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☆ AB InBev profits rise despite ongoing hit from Bud Light boycott in U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Hiking beer prices led Budweiser owner Anheuser-Busch InBev to profit and revenue growth last year, even U.S. sales of staple brand Bud Light were curbed by boycott action. The world's biggest brewer on Thursday recorded annual revenue of $59.38 billion, up 7.8%, but shy of analyst expectations of $60.48 billion, according to an LSEG-compiled consensus. Core profit (EBITDA) rose 7% annually to nearly $20 billion, also just under a forecast of $20.1 billion. The company became embroiled in a social media-driven boycott of its core Bud Light brand in the middle of last year. It also weathered wider beer industry struggles from higher input costs and a squeeze on consumer spending.

Persons: Light, Bud Light, Michel Doukeris Organizations: Budweiser, Anheuser, Busch InBev, InBev Locations: U.S

☆ Olympic sponsorship deal with beer company AB InBev criticized as ‘cynical’ and ‘an odd pairing’
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In a room crowded with people in suits, the sponsorship deal with brewing giant AB InBev was met with beaming smiles and the clinking of beer bottles by many of those in attendance. AB InBev is the latest company to participate in The Olympic Partner (TOP) program – the highest level of Olympic sponsorship – alongside the likes of Coca-Cola, Visa and Deloitte. AB InBev said that it would not reveal the cost of its deal with the IOC. Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images for AB InBevThe IOC and AB InBev see the deal as part of a wider market demand for non-alcoholic drinks which, despite being in circulation for decades, have had a recent surge in popularity. Some brands have found ways to navigate France’s restrictive laws when it comes to alcohol advertising.

Persons: Thomas Bach gushed, ” Bach, ”, ” Andrew Misell, Kin Cheung, Sportcal, Michel Doukeris, Thomas Bach, Stuart C, Wilson, Molson Coors, ” Marcel Marcondes, “ Corona Cero, Marcondes, Bach, Garde, ” Ian Gilmore, “ Corona, ” Alex Barker, ” Barker, Xavier Laine Organizations: CNN, Olympic Committee, InBev, IOC, Corona, Cortina, Alcohol, CNN Sport, Cola, Visa, Deloitte, Health, WHO, Centers for Disease Control, University of Liverpool, ”, Getty, AB InBev, Heineken, Molson, Games, Alcohol Health Alliance, University of Derby, rugby’s, Nations, Guinness, Stade de France, French rugby, Wales, TOP Locations: London, Corona Cero, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Corona, Garde

☆ Corona-maker AB InBev to have first beer sponsorship with the Olympics
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Micah Washington | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Anheuser-Busch InBev has scored a sponsorship for the upcoming Olympic Games, making it the first beer brand to ever sponsor the event. Corona Cero, one of AB InBev's non-alcoholic beers, contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, according to the company's website. It has a "characteristic as a category that is incredible, which is beer is local," Doukeris said. Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032.

Persons: Corona, Doukeris, CNBC's Arabile Gumede, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Organizations: Anheuser, Busch InBev, Games, Olympic Committee, IOC, Corona Cero, InBev's, InBev, Bud Light, Modelo Especial, U.S ., CNBC, NBCUniversal, NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, NBC Locations: Los Angeles, U.S

☆ The Olympics tap its first-ever beer sponsor
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Bud Light brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev is becoming the first-ever beer sponsor for the next three Olympics and Paralympic Games — with a non-alcoholic brand taking the torch. The deal will cover the upcoming Summer Games in Paris, the Milan Winter Games in 2026, and the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, which will be the first Summer Olympics to be held in the US in about three decades. Prior to this, the Olympics never had a global beer sponsorship, but local organizing committees had enlisted beer brands in the past. “Beer and sports are better together, so we are proud to be the first beer sponsor for the Olympics at the Worldwide Olympic Partner level,” said AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris in a statement. Global sales of non-alcoholic beer have been soaring in recent years as drinkers embrace moderation with alcohol.

