Bud Light Nixes Attacks, Says Its Ad Campaigns Expand Market

Bud Light and its parent company Anheuser Busch have been targeted by singer Kid Rock and others after partnering with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender woman and influencer, in its marketing, Danielle Wiener-Bronner reported for CNN.

Photo Insert: Singer Kid Rock literally targeted Bud Light after the company sent customized cans to transgender TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney, shooting up the product with a semi-automatic rifle in a video.

The phrase “get woke go broke,” employed by some conservatives on social media, suggests that brands that employ inclusive campaigns are angering a significant enough portion of consumers to lead to a material drop in sales.

But experts say that inclusive campaigns are, in fact, often lucrative for businesses, serving as an important tool to reach key demographics.

For Bud Light in particular, reaching a new audience is crucial, Alissa Heinerscheid, vice president of marketing at Bud Light, said in a recent Make Yourself at Home podcast interview.

“If we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light,” she said in an interview posted to YouTube in March, before the current wave of anti-trans backlash.

Bud Light had “been in decline for a really long time,” she said. From her perspective, the way to encourage young people to drink more Bud Light was to “evolve and elevate” the brand by focusing on inclusivity.

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