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Transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, who documented her transition in her viral "Days of Girlhood" TikTok series, announced her debut book Wednesday. “Paper Doll” will be released March 11. Last year, Mulvaney shot to national attention after a partnership promoting Bud Light's March Madness contest became a culture war flashpoint. “For months now, I’ve been scared to leave my house, I have been ridiculed in public, I’ve been followed, and I have felt a loneliness that I wouldn’t wish on anyone,” Mulvaney said at the time. Mulvaney has since released her debut single, “Days of Girlhood,” along with a music video.

Persons: influencer Dylan Mulvaney, ”, “, ” Mulvaney, Mulvaney, Bud Light's, Rock, Bud Light, I’ve, shouldn’t Organizations: Pride, Transgender Law Center Locations: American, ”

☆ Brands are so scared of culture wars and controversy that it's ripping apart the media business
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Related storiesBut it wasn't until Trump's 2016 election that brand safety really entered the mainstream marketing vernacular — and the culture wars. In 2023, more than 21,400 jobs were cut in the US media industry, according to the employment agency Challenger, Gray & Christmas. But some industry experts think it's too late to put the "content adjacency" genie back in the bottle. AdvertisementThe result, Tobaccowala fears, is a further winnowing of the media industry where only the biggest platforms and individual content creators survive.

Persons: —, Elon Musk's, Donald Trump, Alex Marlow, Breitbart, Mark Penn, Tobaccowala, Tucker Carlson, Ingraham, Jessica Sibley, Taylor, Taylor Swift, Vittorio Zunino Celotto, Penn, it's, Richard Raddon, Ben Shapiro, Shapiro, Gregory Woodman, John Deere, Davidson, Kid, Bud, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Gene J, Rob Kim Organizations: Service, Global Alliance, Responsible Media, Business, Breitbart News, News Corp, Groupe, Association for National, Companies, Giants, YouTube, Fox, Fox News, Facebook, Poets Department, Challenger, Getty, Penn, Publishers, The Daily, State of, US Department of State, Supply, Harley, Associated Press Locations: Ukraine, State of Texas, America

☆ Social media keeps catching Wall Street off guard
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-11 | by ( Laila Maidan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

In 2015, he created TickerTags, a social media data aggregator that tracks company mentions, and sold it to Jefferies' M Science. To be fair…Speculating and making decisions based on social media trends is a risky wager. Wall Street doesn't always respond to social media trends that could negatively drive fundamentals because there aren't tools to understand the impacts, McKeown noted. In the event a social media trend is mentioned, it's not factored into their valuation model, Ober added. How social media sentiment plays into a thesis should depend on an investor's time horizon.

Persons: It's, Bud Light's, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, BUD, Kirk McKeown, Chris Camillo, Jefferies, Camillo, Bud, didn't, Paul Johnson, Laxman Narasimhan, misperception, Sara Senatore, I've, Senatore, Chipotle, Keith Lee, dollies, Brian Niccol, Goldman Sachs, They're, Matt Ober, they're, I'd, McKeown, it's, Ober Organizations: Service, Business, Anheuser, Busch, Wall Street, Pew Research Center, Molson, TAP, Starbucks, Nicusa Investment, Columbia Business School, of America Locations: Palestine, Gaza, SBUX

☆ Companies failed to solve injustice and now they are giving up on the era of activism
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-19 | by ( Allison Morrow | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Corporate America gave social activism a go. And sales of Bud Light have taken a hit ever since. Bud Light didn’t handle fallout well — it capitulated to the angry mob and dropped Mulvaney even as she faced a barrage of threats. It caught fire as right-wing media fueled the swirl of negativity around Bud Light, framing it as “wokeism” gone amok. On Thursday, the Guardian reported that the Bud Light boycott was fueled in part by the right-wing activist Leonard Leo.

Persons: CNN Business ’, Bud Light, America John Deere, Kara Swisher, ” Let’s, George Floyd, ” —, Larry Fink, We’d, Reagan, That’s, Disney’s, Bob Chapek, Ron DeSantis, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, ”, Bud, Leonard Leo, Leo Organizations: CNN Business, New York CNN — Corporate America, Tractor, Pride, CNN, BlackRock, Business, Corporate America, Florida’s Republican Gov, Guardian, Bud Light, Anheuser, Busch, Federalist Society, America Locations: New York, America

☆ Bud Light loses more ground, slipping to No. 3 in America
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-18 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Bud Light, formerly the top-selling beer in the United States, has had a tough year since a boycott upended the industry. Modelo Especial, made by rival Constellation Brands, remains the top-selling beer at retailers in the US after surpassing Bud Light last year. For the past four weeks ending on July 6, Bud Light captured 6.5% of beer dollar sales at retail stores compared to 7.3% for Michelob Ultra, NIQ data shows. Michelob Ultra’s rise to the top isn’t solely because of the decline of Bud Light. For Bud Light, its marketing efforts pivoted to win back conservatives.

Persons: Bud Light, leapfrogged Bud, Bud Light’s, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, It’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, Anheuser, Busch, Especial, Constellation Brands, Modelo, Industry, Copa America soccer, Team USA, US, UFC Locations: New York, United States

☆ Tractor Supply warned climate change and a lack of diversity would hurt business. Now it’s ignoring those risks
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Hal Lawton, the chief executive of the Brentwood, Tennessee-based company, had said these initiatives “make great business sense for Tractor Supply.”But Tractor Supply has decided that all of those risks are now worth ignoring. By walking away from diversity and climate goals, Tractor Supply has become the latest corporate giant to retreat from progressive initiatives it once promoted, joining Bud Light, Target and others. Tractor Supply declined to comment on these statements. Tractor Supply’s customer base has historically been primarily older men, who lean Republican, but Tractor Supply has increasingly tried to draw Millennials and women, who tend to favor Democrats. Tractor Supply’s reversal could hurt it with these customers, who could be crucial as the company’s historic base ages out of the market.