Persons: Bud, Corona, “, ”, Michel Doukeris, isn’t, Marcel Marcondes, ” Doukeris, CNN’s George Ramsay Organizations: New, New York CNN, Bud Light, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Paralympic, InBev, Olympic, Milan Winter Games, Asahi Breweries, Olympics, Corona Cero, Modelo, Constellation Brands, Corona, ”, CNN, Team USA, Budweiser Locations: New York, Paris, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Spain, Germany, Europe, Mexico

☆ Anheuser-Busch US CMO is stepping down after Bud Light sales sink
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Anheuser-Busch InBev’s US chief marketing officer is stepping down after the company reported a slump in Bud Light sales, as the backlash against the beer continues. The world’s biggest brewer reported a 13.5% decline in third-quarter US revenue per 100 liters, a key measure of beer sales. The brand’s Bud Light customers abandoned the beer after it partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and botched its response to the controversy. Bud Light lost its long-held top-selling American beer title to rival Modelo after its short partnership with Mulvaney. But AB InBev still wants to turn things around — and ditching its CMO may be one of the steps.

Persons: New York CNN —, Busch, Benoit Garbe, “, ” Garbe, Kyle Norrington, Bud, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, reshuffling, ”, Brendan Whitworth, Bud Light, Michel Doukeris, –, Jordan Valinsky Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York CNN — Anheuser, Busch, Bud Light, Anheuser, InBev, Modelo, Mulvaney Locations: New York

LONDON/COPENHAGEN, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Global brewers AB InBev (ABI.BR) and Carlsberg (CARLb.CO) this week played down concerns among some investors that demand for weight-loss drugs may lead to a sharp drop in beer drinking. But AB InBev Chief Executive Michel Doukeris likened the concerns to others, such as how cannabis could disrupt various sectors, which he said were often short-lived. Some clinical trials on rodents have found treatment with GLP-1 agonists reduces alcohol consumption, eases symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and more. AB InBev has a big U.S. business, but earns more revenue in the Middle Americas and has a large footprint in countries like Brazil. Such emerging markets often have lower obesity rates, while weight-loss drugs are unlikely to be available or affordable there any time soon.

Persons: Nordisk's Wegovy, Michel Doukeris, Jacob Aarup, Andersen, Moritz Kronenberger, Janus Henderson, Tom O'Hara, O'Hara, Wegovy, Emma Rumney, Jacob Gronholt, Matthew Scuffham, Alexander Smith Organizations: Global, AB InBev, Carlsberg, Nordisk's, InBev, Reuters, Budweiser, World Health Organization, WHO, Germany's Union Investment, Brewers, Pedersen, Thomson Locations: COPENHAGEN, United States, Brazil, Asia, China, Danish, U.S, London, Copenhagen

☆ The head of AB InBev's entertainment studio has exited in the latest marketing shakeup at the Anheuser-Busch parent
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Lucia Moses | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AB InBev's studio head is out, the latest marketing shakeup at the Anheuser-Busch parent company following the Bud Light fiasco . The company put seasoned AB InBev marketer Lauren Denowitz in charge as global studio head while enlisting help from Oscar-winning Michael Sugar's production company, Sugar23, and branded entertainment guru Jae Goodman . Bud Light faced months of conservative-led protests and falling sales over its partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The Anheuser-Busch controversy started in April when the company sent Mulvaney a personalized Bud Light can for a March Madness contest. The fallout has dragged down US performance for two quarters in a row, even as AB InBev beat expectations in the most recent quarter.

Persons: Bud, Lauren Denowitz, Michael Sugar's, Jae Goodman, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Denowitz didn't, Michel Doukeris Organizations: Anheuser, Busch, Hollywood, InBev, Brands, Bud Light, UFC

☆ Bud Light tries for a comeback with a focus on sports and concerts
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Stefan Sykes | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The company's revenue fell nearly 14% from July to September in the U.S., its largest market, as Bud Light sales sank. Bud Light sales started falling in April after a conservative boycott of the brewer's partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Anheuser-Busch is now trying to turn around the brand's fortunes by marketing Bud Light through platforms it considers uncontroversial. Moving forward, the company plans to promote Bud Light at events like football games and concerts, he said. "This was the result of one campaign," he said of the Mulvaney partnership, which featured her face on a Bud Light can.

