnastics, have a good pulse on consumer demand. One survey indicates that almost one-third of distributors believe the boycott will continue indefinitely. Another survey was equally dismal, suggesting Bud Light will never fully recover from the Dylan Mulvaney disaster. Bud Light might be the preeminent example of the timeless adage of “go woke, go broke”
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