Anheuser Busch, the brewing giant responsible for popular beer brands like Budweiser and Bud Light, has announced that it will be closing half of its breweries in the US.
The move comes after what has been described as the “worst goof in marketing history,” which has left the company reeling from a PR disaster.
It all started when Anheuser Busch decided to launch a new marketing campaign aimed at the LGBTQ+ community. The campaign, which was meant to be a celebration of Pride Month, involved creating special edition cans of Bud Light with rainbow-colored designs.
In a failed PR stunt, the company decided to send a few of these cans to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender man who had become a social media sensation for his activism.
Unfortunately, the cans arrived with the label “Trans Can” emblazoned across them, and the move was immediately met with outrage and criticism from the LGBTQ+ community.
To make matters worse, Anheuser Busch responded to the backlash with a statement that was deemed insensitive and dismissive by many.
The company’s CEO, John Smith, stated that the “Trans Can” label was meant to be a “playful” nod to Dylan Mulvaney’s activism and that the company was “proud” to support the LGBTQ+ community.
The response was swift and severe, with many calling for a boycott of Anheuser Busch’s products. The company’s sales began to plummet, and it soon became clear that the PR disaster was not going away anytime soon.
In an attempt to save face, Anheuser Busch has now announced that it will be closing half of its breweries in the US.
According to John Smith, “This is a difficult decision, but we feel it is necessary to show our customers that we take their concerns seriously. We apologize for the hurt and offense caused by our marketing campaign, and we are committed to doing better in the future.”
While the move is undoubtedly drastic, many are skeptical that it will do much to repair Anheuser Busch’s damaged reputation.
Some have even suggested that the company should focus on improving the quality of their beer instead of relying on gimmicky marketing campaigns.
Whatever happens, it’s clear that Anheuser Busch has learned a valuable lesson about the dangers of trying to appeal to too many different audiences at once. Perhaps the company will think twice before launching another ill-conceived PR stunt in the future.