Persons: Light, Bud, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light, Bump, Michel Doukeris, Folds, Doukeris, Wall Organizations: Anheuser, Busch InBev, U.S, Bud Light, Modelo Especial, U.S . Bud, Nielsen, Bump Williams Consulting, CNBC, Busch, NFL, Stagecoach, Revenue Locations: U.S, Mulvaney

☆ Bud Light controversy cost AB InBev about $395 million in lost US sales
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —The world’s largest brewer is counting the costs of being swept into a controversy over Bud Light in the United States. AB InBev said Thursday that US revenue fell 10% in the second quarter as sales of its top brand slumped. AB InBev responded by saying it took its responsibilities to investors seriously. “Most consumers surveyed are favorable towards the Bud Light brand and approximately 80% are favorable or neutral,” the drinks maker added. Like many other businesses, AB InBev has rolled out cost-cutting measures this year, as it seeks to defend its global lead.

Persons: Bud Light, Bud, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Kid Rock, Ron DeSantis, ”, Mulvaney, Michel Doukeris, Stella Artois, — Juliana Liu Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, InBev, Revenue, Florida, Bud Light, Modelo Locations: Hong Kong, United States, North America, Canada, Belgian, Corona, China, Brussels, South Africa, Colombia

July 10 (Reuters) - Constellation Brands' (STZ.N) Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer brand in the United States for a second consecutive month in June, after first dethroning Anheuser-Busch InBev's (ABI.BR) Bud Light in May. Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer brand for the four weeks ended July 1, with an 8.7% share of overall beer sales through retail stores for the period, while Bud Light came in second with a 7% share, according to consulting company Bump Williams, which sources data from NielsenIQ. Sales of Bud Light and Budweiser dropped 28% and 11.7%, respectively, from a year earlier, while Modelo Especial sales rose 8.5%. Azer added that consumers had quickly figured out AB InBev's other beer brands like Michelob Ultra and Natural Light, which are also seeing a fall in sales. Before the backlash, Natural Light was gaining due to cost-conscious consumers opting for cheaper six-packs.

Persons: Busch, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bump Williams, Michel Doukeris, Neil Reid, Cowen, Vivien Azer, Azer, Letitia James, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Pooja Desai Organizations: Constellation Brands, Modelo Especial, Anheuser, U.S, University of Toledo, Budweiser, Target, New York, Starbucks, Thomson Locations: United States, NielsenIQ, U.S, Bengaluru

June 14 (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch InBev's (ABI.BR) Bud Light has lost its top spot in the U.S. beer market to Constellation Brands' (STZ.N) Modelo Especial, following a backlash from conservatives over a social media promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Cans of AB InBev's Bud Light hard seltzer are displayed in a fridge in Jewel-Osco supermarket in Chicago, Illinois, U.S. October 21, 2020. REUTERS/Richa NaiduConstellation's Modelo Especial was the top-selling beer brand in the United States with an 8.4% share of overall beer sales through retail stores for the period ending June 3, data from Bump Williams showed. Bud Light came in second with a 7.3% share. AB InBev's overall sales growth declined 12% in the four weeks ended May 20, data from NielsenIQ and TD Cowen showed.

Persons: Busch, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney ., Bump Williams, Michel Doukeris, Bud Light's, Dylan Mulvaney, Miller, Jon Reynolds, Bud, seltzer, Richa Naidu, TD Cowen, Cowen, Vivien Azer, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Anheuser, Constellation Brands, Modelo, Budweiser, Modelo Especial, InBev, Conservative, Target, Molson Coors, University of Vermont, REUTERS, Euromonitor International, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, NielsenIQ, Chicago , Illinois, United States, Bengaluru

Overall U.S. beer sales grew 1.8% in the 12 weeks ended May 20, according to data from research firms NielsenIQ and TD Cowen. Sam Adams maker Boston Beer, the largest craft beer maker, saw its market share slip last year. Bud Light and Coors Light, popular premium light beers, average about $7.40 for a 12-ounce six-pack, while Boston Beer's Sam Adams costs between $10 to $12. "The American consumer likes light beer," Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley said at a conference in early June. "I think dynamics within the subsegment might change, but the overall consumption of light beer is not going to change materially."

