Bud Light still not getting it – featured at Pride festivals nationwide.

Anheuser-Busch Continues to Support Pride Month Despite Boycott

Despite a two-month boycott of Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light, the beer giant is partnering with multiple events celebrating June as “Pride” month. In Ohio, Bud Light is listed as a partner of the events planned by Stonewall Columbus and as an alcohol sponsor of Cincinnati Pride, while in Missouri, Anheuser-Bush is listed as a major sponsor of St. Louis Pride.

Anheuser-Busch is also supporting Chicago Pride, and on its website, the company glows over its alliance with the LGBT movement. “Together, with our brands, we have a clear role to play in bringing real change and creating an inclusive and equitable world where we cherish and celebrate one another,” the site says. “We have donated more than $12 million to local events and national organizations supporting the LGBTQ+ community, including our 24-year partnership with GLAAD.”

Brands are going to be DROWNING you in this stuff once Pride Month rolls around in a few days; they obviously don’t think we can Bud Light all of them at once. https://t.co/KpN9eZLxg1

— The National Pulse (@TheNatPulse) May 24, 2023

Despite the boycott, Anheuser-Busch’s market value has dropped by $15.7 billion since April 1, according to Investor’s Business Daily. Jared Dinges, a beverage analyst at JPMorgan Chase, said there is no reason to think that’s going to end soon. “We believe there is a subset of American consumers who will not drink a Bud Light for the foreseeable future,” Dinges said. “We believe a 12% to 13% volume decline on an annualized basis would be a reasonable assumption.”

Target has also felt the heat from consumers for its support of the LGBT community and has moved some of its “Pride Month” merchandise to less visible locations, according to USA Today. Consumer psychologist Ross Steinman told the outlet that caving to one group could make it harder for Target to keep the loyalty of LGBT shoppers. “It’s hard to dispute that decision from a public safety perspective, but from a branding perspective, it has the potential to be quite damaging,” said Steinman, a professor at Widener University in Pennsylvania. “We will see more of the same if a brand like Target does not put its hands up and say: ‘Enough.’ They are a major player, and other brands look to them for their response.”

Bud Light has become the poster boy for brand mismanagement. The narrative that has risen around Bud Light is a good lesson. It highlights the power of social media. People that didn’t like the message, took it out by boycotting the product immediately. pic.twitter.com/Hf9xh6stDr

— Kevin O’Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) May 23, 2023

Tim Calkins, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, said the experiences of Bud Light and Target will serve as a warning. “When you have issues where there are strong feelings on both sides, and it’s not directly related to your business or brand, there you will see brands try to be very careful,” Calkins said, according to The Washington Post.

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