Anheuser-Busch U.S. (A-B) CEO Brendan Whitworth made his first major media appearance this morning since the conservative-led boycott of Bud Light began two months ago, appearing on CBS’ morning show.
In an “exclusive” interview with CBS Mornings anchors Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Vladimir Duthiers, Whitworth sidestepped several questions about the Bud Light promotion with Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender woman who documents her life on social media, while ultimately saying he is accountable for everything that happens with the world’s largest beer manufacturer’s U.S. operations.
At the start of the interview, King told Whitworth that others in his position “would be running for the hills at this point” and asked “how and why did it go so off the rails?”
Whitworth described the ensuing weeks as “challenging,” while acknowledging that “the conversations surrounding Bud Light has moved away from beer” and “become divisive.”
“Bud Light really doesn’t belong there,” he continued. “Bud Light should be all about bringing people together.”
Asked about the intention with the single-can promotion with Mulvaney, Whitworth called it “a gift” and “one can.” He tried to shift the conversation to the impact the backlash is having on the company’s 65,000-person workforce (18,000 U.S. A-B workers and 47,000 independent wholesaler workers) and its consumers.
“One thing I’d love to make extremely clear is that impact is my responsibility and as the CEO, everything we do here I’m accountable for,” Whitworth said.
The impact of the boycott is seen in the weekly and monthly scan data. Bud Light sales in NIQ-tracked off-premise channels declined -28.5% in dollars and -31.1% in volume in the latest one-week period ending June 17, according to data shared by Bump Williams Consulting. However, even as the Bud Light brand struggles on a weekly basis, the brand remains the top-selling beer in the off-premise channel year-to-date.
Asked if A-B would send the can to Mulvaney again knowing the outcome, Whitworth acknowledged there is “a big social conversation taking place” and “big brands are right in the middle of it and it’s not just our industry or Bud Light.”
“For us, what we need to understand is – deeply understand and appreciate is – the consumer and what they want, what they care about and what they expect from big brands,” Whitworth said.
Dokoupil pushed back on Whitworth’s answer, telling him that’s one of the reasons “you’re getting it from all sides” is that supporters of trans rights “want you to say yes, of course,” and “people on the right would criticize you for saying yes.”
“So where are you on the issue?” Dokoupil asked. “Was it a mistake?”
“Bud Light has supported LGBTQ since 1998, so that’s 25 years,” Whitworth replied, adding the company will “continue to support the communities and organizations that we’ve supported for decades.”
“As we move forward, we want to focus on what we do best, which is brewing great beer for everyone, listening to our consumers, being humble in listening to them, making sure that we do right by our employees, take care and support our partners and ultimately make an impact in the communities that we serve,” Whitworth continued.
Duthiers followed up asking where A-B stands “on queer rights” though given the company’s stated support for LGBTQ individuals but also its political arm’s donations “to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians.”
“We support politicians that support our business,” Whitworth said. “And when we say that we talk about things like – things that work for the industry, allow us to grow the business, allow us to employ more people and really help drive the economy.”
Over the last month, Whitworth said he and his team have spoken with more than 100,000 consumers “and their feedback is very clear” that they want the company “to reinforce what Bud Light has always meant to them, which is good times, goodwill and easy enjoyment.”
Asked about the declining sales and vitriol against the company that have led to “people firing guns at Bud Light cans,” Whitworth said the toll on the company’s employees “weighs most on me.”
Whitworth’s CBS appearance comes as A-B launches a new campaign, “That’s Who We Are,” centered around celebrating its workforce, including farmers, brewery workers, delivery drivers, merchandisers, sales reps and others throughout the route to market. Whitworth noted A-B is providing financial assistance to its frontline workers and wholesaler partners.
Asked how much the backlash against Bud Light is costing the company, Whitworth said the company is focused more “on investing behind the brand right now” and “increasing the investment on Bud Light three times this year.”
Asked if he still likes his job, Whitworth replied “I love this job, and I love this company.” The interview closed with King asking Whitworth if the company will “get through this.”
“Absolutely,” he replied.