T he C ost of WOKE What the Data Says About Conservative Boycotts
C onservative-led boycotts of woke companies have made major headlines this year. But what does the data say about how the backlash to far-left social politics is actually impacting bottom lines?
indeed launched a partnership with Mulvaney, whose videos many viewed as deeply offensive to women. In response, conservatives took to social media to express their outrage, with many declaring that they would no longer purchase the product. Celebrities like Kid Rock and Travis Tritt joined in, with the former obliter- ating several cases of Bud Light with a machine gun and the latter announc- ing he would no longer have Anheus- er-Busch products on his tour. Viral online videos showed stores completely sold out of other beers but stocked full of Bud Light. At Fenway Park in Boston, fans lined up for Miller-Coors products while the Anheuser-Busch booth stood empty.
Dozens of bar owners told local news outlets that demand for Bud Light had dropped through the floor. In June, Bud Light effectively fired Alissa Heinerscheid, the marketing vice president behind the Mulvaney fiasco. Anheuser-Busch CEO Bren- dan Whitworth also issued a half- hearted apology letter, although that only seemed to enrage beer drinkers further. In August, Bud Light launched a new promo to basically give the beer away for free. The numbers justify the evident panic at Anheuser-Busch headquarters. By June, Bud Light had lost its status as the number-one-selling beer in the country — a distinction it had held for more than 20 years. In just two
Bud Light
Perhaps the most high-profile exam- ple of customers revolting against a product over a brand’s embrace of wokeness is the Bud Light saga. On April 1, 2023, controversial social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney, a male who identifies as a girl and boasts 10.6 million TikTok followers, posted a clip advertising a Bud Light can with his face on it. Shortly there- after, Bud Light confirmed that it had
18 • AMAC Magazine
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