Persons: Beer, Neil Reid, TD Cowen, Vivien Azer, Sam Adams, Boston Beer, Bud Light, Jon Reynolds, Reid, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Michel Doukeris, Gavin Hattersley, Ananya Mariam Rajesh, Anil D'Silva Organizations: Anheuser, Busch InBev, Molson Coors Beverage, University of Toledo, Refinitiv, Molson Coors, InBev, Boston Beer Co, Reuters Graphics, Boston, Constellation Brands, Modelo, Reuters, Brewery, Miller, University of Vermont . Giants, AB InBev, Thomson Locations: United States, NielsenIQ, Corona, American, Bengaluru

☆ Anheuser-Busch loses top LGBTQ+ rating over its Bud Light response
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Last year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation gave Bud Light parent company Anheuser-Busch a top rating for LGBTQ+ equality. Bud Light sales dropped in the ensuing weeks. Bud Light has been embroiled in controversy since April. But Bud Light hasn’t gotten the benefit of support for its initial deal with Mulvaney because of its subsequent reaction. During the discussion, he mentioned that Bud Light is just one brand within the company’s broad portfolio, which has not changed its full-year outlook.

☆ Bud Light Maker Offers Financial Support to Workers Targeted Over Dylan Mulvaney Backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jennifer Maloney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney spoke out for the first time since her Bud Light promotion sparked controversy. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP; Caroline Brehman/ShutterstockThe maker of Bud Light said it will triple its U.S. marketing spending on the brand this summer and is providing financial support to front-line teams and wholesalers who have taken the brunt of a backlash to a company promotion with a transgender influencer. Bud Light’s delivery drivers, sales representatives and independent distributors have been confronted by angry people on the streets, in bars and in stores. “They are our neighbors, family members and friends. They are in every community in America,” Anheuser-Busch InBev Chief Executive Michel Doukeris said on a conference call with analysts Thursday.

☆ Budweiser maker's profit jumps as customers absorb higher prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Bottles of non-alcoholic beer and dishwasher soap are pictured at Anheuser-Busch InBev brewery in Leuven, Belgium November 25, 2019. The maker of Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona repeated its 2023 forecast that core profit (EBITDA) would grow in line with its medium term outlook of between 4% and 8%, with revenue to grow ahead of EBITDA. He said AB InBev would invest more in Bud Light over the summer. First-quarter results of AB InBev's rivals Heineken and Carlsberg also showed consumer willingness to absorb higher prices. AB InBev's core profit rose by 13.6% on a like-for-like basis to $4.76 billion, compared with the 5.6% average increase expected in a company-compiled poll.

☆ Bud Light Maker Compensates Workers Targeted in Dylan Mulvaney Backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jennifer Maloney | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Bud Light sales fell sharply after a company promotion with transgender social-media star Dylan Mulvaney. Photo: Jacquelyn Martin/AP; Caroline Brehman/ShutterstockThe maker of Bud Light said it would triple its planned U.S. marketing spending on the brand this summer and is providing financial support to front-line teams and wholesalers who have taken the brunt of a backlash to a company promotion with a transgender influencer. Anheuser-Busch InBev also will continue its support of LGBT rights organizations, said the company’s chief executive, Michel Doukeris .

☆ What boycott? Bud Light controversy led to only a 1% drop in global sales volume, CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Grace Mayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Anheuser-Busch's global CEO Michel Doukeris discussed the impact of recent Bud Light backlash. Doukeris said the drop in Bud Light sales represented only 1% of the company's global sales volume. Previously, the Wall Street Journal reported that Bud Light Sales dropped by 17% by mid-April, per data created by Bump Williams Consulting and analyzed by Nielsen. By April 22, Bud Light sales in US stores dropped 21% compared to the previous year, per the sales data analysis reported on by the Journal. Bud Light has also reportedly offered a free case of beer to every employee of its wholesale distributors.

☆ It's 'too early' to asses any potential Bud Light backlash, Anheuser-Busch CEO says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

He focused attention on the company’s global reach, saying that Bud Light is just one beer within its portfolio and it’s not changing the company’s full-year outlook. He also reiterated that the Mulvaney post wasn’t an ad campaign, and blasted the “misinformation” surrounding the sponsored post. The video went viral, with some responding with anti-trans rhetoric and calls for a Bud Light boycott. The week prior, Bud Light revenue was down 17%, even as sales of rivals Miller Lite and Coors Light increased. The company said it is going to increase investment in Bud Light as it continues to deal with sagging sales.

