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Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Anheuser-Busch beats Bud Light, Kid Rock disaster with this move
The beer industry is in a weird place at the moment. Gen Z has bucked another seemingly permanent trend, as fewer of them consume alcohol compared to previous generations. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter Alcohol consumption as a whole has been declining since its peak in the 1970s, when about 70% of adults drank, compared to just 60% today. But Gen Z stands out even more. Only between 18% and 20% of Americans between drinking age and under 28 years old said they drank beer, wine, or spirits regularly, according to a 2023 Statista study. Meanwhile, among boozy Millennials born between 1980 and 1984, 30% drink beer and 31% drink wine. Related: Apple iPhone decision will upset customers, appease White House Beer manufacturers are feeling the effects of this societal shift. Overall sales fell 4% in the first quarter to about $15.8 billion in the U.S., according to the latest data report from the National Beer Wholesalers Association and Finech. In this environment, American mainstay Budweiser is committing to manufacturing in the U.S. Image source:Anheuser-Busch (BUD) is an iconic American brand, despite being purchased by Belgian brewing conglomerate InBev in 2008 for $52 billion. The company has proven its allegiance over the years by investing heavily in U.S. manufacturing. This week, it announced yet another nine-figure investment. Anheuser-Busch said it will spend $300 million in 2025 to bolster its U.S. manufacturing base, making a new commitment to local communities and facilities. "Anheuser-Busch has been a shining example of what 'Made in America' means, and their latest investment of $300 million builds on their longtime commitment to grow our workforce and expand U.S. manufacturing," U.S. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said. "They are demonstrating exactly what it means to put American workers first, setting a standard for other companies to follow," she added. Over the past five years, Anheuser-Busch has invested nearly $2 billion in the 100 facilities across the country where its 65,000 employees brew, bottle, transport, and sell its products. Budweiser has been bolstering its image the best way it knows how: advertising. Budweiser and Bud Light have always had some of the most innovative and memorable marketing campaigns. Whether it was with the Budweiser Frogs or the "Wazzup" campaigns from the '90s or the more recent Dilly Dilly campaign, Anheuser-Busch earned its title as the King of Beers through advertising. So it was ironic in 2023 when an ill-fated ad campaign featuring transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney sank Budweiser and Bud Light's decades-long run as the top-selling beer in the U.S. The subsequent boycott (led mainly by right-wing social media influencers) was one of the most successful in modern history, forcing the company to issue numerous mea culpas in the process. However, Anheuser-Busch also made it a priority to get back to its marketing basics. The company announced a new partnership with the UFC to become the mixed martial arts league's "official beer partner." It featured comedian Shane Gillis - a hero in some circles for his candid takes on politically incorrect topics - prominently in its Super Bowl ad, which is the crown jewel of Budweiser's ad campaigns every year. It also spent nearly $24 million to air a 90-second ad featuring its iconic Budweiser Clydesdales during the Super Bowl, paying homage to its historic past. And it paid off. The Budweiser First Delivery Super Bowl commercial was ranked No. 1 in the USA Today Ad Meter, the first time Budweiser grabbed the top ranking since 2015. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Business Insider
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
The battle for America's beer drinkers
Bud Light was the king of beers for a long time in the United States. Sure, its sibling brand, Budweiser, had the formal title, but based on sales, the lighter lager was on top for decades. A couple of years ago, in the face of a cultural firestorm and changing consumer tastes, Bug Light lost its crown. Mexican-made Modelo took its place as the top-selling beer in America in retail, becoming the new rey of beers, if you will. Now, politics may be scrambling the beer space again, and not in Modelo's favor. To back up a bit, 2023 was tough for Bud Light. That spring, it sent Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer, a handful of beer cans as part of a marketing campaign, and all hell broke loose. The incident sparked an enormous backlash among conservatives, including widespread calls for boycotts. While most of the time, these types of consumer upheavals are ineffectual and short-lived, that wasn't the case for Bud Light. It saw a meaningful decline in sales. The same year, Modelo surpassed Bud Light as the best-selling beer in the US. While the Bud Light dustup may have accelerated the flip, Modelo's advance had been coming for a while. Bud Light had been experiencing declines for years. Meanwhile, Modelo was growing consistently, riding the wave of growing consumer interest in imported beers and America's growing Hispanic population, which likes Modelo, in particular. Whereas 