An Anheuser-Busch executive has raised questions about the company’s decision to partner the iconic Bud Light brand with trans-identifying influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The former executive, Anson Frericks, made the comments during an appearance on the Fox News show “Fox & Friends” on Sunday. Frericks told host, Will Cain, that Anheuser-Busch was making the wrong bet in hoping that Bud Light drinkers would forget about the partnership.
“That’s the bet they’re making. I think that’s the wrong bet to make,” Frericks said. He suggested that instead of just hoping people would forget, the company should instead steer in the direction the people appear to want them to go.
“I think now is the time to go back and, for companies like Anheuser-Busch, to say that, ‘Hey, moving forward for brands like Bud Light, we’re not going to be political. We’re not going to get involved in the environmental social governance movement because that’s not what the customer wants,’” he continued.
The decision to partner with Mulvaney has been met with backlash from many consumers, and Anheuser-Busch has responded by shaking up its marketing staff. Bud Light marketing VP Alissa Heinerscheid was put on a leave of absence, and a company spokesperson stated that the move was meant to ensure that “senior marketers are more closely connected to every aspect of our brand’s activities.”
JUST IN: Bud Light’s marketing Vice President Alissa Heinerscheid is taking a leave of absence.
Here she is slandering her customer base as “fratty and out of touch” as she defends the decision to hire a tranny to promote their products.
If Bud Light is smart, they will fire… pic.twitter.com/wJMkyitD8F
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 22, 2023
The debate over the Bud Light/Dylan Mulvaney partnership has highlighted the larger issue of companies using their advertising to promote their ESG (Environmental Social Governance) policies. Frericks argued that companies should focus on appealing to potential customers and shareholders, rather than getting involved in political controversies.
“What the customer wants with Bud Light is they want to have things that bring us together. They want humor. They want the ‘Dilly Dilly’ guys. They want football. They want the things that bind us together as co-equal citizens here, not necessarily having Bud Light get involved in political controversies that tear us apart,” he said.
More executives are now being fired at Anheuser-Busch such as Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream brands.
Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream brands, has taken a leave of absence following the backlash from the Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light advertising campaign. https://t.co/5vU8yxuWli
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) April 24, 2023
The debate is likely to continue as the controversy surrounding the Bud Light/Dylan Mulvaney partnership persists. Whether or not Anheuser-Busch’s bet that its target audience will forget about the partnership and come back will pay off remains to be seen.
