Modelo Especial beer is displayed on Tuesday, November 23, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York, USA.
Gabby Jones | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Bud Light lost its top spot in the U.S. beer market last month as sales of the brand slumped after conservative uproar over its collaboration with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
constellation brandModelo led the market with 8.4% of beer sales at retail stores in the four weeks ended June 3, according to NielsenIQ data from consultancy Bump Williams. Bud Light followed with a 7.3% share during the period.
Bud Light sales fell 24.6% year-over-year, while Modelo sales rose 10.2%, the data showed.
despite this, Anheuser-Busch InBev So far this year, the Bud Light brand has led the way in U.S. beer sales, according to Bump Williams.
The hit to AB InBev’s business marks one of the few instances in recent years where the network backlash has led to significant and sustained decline for a major brand. The company’s shares have fallen nearly 15% since early April, when Mulvaney sparked anti-LGBTQ+ outrage after posting a video of a personalized Bud Light can.
In response to the uproar, the company appeared to neither defend Mulvaney’s promotion — a hesitation that has angered some trans rights supporters — nor appease conservatives who opposed the marketing.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth A statement in April.
The backlash against Bud Light comes as state and federal politicians increasingly push to take back transgender rights. In recent months, hundreds of state laws have targeted transgender Americans, putting further pressure on members of already marginalized groups.
Inclusion and marketing to transgender Americans and the broader LGBTQ+ population has become more prevalent among large corporations in recent years. But an increasingly aggressive response to these movements appears to have curbed them, at least in some cases.
Target The company recently pulled some Pride month merchandise from its shelves after isolated incidents of customers threatening employees with Pride merchandise.trade union representative Starbucks Baristas claimed this week that employees at dozens of stores are not allowed to post Pride decorations.
Last month, a spokesperson for Target said the retailer “experienced a threat to the safety and well-being of our team members on the job” and would remove unspecified items “at the center of the most significant confrontations.” “. The spokesperson added that Target will focus on “advancing our ongoing commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community and standing with them as we celebrate Pride month and throughout the year.”
In a statement, Starbucks said it has not changed the company’s policy on decorations and is encouraging stores to celebrate Pride month.