2023 was a rough ride for Bud Light, 2025 might be similar for Modelo. The brand is still going strong, but political developments like tariffs and immigration crackdowns may be a blip that could, once again, accelerate ongoing consumer trends in the beer industry. That doesn't mean Bud Light will vault back to the top — one of its sister brands, Michelob Ultra, is giving everyone a run for their money. As Kate Bernot, the lead analyst at Sightlines, which researches the alcohol industry, puts it, "Michelob Ultra has just been quietly doing its thing and killing it." Dave Infante, who writes a Substack about drinking called Fingers, tells me that given what happened a couple of years ago, the beer industry is likely building in "contingency plans for these major shifts" and steeling itself for more upheaval. "The industry just saw a major tectonic shift in 2023 and understands that if such a thing happens again with Modelo, opportunities are going to ripple out from it," he says. Executives at Constellation Brands, the company behind beers such as Modelo and Corona, have been open about the fact that the policies emanating from the White House are creating some serious what-ifs. First, there are tariffs. While Mexican-made beer isn't being hit with an import tax, the cans it comes in are, thanks to a 25% tariff on aluminum. "They basically brew all their beer in Mexico and they sell it in the US," Garrett Nelson, an equity research analyst at CFRA Research, says. "Thirty-nine percent of their beer is shipped in aluminum cans, and that's still subject to the 25% tariff." The industry just saw a major tectonic shift in 2023 and understands that if such a thing happens again with Modelo, opportunities are going to ripple out from it. TD Cowen estimated that the aluminum tariffs could cost Constellation $1 billion annually. In its most recent earnings call, Constellation disappointed investors with its guidance outlook. Most analysts I spoke to for this story, however, say the tariffs as they currently stand won't be a killer for Constellation or its customers. The aluminum tariffs will hit its competitors who import the material as well, Bernot says, and the company can likely absorb the cost hit without customers seeing a massive spike in Modelo's price. And if Constellation does need to raise prices, their consumers will probably be OK paying some of that increased cost. "They're confident enough in the grip of their brands that they can increase prices a little more easily without consumer pushback than, say, a Bud Light or some other domestic brand," Nelson says. Part of Bud Light's problem has been that it's pretty easy for consumers to swap out for a Coors Light or a Miller Lite. Modelo's loyal drinkers are a little stickier. Kaleigh Theriault, an associate director of beverage alcohol thought leadership at NIQ, points out that amid post-pandemic inflation in 2022, domestic beer brands raised prices more than imports, giving imported brands like Modelo a little more room now. "Domestic beer has taken up price so much over the past two years that consumers and shoppers have sort of turned away, or they've recognized how much domestic beer prices have increased, and that might be influencing their purchase of imports or that might be kind of the reason that they're slowing down their purchasing of domestic beer or just beer overall," Theriault says. While the outlook isn't too scary now, President Donald Trump's trade war and tariff tactics have been volatile. He's t hreatened to put tariffs on all goods from Mexico in the past, and while the liquid in the beer cans isn't subject to tariffs now, there's no guarantee that won't change. Modelo's headaches may be more acute when it comes to the president's immigration crackdown and the anxieties it's causing. Immigration raids and the Trump administration's hostile approach to foreigners living in the United States may be putting some Hispanic consumers on edge. They're worried about shopping, in case they're asked to show ID, staying home more, and may be pulling back on spending in the event someone from their household is detained. And like many consumers across demographics, they're under pressure economically. "They're afraid to go shopping, whether they're here illegally or they're here illegally, that Hispanic shopper is afraid to go out," Bump Williams, an alcohol industry consultant, says. He recently conducted a survey of about 200 Hispanic families, and two-thirds of them said they had changed shopping behavior or were concerned about going shopping. Williams also says retailers in heavily Hispanic markets have reported declines in foot traffic. Jefferies analysts recently wrote in a note to clients that there appears to be a correlation between encounters at the Mexican border and consumption trends. Hispanic consumers represent about half of Constellation's overall beer business. In the company's most recent earnings call, the company's CEO, Bill Newlands, said that two-thirds of Hispanic consumers were "concerned about higher prices on things like food, gas, and other essentials," and over half were "concerned relative to immigration issues." They're also worried about job losses in industries with a high number of Latino employees. "What does that do? That has tended to mean that the consumer has pulled back on spending on a