The Bud Light marketing executive associated with the brand’s disastrous Dylan Mulvaney campaign is “not supposed to talk” about the incident, according to a friend she was seen walking with on a street in New York City. Alissa Heinerscheid, 39, was approached by the Daily Mail for the controversial marketing campaign with the transgender influencer.
However, she remained silent and didn’t answer the question, till her friend who was walking with her intervened and said that she couldn’t discuss the topic. Vice President Alissa Heinerscheid took a leave of absence earlier this year following the controversy surrounding the choice to use Mulvaney, 26, for the March Madness campaign.
Tight-Lipped About Mulvaney Campaign
Heinerscheid was not the only person to resign after the backlash that led to the largest corporate catastrophe in a decade. Daniel Blake, the vice president of Mainstream Brands, also gave up his position in the company following the backlash.
When approached by the outlet regarding claims that she had no idea of the campaign, Heinerscheid remained silent. Her friend standing next to her said, “She’s not supposed to talk about it, she can’t.” The two then moved on.
Heinerscheid and Blake’s abrupt departure seems premature given that their superiors said an “outside agency” decided to collaborate with Mulvaney “without management awareness or approval.”
The extent to which the two were involved in the Mulvaney collaboration is still not clear. Also, it is still unclear if Heinerscheid has since joined back the company or is still on leave.
Heinerscheid, who joined Anheuser Busch in 2022, gave an interview just days before Mulvaney released her videos in which she discussed her efforts to change Bud Light’s “fratty” and “out-of-touch” image and draw in new customers with a more “inclusive” strategy.
Two days later, on April 1, Mulvaney, who started transitioning to a woman in 2021, was introduced as a brand partner.
Blake and Heinerscheid ‘decided’ to temporarily resign, according to the company, but their choices were apparently not voluntary.
Todd Allen, who most recently held the position of Budweiser’s worldwide vice president, has since taken over Heinerscheid’s position.
“Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence which we support. Daniel has also decided to take a leave of absence,” the company said.
Struggle to Rebuild Brand
The exact circumstances surrounding the can controversy are still unclear, but the boycott is still having an impact on sales and the brand’s market value.
According to data collected by the NY Post, sales fell by 25.7% last week after declining 24.6% the week before. According to Fox Business, stores impacted by the boycott are rushing to sell their remaining supplies of Bud Light, including one that was offering 24-packs for as little as $3.49.
Anheuser-Busch has struggled to rebuild its brand since the boycott started.
According to a statement released by the company’s global CEO Michel Doukeris, the company was compelled to provide ‘financial help’ to the frontline employees affected by the boycott.
In an effort to revive its flagging sales, Anheuser-Busch announced earlier this month that it will increase its marketing expenditures in the US this summer.
The marketing choice seems to be among the worst in American history to result from a backlash in the media.
Only J.C. Penney outperformed Anheuser-Bush in 2012 when their stock fell more than 25% as a result of featuring a lesbian couple and their young daughter in an ad campaign
Additionally, they hired Ellen DeGeneres as a spokesman before letting go of Ron Johnsons, their previous CEO, who had justified the decision.
It comes at a time when Bud Light, the most popular beer in the US right now, is on the verge of losing the top rank to one of its closest competitors.
Sales of Modelo Especial jumped 9.2%, and if current trends continue, the brand is expected to outperform Bud Light for the year.
According to data from Bump Williams, Modelo was the second most popular beer in the US last year, with off-premises sales of $3.8 billion, only behind Bud Light’s $4.8 billion.
The parent organization of Anheuser-Busch, AB InBev, owns both Bud Light and Modelo.
