Anheuser-Busch CEO Downplays Dylan Mulvaney Impact on Bud Light

Michel Doukeris, CEO of the global brand Anheuser-Busch InBev, sought to downplay the impact the Dylan Mulvaney partnership has had on Bud Light.

Addressing the company’s first-quarter-earnings call, Doukeris emphasized the Mulvaney partnership was just a single can sent to the transgender TikTok influencer and the company never intended for a full product rollout.

“The Bud Light volume decline in the U.S. over the first three weeks of April, as publicly reported, would represent around 1% of our overall global volumes for that period,” he said.

“This was the result of one can. It was not made for production or sale to the general public. It was one post, not a formal campaign or advertisement,” he added.

Doukeris said the company’s main mistake was allowing itself to enter into a political discussion and it needs to have a better understanding of the social media landscape.

Costco customers have been saying the retail chain may stop restocking Bud Light after the emergence of the “star of death.” https://t.co/zcZWWlx8U4

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“So I think that to start, we need to understand the current environment and especially the social media landscape and how consumer brands, especially big brands with significant reach, can be pulled into a discussion like this one,” he said. “And we know that ours, Bud Light, is certainly not the first brand that was pulled into a situation like that.”

“While beer will always be at the table when important topics are debated, the beer itself should not be the focus of the debate. And to me, this is the key learning,” he added.

The CEO even went as far as to accuse customers of being confused, insisting the company drive home the point it was just “one can.”

“One challenge is what you call the misinformation and confusion that still exists. We will need to continue to clarify the fact that this was one can, one influencer, one post, and not a campaign and repeat this message for some time,” he said.

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