(NewsNation) — Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, has faced significant backlash and decreased sales after partnering with a transgender influencer.
Anson Frericks, the company’s former president of sales and distribution, says the brand needs to be authentic to what it has historically represented.
“What they need to do is get their customers back and be authentic about who Bud Light is as a brand. Bud Light was always a brand that was loved by all Americans, because it was about sports. It was about music. It was about backyard barbecues. It’s about big displays going into July 4,” Frericks said.
The controversy began in April after transgender actor and TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney shared a sponsored post promoting the beer company’s March Madness contest.
The post drew criticism from conservative pundits and celebrities, with some calling for a boycott of the beer. Musician Kid Rock even posted a video of himself shooting at Bud Light beers while wearing a MAGA hat.
In a statement to Buzzfeed News, Anheuser-Busch said it works with “hundreds of influencers” across its brand to “authentically connect with audiences across various demographics.”
“What they need to do is come back and say, you know, at Bud Light, we screwed up, we got involved in political controversy when Bud Light was never a political brand,” Frericks said in an appearance on NewsNation’s “Morning in America.”
