Anheuser-Busch Inbev said Tuesday that revenue growth in most of its global regions was offset by a drop in North American sales, in a sign of continuing fallout from a promotion with a transgender influencer that cost it sales.
The world’s largest brewer and parent company of Bud Light said adjusted earnings for the latest quarter rose 4.1% to $5.4 billion on revenues that climbed 5% to $15.6 billion.
Revenue in the United States for the July-September period, however, tumbled 13.5%. AB InBev, based in Leuven, Belgium, noted that sales to retailers were down “primarily due to the volume decline of Bud Light.”
Bud Light sales plunged amid a conservative backlash after the brand sent a commemorative can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney in early April.
This is gonna be in PR textbooks one day, if it isn’t already. It’s a shining example of what not to do in the face of a moral panic.
I’m almost certain the best move in the face of moral panic is to stay the course.
Acquiesce to the bigots and you piss off your supporters too.
Manipulator&Sons PR Advice for major corporations:
Step 1) (mostly applies to Americans) Hire a propaganda specialist to monitor current news propaganda cycles that will inform marketing on current minefields.
Step 2) Don’t step in political minefields created by said propagandists.
Step 3) Profit.
it’s a picture perfect case of how not to market towards your target audience. not anything to do with “moral panics”