It’s clear that Anheuser Busch’s intention to promote inclusion by featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney as a spokesperson for Budweiser Light was a colossal failure. It begs the question of whether the company did any advance polling of their core customers to gauge reactions prior to hiring such a polarizing figure.
It’s natural to second-guess Anheuser Busch’s decision, especially considering the market profile of current Bud Light consumers and the fact that there are far larger opportunities to attract new customers that extend beyond the transgender community.
A common theme from reader comments is that the VP of Marketing and her immediate boss should be fired immediately, along with every other individual at Anheuser Busch that allowed this to happen.
Without debating our personal views—religious, political, or otherwise, here’s what I find troubling:
Why is there such hate behind so many viewers’ comments? The Company made a mistake…A BIG ONE. The intent of the message was positive…to reflect the importance of inclusion. What the message didn’t do was communicate that Bud Light is for EVERYONE to ENJOY, ALL PEOPLE TYPES, no matter their gender, origin, or partner preferences.
As a former marketer, the one challenge that I’m more sensitive to than most is that in today’s world of social media, companies are told to stand for something. They’re also told to be bold, not boring.
Anheuser Busch missed the boat big time. Mistakes happen…although a mistake of this magnitude should certainly have been avoidable.
On the plus side, without mistakes, there’s no learning. A key takeaway for Anheuser Busch is to know their customers and be mindful of their values, regardless of whether they agree with them or not. Thankfully, there were no reported deaths (other than beer sales) nor were any national secrets shared with our sworn enemies.
It’s time to move on.