Anheuser-Busch Reveals Significant Corporate Workforce Reductions Following Catastrophic Bud Light-Mulvaney Campaign.
Anheuser-Busch Announces Significant Downsizing of Corporate Workforce Following Disastrous Bud Light-Mulvaney Campaign
In a recent statement, Anheuser-Busch unveiled plans to lay off nearly 400 corporate employees in response to a rapid sales decline.
The downturn began in earnest on April 1, following Bud Light’s controversial marketing campaign featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. This information came to light via a press release the company issued to The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday.
According to the company’s disclosure, the layoffs will account for “less than 2%” of its total workforce.
Anheuser-Busch’s website notes a workforce of approximately 19,000 employees. However, the terminations will predominantly impact corporate roles, leaving frontline staff such as brewery and warehouse personnel unaffected.
Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth expressed the company’s stance on the layoffs in the statement: “While we never take these decisions lightly, we want to ensure that our organization continues to be set for future long-term success.”
He went on to add, “These corporate structure changes will enable our teams to focus on what we do best — crafting exceptional beer for everyone.”
The restructuring will remove corporate and marketing roles at significant U.S offices, including St. Louis, New York, and Los Angeles.
Whitworth has remained reserved amid criticisms and demands for his resignation stemming from customer outrage over Mulvaney’s involvement in the marketing campaign.
The company is due to release its second-quarter earnings on Aug. 2, and questions regarding the restructuring’s impact on these figures remain.
Following the contentious Bud Light campaign with Mulvaney, Anheuser-Busch relieved several marketing executives of their roles, indicating possible accountability for the initiative.
An anonymous regional head of marketing revealed last month that the dismissals of marketing VP Alissa Heinerscheid and the group VP of Anheuser-Busch’s mainstream portfolio, Daniel Blake, were not temporary leaves of absence as was publicly communicated.
While the total number of employees affected by the marketing campaign fallout is unclear, Mulvaney’s involvement has undeniably stirred controversy and sparked a boycott that has significantly impacted the brand’s sales figures.
Bud Light, a flagship product of Anheuser-Busch, has seen a continuous decline in sales since the campaign’s initiation in April.