number of categories," Newlands said. Beer is quite a ways down the list compared to other areas of spending, such as on restaurants, he added, "but it's certainly on the list, because things like social gatherings, an area where the Hispanic consumer often consumes beer, are declining today as part of these overarching concerns that they have." Constellation Brands and AB InBev did not respond to requests for comment for this story. Current troubles for Constellation and its brands, such as Modelo and Corona, aren't likely to be a full-blown disaster. But they may represent an opportunity for competitors, including Anheuser-Busch InBev, to make some inroads. Bud Light has done a lot to try to claw back consumers from its 2023 snafu, including becoming the official beer sponsor of the UFC in 2024 and generally trying to keep its marketing as uncontroversial as possible. Still, it's been on the downswing for a while — its volumes peaked in 2008. "Bud Light's not going to be the comeback winner on this one," Williams says. While the brand has managed to stop much of the bleeding from 2023 and 2024, it's still declining. "It's got a very slim chance to reclaim the title of the No. 1 brand in the country." Recent data from the National Beer Wholesalers Association and Fintech, a payments company in the alcohol space, found that in the first quarter of the year Bud Light saw the biggest loss of market share in on-premise purchases (think restaurants and bars) as well as off-premise retail purchases (think grocery stores or gas stations) of the top 10 alcohol brands it tracks. While Bud Light remains quite popular, it's not on the growth track. The opposite is true for another AB InBev brand, Michelob Ultra. Per the NBWA and Fintech, Michelob had the biggest share gain during the first quarter of the year. "Michelob Ultra now, for all intents and purposes, is Anheuser Busch's flagship beer, its star beer," Bernot says. "It's a really strong brand." Michelob's gains may not necessarily be Modelo's losses — the latter remains the No. 1 imported beer, has a loyal customer base, and, as mentioned, may have some room to push up prices if it needs to. Modelo's customers aren't switching brands; some of them may just temporarily be buying less of it. In contrast to Bud Light, Michelob has a better-for-you air to it. It's marketed as low-carb and low-calorie and leans into a health angle, as an option that can be part of a fit lifestyle. To many consumers, Bud Light feels more regular and generic, even if it's also a light beer. The three brands may be locked in a tight race for America's beer crown, but that's because Modelo, Bud Light, and Michelob all appeal to a wide array of consumers. If Hispanic consumers are pulling back on Modelo purchases, that probably means they're buying less Bud Light and Michelob, too. If their customers do start to switch up habits, it's not clear they'll be swapping one for the other. If you give up on Bud Light, you're probably going to go for a Coors Light or Miller Lite first. If Modelo gets too pricey, you may look for another premium or import brand. To a large extent, these brands' fates are in their own hands. Bud Light is trying to get back drinkers it lost and attract new ones. Modelo has a pretty unique appeal that is very much at the center of its US parent company's overall strategy. "That brand is able to command that premium price point because of long-standing American consumer attraction to the exoticism and the vision of paradise that marketers have really been able to shape around the Corona and to some extent the Modelo brands," Infante says. "And Modelo also has a really compelling marketing campaign that it ran for many years about the 'fighting spirit' that really resonated." Beer overall is just having a tough go of it in general. As for Mich Ultra, its image as the healthier option boosts its appeal — it's for after-work drinks, but also after-run drinks or an afternoon on the golf course. In fall 2024, Michelob Ultra Zero was introduced, a nonalcoholic option meant to capitalize on the growing NA trend. It's a marketing opportunity for the flagship brand to generate excitement, solidify the wellness-conscious halo around it, and take up more store space with both alcoholic and nonalcoholic options. The analysts I spoke to were mixed on whether this meant Michelob could depose Modelo. Thierault thinks it's unlikely Michelob will become first anytime soon. Williams, on the other hand, says Michelob Ultra "has a really good shot at surpassing Modelo Especial as the No. 1 beer brand in the United States this year." Ultimately, it may be long-term structural trends that are more important, just as they were when Modelo surpassed Bud Light in 2023. In that scenario, Modelo continues to grow, despite hurdles, just like Michelob. Bud Light remains quite popular, especially in draft and at bars, but its overall fortunes don't appear to be on track to reverse. The beer industry's leaderboard could shift again, depending on politics, perception, and pricing power. But if and when that happens is still TBD. In the meantime, beer as a sector is not having a blockbuster year anyway. "Beer overall is just having a tough go of it in general," Bernot says. "It's important to put any certain brand declines or struggles in the larger picture of beer is just not doing great."
