Anti-trans backlash against Bud Light has executives on the hot seat. What’s going on?
LA TimesOn Friday, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the parent company of Bud Light, placed two of its marketing executives on leave after public outcry from conservative corners over the beer brand’s partnership with a transgender influencer. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Light’s vice president of marketing who oversaw the partnership, and her boss Daniel Blake, who oversees marketing for Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream brands, were placed on leave. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson confirmed those moves to The Times, declining to provide additional details “in the interest of our employees’ privacy and safety.” Heinerscheid is the first woman to lead marketing for Bud Light in the brand’s 41-year history. The spokesperson said Bud Light had also made “some adjustments to streamline the structure of our marketing function to reduce layers so that our most senior marketers are more closely connected to every aspect of our brands activities.” According to Bump Williams Consulting figures cited by Beer Marketer’s Insights, sales volume for Bud Light tumbled 21% in the week that ended April 15.