Modelo Especial is officially America’s best-selling beer as it dethroned Bud Light following the Dylan Mulvaney controversy and saw its sales down 26.7% year-over-year
- New data shows that Modelo Especial has officially triumphed over Bud Light as America’s best-selling beer
- The lager outperformed Bud Light in off-premises beer sales in May, June and July
- Bud Light’s volumes also fell 26.7% as the company struggles to weather the public relations disaster
Modelo Especial has officially topped Bud Light as America’s best-selling beer, according to new data from grocery stores and beer retailers.
Modelo’s sales so far this year have outperformed Bud Light, whose sales plummeted amid the Dylan Mulvaney controversy.
According to NIQ data, Mexican lager outperformed Bud Light in off-premises beer sales in May, June and July, holding a 9.1 share over the past four weeks while Bud Light slipped to a 7 share.
New York-based Constellation Brands, which distributes Modelo, posted an 11 percent increase in sales in the second quarter, boosted by its beer business, which includes Corona.
Bud Light’s volumes also fell 26.7% as the company struggles to emerge from the PR disaster of partnering with prominent transgender influencer Mulvaney.
Modelo Especial has officially risen above Bud Light as America’s best-selling beer
Bud Light lost its position as America’s number one beer after 22 years at the helm
Mulvaney worked with Bud Light on the March Madness campaign in April and was gifted a can of the lager with her face on it – sparking outrage
Modelo’s victory “seemed inevitable for the past few months at least, but the schedule has been accelerating since Bud Light trends took a dramatic turn for the worse in April,” Benj Steinman, president of Beer Marketer’s Insights, told CNN.
“It happened a lot quicker than most people expected,” Steinman added.
Greg Gallagher, Constellation’s vice president of brand marketing, told CNN that the company has “an incredible track record” and plans to expand its dominance among Hispanic drinkers to other demographics.
“Our growth is maintaining that core, but also bringing in non-Hispanic customers, and we’re having incredible success,” he said.
Anheuser-Busch, Bud Light’s parent company, has lost a whopping $390 million in US sales after partnering with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The world’s largest brewer blamed Bud Light’s “volume drop” for the second-quarter sales decline — figures show total U.S. sales for the April-June period fell 10.5 percent year-on-year.
In a recent statement, the company said sales to US retailers were down 14 percent, adding that it was “below the industry.” This was a direct result of the controversy that erupted after linking up with Mulvaney.
Bud Light’s popularity has plummeted since Anheuser-Busch teamed up with 26-year-old Mulvaney in April and gave her a personalized promotional tin.
Bud Light’s volumes were also down 26.7% as the company struggled to emerge from the PR disaster of partnering with prominent transgender influencer Mulvaney
The tin was gifted to Mulvaney to “be a girl” for 365 days, the phrase she uses to describe her transition from male to female.
But it sparked outrage among drinkers, who accused Bud Light of forcing progressive beliefs on them about their favorite brand.
Persistent problems include Anheuser-Busch forcing two of its top executives on “furlough” after the big marketing blunder.
There have been claims that both executives were eventually fired over the fiasco – which the company denies.
Alissa Heinerscheid, vice president of marketing, 39, and Daniel Blake, vice president of mainstream brands, 34, have both taken voluntary leave of absence following the backlash.