Miami Herald
09-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Anheuser-Busch brings back cult favorite beer
Warmer weather is finally here, and with summer just around the corner, many beer fans are looking forward to blonde ales, fruit beers, and saisons to complement their weekend adventures. That is, if they're choosing to drink beer in the first place. With many younger consumers turning to nonalcoholic beers and spirits or THC sodas instead of a brew, the beer market has taken a hit. It was down 1.2% in sales in 2024, according to the Brewers Association. Don't miss the move: SIGN UP for TheStreet's FREE Daily newsletter Craft beer is down even further, with sales declining by 4% in 2024. The sector has been on a downward trend for a few years and now faces a new problem on top of that: President Donald Trump's trade war. He placed a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports back in March, which obviously has a major effect on products sold in aluminum cans. Related: McDonald's menu introduces a wild new dessert That said, there are some beers still selling quite well, and they're typically the classics that have been around for decades. Anheuser-Busch is one of the brands doing just fine, and now it's bringing back a limited-edition beer that its customers have quite literally pleaded for on social media. Image source: Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch has announced that its Busch Light Apple Beer is coming back to store shelves after observing just how high customer demand was to bring it back. The beer was originally launched in 2020 and Busch went all out to promote it, going as far as to deliver it by helicopter at secret locations around the U.S. and holding a contest on social media for fans to win the coordinates and claim their own haul of free beer. Related: Popular whiskey brand files Chapter 11 bankruptcy But in 2022, Busch took the lager off store shelves, and much like the saga of the Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, people lost their minds. Petitions were started. Facebook groups of mourning fans were made. According to Busch, one in every three comments on their social media posts were customers asking for the Light Apple Beer to make a comeback. Of course, having made such a big deal of the beer when it debuted, Busch had to design some fanfare for its return as well. This time around, the beer maker is holding a contest for fans to win $800 to spend on Busch Light Apple. To enter, all fans have to do is comment on Busch's social media posts on Instagram, X, and Facebook using the hashtags #BLAppleStockUp and #Sweepstakes. The contest runs through May 14 and five winners will be chosen in a drawing to be held on or about May 21, 2025. Despite a trend in customers turning away from beer in favor of other options, some beers remain very popular with consumers. Modelo Especial remains one of the most popular, leapfrogging past Bud Light after a controversy in 2024 involving trans social media star Dylan Mulvaney that caused those on the political right to shun the brand. Other beers that are still doing just fine in 2025 include Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Coors Light, Corona Extra, and Miller Lite. Busch also reported great results during its Q4 earnings call, with a 2.7% increase in revenue for the year and an all-time high reported in USD sales. Related: Popular beer brand closes down and files Chapter 7 bankruptcy The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Sky News
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Dylan Mulvaney says trans rights 'shouldn't be political' - ahead of ruling to define 'woman'
Social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney has told Sky News discussion about transgender rights should not be political. Mulvaney, who documented her own transition in a viral TikTok series, was speaking ahead of a Supreme Court judgment in London on Wednesday about how women are defined in law. The 28-year-old US social media personality told Sky's Barbara Serra on The World: "I've seen my family completely accept me and love me. And I think that that's why I haven't given up on any person or any group of people." She also called for "transness" to no longer be a political topic - "because it shouldn't be". "We're just humans trying our best," she said. On Donald Trump's first day back in office, he signed an executive order directing the US government to recognise only two, biologically distinct sexes - male and female. And he directed the state department to change its policies to only issue passports that "accurately reflect the holder's sex". The administration has argued the policy does not constitute unlawful sex discrimination, does not prevent transgender people from traveling abroad, and is vital to addressing the concerns the order raised that indeterminate definitions of sex undermine "longstanding, cherished legal rights and values". Asked about Mr Trump's policies, Mulvaney said: "It's