AB Inbev's CEO talks Bud Light

Anheuser-Busch Inbev’s CEO, Michel Doukeris, offered some insights into the Bud Light backlash during the company’s Q1?earnings call?on Thursday.?

The brand has been under fire from conservative media and customers since the beginning of April because of a sponsored Instagram post by transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.?

Doukeris said that it was too early to know the full impact of the controversy on sales but that ‘the Bud Light volume decline in the US over the first three weeks of April [...] would represent around 1% of our overall global volumes for that period.’?

He added that while the publicly available data showed some ‘spillover effects’ from the controversy onto AB Inbev’s other brands, Bud Light had borne the brunt of it.?

Doukeris also said that his ‘key learning’ from the past month had been 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,’ suggesting that the company would steer clear of divisive social and political issues in its advertising in the future. (Although it’s worth reiterating that Mulvaney’s post made no mention of socio-political issues.)?

In terms of AB Inbev's response to the crisis, Doukeris said that the company will continue to fight the ‘misinformation’ being spread about Bud Light on social media.?

‘We will need to continue to clarify the fact that this was one can [of beer sent to Mulvaney], one influencer, one post, and not a campaign, and repeat this message for some time,’ he said.?

AB Inbev has also made changes to how it manages its marketing in the wake of the controversy. ‘We have adjusted and streamlined our marketing structure, so the most senior market peers are more closely connected to every aspect of our brands,’ said Doukeris. (Two marketers at the company have also been on a ‘leave of absence’ since the Mulvaney campaign).?

According to Doukeris, AB Inbev will triple the media spend behind Bud Light in the US over the summer, and in the future it will focus on the proposition that the beer is 'easy to drink, easy to enjoy'.?

‘It's a powerful message for Bud Light,’ said Doukeris.

Richard Shotton, founder of behavioural science consultancy Astroten and author of?The Illusion of Choice, will be on stage at Contagious Live next week to talk about using biases to your advantage.?

Contagious’ strategists and editors will also take to the stage to present the campaigns they think will win big at Cannes next month, in an epic, rapid-fire pitch battle.?

So, join us on 17 May at Framestore’s London offices for an evening of insights and inspiration, pizza and networking. Tickets are only ￡35, but hurry because space is limited.?Contagious.

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Photo by?Wil Stewart?on?Unsplash