☆ Fact Check-Screenshot saying Bud Light sales are down 80% stems from satire website
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

An article about Bud Light sales being down 80 percent and its entire marketing team being fired following the brand’s collaboration with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney stems from a satirical website. Mulvaney’s sponsorship with Bud Light triggered a conservative backlash. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson told Reuters via email that the claim that sales were 80% down was not true. Reuters has debunked other claims related to the Mulvaney, including one saying the company CEO resigned (here), or apologized (here). A screenshot that says Bud Light sales are down 80% stem from a satire article.

☆ Fact Check-Claims Anheuser-Busch CEO apologized for company’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney stem from satire article
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A spokesperson for brewing company Anheuser-Busch told Reuters that online claims its CEO apologized for its collaboration with social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney are false. “I can confirm that these statements are inaccurate and there is no truth to them,” a spokesperson for Anheuser Busch told Reuters in an email. Reuters also could not find any credible news outlet reporting that the CEO of the company had apologized for the partnership. The claim that the company apologized appears to have originated from a satirical website called Dunning-Kruger-Times (here). The claim that Anheuser-Busch’s CEO apologized for company’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney was originally published by a satirical website.

☆ Fact Check-Claim about Anheuser Busch CEO resigning stems from satirical website
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

“I can confirm that these statements are inaccurate and there is no truth to them,” a spokesperson for Anheuser Busch told Reuters in an email. Anheuser Busch did once have a high-ranking executive named August Anheuser Busch III (here), (here) , who stepped down in 2011 (here). “I can confirm that these statements are inaccurate and there is no truth to them,” a spokesperson for Anheuser Busch told Reuters in an email. Anheuser Busch did once have a high-ranking executive named August Anheuser Busch III (here), (here) , who stepped down in 2011 (here). The article claiming that Anheuser Busch’s CEO has resigned was satirical.

☆ AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris on mixed Q4 earnings
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris on mixed Q4 earningsAB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to discuss revenue gains following price increases, rebuilding consumption levels in China, and forecasts for timing inflation moderation.

☆ AB InBev upbeat on 'resilient' beer, China recovery
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AB InBev's sales and earnings declined in China due to a strict zero COVID policy that was suddenly dropped in December. In the United States, AB InBev's largest market, profit and revenue increased, largely because of price increases, although those same increases, along with harsh winter weather in December, cut into beer sales in volume terms. REUTERS/Toby Melville 1 2Brewers have raised beer prices in response to higher energy and raw materials costs, and both Heineken (HEIN.AS) and Carlsberg (CARLb.CO) have warned of reduced beer consumption in Europe because of the increases. For the whole year, core profit growth was 7.2%. AB InBev also increased its full-year dividend to a proposed 0.75 euros from 0.50 euros in each of the past two years.

☆ How Budweiser Tackled a Beer-Free World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-09 | by ( Katie Deighton | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

In the end, the brewer found a way to navigate the World Cup beer-free and roll with the media attention that the alcohol ban generated. Soccer’s 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar ran from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18. World Cup sponsors Kia and Adidas similarly maintained their reputational scores, according to the Morning Consult data. Budweiser doesn’t pay a reported $75 million for the official beer sponsorship of the World Cup just to serve beer at stadiums. But the ban on alcoholic Budweiser undermined the impetus for being at the World Cup, Mr. Marcondes said.

☆ Budweiser World Cup campaign curbed, not crashed, by Qatar beer ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Budweiser has been a World Cup sponsor since the 1986 tournament in Mexico. STRICT CONTROLSBut Qatar 2022 was always going to be different, as the first World Cup held in a conservative Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, the consumption of which is banned in public. He added that FIFA and Budweiser had been partners for decades and looked forward to being partners in the future. Doukeris though has said that the far greater impact in terms of beer sales is from fans across the globe, many with a AB InBev beer in hand - from a Jupiler in Belgium to a Brahma in Brazil. Indeed, the brewer has launched its biggest ever World Cup campaign in over 70 markets, more than double the number of participating countries, compared with just over 50 for the 2018 edition.

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