a sad thing to see someone trying to take away the rights of humans that are just trying to live their lives. Again, we're not monsters. We're people that have woken up and stepped into our authentic selves. For me, that's a very camp, fun, feminine human being who also happens to be a woman. "And I think what I'm now excited [for] is to step into this next chapter of my life and realise that there are so many other trans people who should be speaking on those things. And I'm finding my way in right now, which is through theatre." What's the background to the court case? The landmark Supreme Court case, where five judges at the UK's top court heard arguments last November, is the culmination of a challenge brought by For Women Scotland (FWS) over whether trans women can be regarded as female for the purposes of the 2010 Equality Act. Wednesday's ruling may have a big influence over how sex-based rights are applied through the act across Scotland, England and Wales, including implications for the running of single-sex spaces. Campaigners from FWS say sex-based protections should only apply to people who are born female. They are challenging the Scottish government, which says they should also include trans people with a gender recognition certificate (GRC). The FWS action is seeking to overturn a decision by the Scottish courts in 2023 which found treating someone with a GRC as a woman under the Equality Act was lawful. What have the two sides said? Ruth Crawford KC, for the Scottish government, told the court last November that a person with a GRC, which she said was a document legally recognising a change of sex and gender, was entitled to the "protection" afforded to their acquired gender as set out in the 2010 Equality Act. But Aidan O'Neill KC, representing FWS, said "sex just means sex, as that word and the words woman and man are understood and used in ordinary, everyday language, used every day in everyday situations by ordinary people". Mr O'Neill called for the court to take account of "the facts of biological reality rather than the fantasies of legal fiction". The case is the latest in a series of legal challenges brought by FWS over the definition of "woman" in the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018, which mandates 50% female representation on public boards. Beer brand ad controversy In 2023, US sales of Bud Light fell and profits dropped following a boycott of the beer brand after it made a promotional deal with Mulvaney. Many conservatives, including former US presidential candidate Ron DeSantis, stopped buying Bud Light after Mulvaney posted an ad for the brand on her social media account and shared an image of a personalised can. Mulvaney told Barbara Serra that for "writing my book I really wanted to make good of a really dark situation that was happening when I took an unexpected beer brand ad". "And I think that while that was such a dark period of time in my life, and I think a lot of trans people's lives, I really wanted to show that if you keep going, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm feeling happy and healthy in my life right now," she said. Mulvaney is starring in a new musical in London, called We Aren't Kids Anymore, starting later this month.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Canceling PrideFest ‘not an option' after A-B drops sponsorship
ST. LOUIS – Anheuser-Busch has withdrawn its sponsorship of St. Louis PrideFest after 30 years. Event organizers say they have no plans to cancel. 'Canceling Pride is not an option,' Jordan Braxton, Pride St. Louis board member, said. 'We will always be here. Like we said in the 80s, 'We're here, we're queer; we're not going anywhere, so get used to it.'' But PrideFest 2025, slated to take place around Soldiers Memorial Park in downtown St. Louis on June 28 and 29, is going for a grassroots effort this year. Pride St. Louis members were saddened to lose such a historic supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community. A-B's withdrawal is especially painful at a time when many sponsors are reducing their contributions. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now A-B suffered a decline in sales in 2023 amid controversy over a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. 'I think that was the catalyst that started everything,' Braxton said. 'We've seen since then that their support of pride organizations has gone down. What we want to say to AB is we're hurt by this. You're not only hurting Pride St. Louis, but you're also hurting the entire [LGBTQIA+] community.' At present, Pride St. Louis is more than $150,000 short of last year's funding total. The board of directors are working to modify the budget for the event. The organization has launched a fundraising campaign commemorating what it calls 45 years of advocacy for the community. FOX 2 News reached out to Anheuser-Busch management for comment on its decision, but we have not heard back. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
