After Bud Light's controversy, two executives take a leave of absence.
Photo Courtesy: Cristophe Dion (Unsplash.com)
After the controversial partnership between Bud light and transgender influencer, Dylan Mulvaney; two marketing executives are taking a leave of absence.
Bud Light's vice president of marketing, Alissa Heinerscheid is one of the executives taking a leave of absence according to Beer Business News and Ad Age. Replacing her will be Tod Allen who was most recently the global vice president of Budweiser. Allen is set to report to Benoit Garbe, U.S. chief marketing officer.
Daniel Blake who oversaw marketing for Anheuser-Busch also was placed on leave according to The Wall Street Journal.
How did this start?
Bud light recently came under fire after partnering and gifting Mulvaney a branded beer can. Mulvaney posted a video holding a custom made beer can with his face on it. The can is not for sale, however the with Mulvaney's video, the company announced its pride-themed cans that feature different pronouns.
The video was met with controversy. Conservatives argued that the brand should "know its audience." After demanding that Bud Light break ties with Mulvaney, conservative figures called for a boycott of the beer company. In solidarity, Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting packs of beer with a gun. Some bars even stopped selling the beer.
What's happened since?
Anheuser-Busch, the parent company, released a statement following the controversy days later. After a hiatus across all social media platforms, Anheuser-Busch released this statement:
"Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points."
On April 14, Anheuser-Busch followed up by stating the company "never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people." Since the controversy, Anheuser-Busch's InBev's stock is down 1.8%.
Comments