Bud Light’s struggles have been a ‘wake-up call,’ says AB InBev CMO at Cannes

Anheuser-Busch InBev's top global marketer on Monday addressed the backlash to Bud Light’s use of a transgender endorser in the U.S. earlier this year, saying the brand has been “humbled” by the controversy and plans a countrywide effort to reconnect with all of its consumers in a way that’s not divisive.

“It’s tough to see the controversial and divisive debates that have been happening in the U.S. in the last couple of weeks involving lots of brands and companies, including and especially Bud Light,” Marcel Marcondes, global chief marketing officer of AB InBev, said in a presentation at the Cannes Lions festival. “It’s tough exactly because what we do is all about bringing people together.”

Bud Light has suffered a downward spiral in the wake of its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Conservatives boycotted the brand; progressives complained that the brand failed to support Mulvaney in the face of that pressure; U.S. sales and market share have tanked; and Bud Light shook up its marketing leadership team at the U.S. level.

Marcondes said AB InBev's marketing team has been “learning a lot” from the situation and has reached two conclusions. First, he said, “companies and brands must be driven by their values. We are a beer company. Beer is for everyone.” 

But he added that the company must also strive to understand all segments of its customer base, and must endeavor not to create marketing that is divisive.

Also read: AB InBev faces a hurdle at Cannes

“In times like this, when things get divisive and controversial so easily, I think it’s an important wake-up call to all of us marketers first of all to be very humble,” he said. “That’s what we’re doing, being very humble, and really reminding ourselves of what we should do best every day, which is to really understand our consumers. Which is to really celebrate and appreciate every consumer that loves our brands—but in a way that can make them be together, not apart.” 

Marcondes seemed to indicate that Bud Light can reconcile these sometimes conflicting goals—being values-driven but also not being divisive—by clarifying what the brand stands for. Rather than standing for anything political, he suggested, the brand simply stands for enjoyment and togetherness.

“That’s what Bud Light stands for—it exists to make beer easy to drink and easy to enjoy,” he said. “That’s what we all, as a team, will be doing moving forward as a group. That’s what leaders do. Bud Light is coming back. It’s going all around the country, reconnecting with consumers, moving forward. That’s what you can expect from Bud Light in the U.S.” 

After addressing Bud Light at the beginning of the presentation, Marcondes went on to highlight case studies of reactive advertising such as Budweiser’s “Bring Home the Bud” and Brahma’s “Foamy Haircut.” He also explored the company’s internal creative process, which he said is what had led to his success at Cannes—where the company is, for the second straight year, the Creative Marketer of the Year at Cannes.

He finished by showing a “Ted Lasso” “Believe” sign and imploring the young marketers in the audience to aim high with their ambitions.

Reaction to the presentation was mixed. One top agency creative, speaking to Ad Age afterward, said he felt the speech “swept [the LGBTQ+ issue] under the rug.” Another praised Marcondes for addressing the “elephant in the room” before proceeding with the rest of his presentation.