Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth refused to say if his company would partner with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney after the massive fallout over the Bud Light campaign.
Speaking with CBS Mornings, Whitworth said the company has experienced a “challenging few weeks” and lamented how “divisive” the conversation became about Bud Light.
“It’s been a challenging few weeks. I think the conversation surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer, and the conversation has become divisive. And Bud Light really doesn’t belong there. Bud Light should be all about bringing people together. And there’s an impact on the business, and I think that’s publicly covered on Bud Light specifically,” Whitworth said.
When co-host Gayle King asked what the company intended to do, he dismissed the controversy as just being “one can.”
“We have to understand the impact that it’s had … it’s the impact on our employees, the impact on our consumers, and as well the impact on our partners,” he said. “One thing I’d love to make extremely clear is that impact is my responsibility and as the CEO, everything we do here I’m accountable for.”
Asked if the company would partner with Mulvaney again, he did not give a straight answer.
“There’s a big social conversation taking place right now, and big brands are right in the middle of it and it’s not just our industry or Bud Light. It’s happening in retail, happening in fast food. And so for us what we need to understand is — deeply understand and appreciate — is the consumer and what they want, what they care about and what they expect from big brands,” Whitworth said.
“Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years, and as we’ve said from the beginning, we’ll continue to support the communities and organizations that we’ve supported for decades,” Whitworth continued. “But as we move forward, we want to focus on what we do best, which is brewing great beer for everyone, listening to our consumers, being humble in listening to them and making sure we do right by our employees.”
Corporations have been put into a difficult corner amid backlash over massive Pride Month campaigns, especially in markets directed at children. A recent report from CNBC showed that companies will have to make difficult decisions in the years ahead. As Breitbart News reported, Bud Light has been a floundering brand since it partnered with Mulvaney and has been replaced by Modelo as America’s number-one beer. Anson Frericks, who previously served as president of sales and distribution at Anheuser-Busch, said that some corporations need to have a better understanding of their audience.
“Anheuser-Busch has lost sight of who its customer is. A brand like Bud Light is a brand that has never been political, but now they’re being shunned by customers on the right, who see this partnership as a very politicized position they’ve taken, and also customers on the left who don’t feel supported amid the backlash,” he told CNBC.
Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Tubi, Google Play, YouTube Movies, or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.