Every day, the number of American corporations and companies facing backlash seems to grow. Anheuser-Busch (AB InBev) is the latest to be under fire. This after Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender TikTok celebrity, joined forces to promote Bud Light. The beer giant’s latest marketing move does not appear to have been a good decision. Wil Fischer Distributing in Springfield, Missouri, canceled all future appearances by the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdale horses team. In the wake of Mulvaney’s reaction to Anheuser-Busch’s partnership, the distributorship expressed concerns about the safety and well-being of its employees.
On Sunday, the uproar started before Monday’s NCAA men’s basketball championship game. Mulvaney, a biological man who has been documenting his transformation into a woman via Instagram, posted a sponsored photo. Mulvaney was seen in an Instagram video seated at a Bud Light can and announcing that he had won a contest sponsored By Bud Light.
Social media immediately started to resent Mulvaney’s endorsement. One of the first to take to Instagram was Kid Rock, a singer, and songwriter. He wore a MAGA cap, which is automatically considered violence by some. After shouting profanities at Bud Light, Anheuser-Busch, and others, he began to shoot at the cases of beer using a semi-automatic gun. Video of a man exercising his freedom of expression, possibly violent for Wil Fischer Distributing.
Warning! Language
— KidRock (@KidRock) April 4, 2023
Kid Rock isn’t the only entertainer to voice their dissatisfaction with Bud Light or Anheuser-Busch on social media. John Rich and Travis Tritt, country music stars, have stated that they will be removing all Anheuser-Busch products from their shows and venues. Tritt claims to have heard of other country music performers doing the same thing but is too scared to speak publicly. Country music is a conservative genre, despite the appearance of drag queens at the CMT Country Music Awards. Tritt might be right, and many other artists and fans will soon follow.
Other artists who are deleting Anheuser-Busch products from their hospitality rider might not say so in public for fear of being ridiculed and cancelled. I have no such fear. https://t.co/YgjO9P03tR
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) April 6, 2023
Anheuser-Busch is an international corporation. St. Louisans feel a sense of pride to have a global corporation right here in their backyard. Anheuser-Busch is associated with the St. Louis Cardinals because they were once owners of the team. Anheuser-Busch’s presence can be felt everywhere in the city, from their charitable work to the corner bar. Springfield, Missouri is considered conservative. The state is known as the “Bible Belt” by many. It also hosts the Cardinals AA affiliate. Anheuser-Busch may not be able to achieve the results they hoped for by mixing beer and baseball in an area such as this.
Transgenderism may not disappear completely, but it is possible that transgenderism will have its 15 minutes of fame. Gallup’s January poll shows that Democrats are rapidly becoming an isolated group on this issue. According to the poll, 75 percent of Democrats believed that companies should adopt political stances on certain issues. Only 40 percent of Independents thought this was a winning strategy and only 18% of Republicans agreed.
Alissa Hendersheid, Vice President Marketing at Anheuser-Busch, is Alissa. She stated that “Female representation in the media is a passion point of mine” and said, “When we looked at this job, attracting new drinkers to Anheuser-Busch, we started with who we were and what we stand for.”
Gareth Boyd serves as Forte Analytica’s Marketing and PR Director. He shared the sentiments of Bud Light drinkers across America. Mulvaney’s decision to bring in Mulvaney was something he said. “I can’t understand their approach because their core audience cannot relate.” It doesn’t make sense to cut your core audience so you can attract a new audience, who haven’t been exposed before.
Will Wil Fischer Distributing decide in the near future to bring back the Clydesdale appearances at Springfield Missouri? It will be interesting to see. Better question: Will money (or lack thereof) talk?
There is better beer than Bud Light.
There is better apparel than Nike.
Drink beer and wear clothes that aren’t focused on wokeness.
— Lance Gooden (@Lancegooden) April 7, 2023