Bud Light pauses marketing efforts following massive backlash over transgender influencer partnership: report

In response to the backlash, the company is said to be pausing its marketing efforts and implementing a more 'robust' process for evaluating future influencer collaborations.

Bud Light pauses marketing efforts following massive backlash over transgender influencer partnership: report
AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
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Bud Light owner Anheuser-Busch is reportedly pausing its marketing efforts and reevaluating its influencer partnerships after facing backlash over its controversial collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

New information has surfaced regarding Anheuser Busch's controversial partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, which allegedly took place without the knowledge of senior-level executives at the company, the Daily Wire reported.

In response to the backlash, the company is said to be pausing its marketing efforts and implementing a more "robust" process for evaluating future influencer collaborations.

The controversy began when Mulvaney, a biological male who identifies as a woman, announced on Instagram that Bud Light had sent him a personalized can featuring his face. This sparked confusion, as Bud Light's official social media pages and press page made no mention of a partnership with Mulvaney.

Sources close to the situation claim that lower-level employees were responsible for the decision to include Mulvaney in the campaign, which has reportedly cost the company $5 billion in market value. The backlash has been so severe that a Budweiser distributor in Missouri canceled an event featuring the company's famous Clydesdale horses due to the ongoing sensitivity surrounding the issue.

A source told the publication that the company will likely implement a more "robust" process for evaluating controversial figures in the future to avoid further public relations nightmares.

This controversy comes after two female vice presidents at Anheuser-Busch, Jennifer Morris and Alissa Heinerscheid, had previously championed inclusivity at the company. Morris emphasized the importance of conversations around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), while Heinerscheid expressed her intention to focus on "inclusivity" to attract young drinkers to Bud Light.

According to Open Secrets, employees at Anheuser-Busch have generally donated more to Republican and Conservative organizations than to Democratic or leftist ones. The company's contributions during the 2022 cycle favored Republicans, indicating a preference for remaining neutral and avoiding choosing sides politically.

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