Bud Light distributors are facing homophobic abuse over the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco
The real losers of the Bud Light fiasco: Truck drivers claim they turned bird and verbally abused as 500 independent distributors ‘really hurt’ by the boycott following the disastrous Dylan Mulvaney campaign
- A former Anheuser-Busch executive said “the biggest losers” in the Bud Light boycott are independent distributors of the beer across America
- Some of the truck drivers who deliver the beer have been victims of homophobic abuse
- Distributors have suffered after a boycott over Bud’s collaboration with Dylan Mulvaney caused sales to plummet
Truckers distributing Bud Light across America have faced abuse, including homophobic slurs, following the backlash over the beer’s Dylan Mulvaney partnership.
Details of the incidents were reported as a former Anheuser-Busch executive said independent distributors are the “biggest losers” amid the ongoing furor.
Several have reported that a decline in Bud Light sales has hurt business. Many are family businesses that are independent of Anheuser-Busch and were blindsided by the Mulvaney partnership and subsequent backlash.
Some said their drivers had middle fingers pointed at them and, according to them, were even called “gay beer sellers.” ABC news.
Anheuser-Busch is now desperately trying to win back customers who boycotted its products, including Budweiser and Michelob.
Bud Light distributors have been abused because of the beer’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, it is alleged. A former Anheuser-Busch executive said the independent distributors are the ‘biggest losers’ in the debacle
Anheuser-Busch is now desperately trying to win back customers who boycotted its products, including Budweiser and Michelob
Anson Frericks, who retired from his executive role at Anheuser-Busch last year, said, “The biggest losers here are the 500 independent companies in the US that distribute Anheuser-Busch’s products. Those are the people who are really hurting.’
A distributor’s president said wholesalers and their staff are in a “very bad situation” and lamented the “frustrating” situation.
Some distributors are considering supplementing the wages of employees who depend on commission after sales and sales took a hit following the ongoing boycott.
Kansas-based Pestinger Distribution Company told ABC that Bud Light sales have dropped about 30 percent in recent weeks. Owner Matt Pestinger said, “Some people are stressed because you never want to see red numbers.”
He said he still has confidence in the leadership at Anheuser-Busch and “[respects] the way they handled it.”
Another company executive said employees “felt it.”
A third added, “Ultimately, the people who hurt the most are the local retailers and wholesalers in your community.”
Anheuser-Busch, the company that owns Budweiser and Bud Light, has lost $15 billion in value since announcing the partnership.
Budweiser recently teamed up with Harley-Davidson for a macho commercial that includes beer cans bearing the motorcycle manufacturer’s logo – as company executives try to win back customers.
Bud Light’s partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney has led to a drop in sales
The commercial features a gray-haired male mechanic working on a Harley motorcycle before three men drink the beer.
Speaking of a rock instrumental, a male narrator says, “The greatest legacies are built with guts and resilience, one detail at a time. Limited edition Budweiser Harley-Davidson cans – for those who give their all to their craft. This Bud is for you.’
The masculine tone contrasts sharply with Bud Light’s ill-fated partnership with 26-year-old Mulvaney, in which the trans influencer received a can of beer with her face on it to celebrate 365 days of being a woman.
And as Anheuser-Busch has lost value, competitors have added $3.2 billion in market value to their brands.
Molson Coors, owner of Coors Lite, has seen a $2.2 billion market value increase, about 20 percent, while Heineken has peaked at $1 billion – up 1.7 percent.
Bud Light sales have fallen significantly since the beer’s partnership with Dyland Mulvaney, and analysts at JPMorgan expect Anheuser-Busch’s revenues to fall 26% this year
According to JPMorgan beverage analyst Jared Dinges, Bud Light sales fell more than 23 percent in the week ending May 6.
He said the US bank expects a volume decline of 12 to 13 percent over the course of a year.
“We believe there is a subgroup of US consumers who will not be drinking Bud Light in the foreseeable future,” the analysts said on Tuesday.
He added: “Equities have underperformed EU Beer peers by 15% since early April.
“We believe this is due to uncertainty in the US as investor focus has completely shifted to the potential impact of the Bud Light controversy.”