Persons: Hal Lawton, Bud, ”, Nooshin Warren, “ They’re, ” John Boyd, Steve Helber, Robby Starbuck, “, It’s, ” Boyd, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ” Lawton, ” Eric Bloem, George Floyd, Bill Ackman, Elon Musk, They’ve, Chick, Bud Light, Jeff Chiu, Bud Light’s, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, CNN’s Eva Rothenberg Organizations: New, New York CNN, Tractor Supply, Supply, Human Rights, Bud Light, University of Arizona, National Black Farmers Association, AP Tractor Supply, Human, Tennessee’s, Congressional District, ”, Black Farmers Association, CNN, “, Tractor, Republican, Pew, Democratic, Disney, Nike, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Target Locations: New York, Brentwood , Tennessee, United States, America, Minneapolis

☆ Gen Z wants flavorful drinks. Here’s how Big Beer is trying to attract them
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

That’s a problem for Big Beer, which is dealing with flat sales, declining volume and a fickle generation of younger drinkers who are completely ditching the bottle or preferring anything but a regular beer. It’s a non-carbonated drink because “bloating that may come from carbonation is considered a top barrier” for younger drinkers and the trend of “decarbonizing” drinks is blowing up on the app. Last year, it acquired Blue Run Spirits, a cult favorite high-end bourbon and rye whiskey brand, in light of US spirit sales surpassing beer sales. Its aptly titled “Beyond Beer” category is currently a $1.5 billion part of its global business and is helping attract younger, legally aged drinkers. Despite younger drinkers’ hesitance with buying beer and flat sales, Big Beer companies aren’t facing an existential threat.

Persons: youngs, Gen, NIQ’s Kaleigh Theriault, “, ” Theriault, Gallo, Mark Anthony Brands, Miller, flavorful, TikTok Constellation, Corona, ”, Saúl Trejo, TikTok, Molson Coors, Molson, ” NIQ’s Theriault, Bud Light, seltzer, Jason Lowrie, it’s, Bud, Bud Light Seltzer, Dylan, ’, “ Young, ” Bryan Roth Organizations: New, New York CNN — Beer, CNN, Beverages, Big Beer, Molson Coors Beverage Company, Modelo, Constellation Brands, Anheuser, Busch InBev, TikTok, Corona, Corona Refresca, Molson Coors, Molson, “ Suppliers, Busch, Feel Goods Company Locations: New York, Corona, carbonation

☆ More companies are staying quiet during Pride, but money is still flowing to LGBTQ+ causes
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-30 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

A GLAAD spokesperson said Friday that the group has not seen donations or corporate support decline this Pride month, though it does not yet have a total tally. Pride Month merchandise is displayed at a Target store on May 31, 2023 in San Francisco, California. A sign disparaging Bud Light beer is seen along a country road on April 21, 2023 in Arco, Idaho. Anheuser-Busch, the brewer of Bud Light has faced backlash after the company sponsored two Instagram posts from a transgender woman. For its part, Bud Light hasn't posted in support of Pride month on its Instagram or X pages this year.

Persons: Stephen J, Cohen, Bud Light, Luke Hartig, Tim Bennett, Bennett, Sarah Kate Ellis, Ellis, JPMorgan Chase, Booking.com, Joe Biden, Justin Sullivan, Bud, Target, Natalie Behring, Kid Rock, Ron DeSantis, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light's, Michel Doukeris, Bud Light hasn't, Neil Reid, Reid, Tarang Amin, Tara Dziedzic Organizations: Getty, Gravity Research, D.C, Fortune, Tribury Productions, Procter & Gamble, GLAAD, Stonewall, Monument Visitor Center, New, Google, JPMorgan, Target, Pride Month, Anheuser, Busch, Busch InBev, Florida Gov, Constellation Brands, Modelo, InBev, UFC, RBC, University of Toledo, Fox News, The New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Locations: Louisville , Kentucky, Washington, New York City, San Francisco , California, Arco , Idaho, U.S, RBC Europe

☆ Tractor Supply Co. backtracks on DEI roles and goals
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Eva Rothenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

New York CNN —Tractor Supply Company has eliminated its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as part of what the retail chain says is a push to distance itself from “nonbusiness activities” after conservative backlash from some of its customer base. “You can’t say you’re going to try to do at Tractor Supply what they do at the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California — that’s definitely not going to work,” he said. “Tractor Supply Co is turning its back on their own neighbors with this shortsighted decision,” Eric Bloem, vice president of Programs and Corporate Advocacy at the Human Rights Campaign, told CNN in a statement Saturday. This is why the Tractor Supply — and most of the country’s biggest employers — have worked with us for years to create inclusive policies and practices. Those are the parts that business leaders aren’t thinking about as they are folding on DEI.”

Persons: ”, “, Robby Starbuck, Starbuck, X, ” Shaun Harper, Harper, that’s, ” Eric Bloem, —, Bud Light’s, influencer Dylan Mulvaney Organizations: New, New York CNN — Tractor Supply Company, Supply, Tennessee’s, Congressional, Tractor Supply, University of Southern, CNN, Tractor, National FFA Organization, Apple, ”, Human Rights, “, Companies, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Target Locations: New York, University of Southern California, Brentwood , Tennessee, Cupertino , California, United States

☆ Jon Stewart is fed up with 'hollow corporate pandering'
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewJon Stewart wants corporations to stop their "hollow corporate pandering" and just admit that all they care about is their bottom line. AdvertisementConservatives boycotted Bud Light last summer after the beer maker partnered with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney for a social media promotion. And Bud Light waffled in response. Mulvaney said Bud Light never reached out to her after the backlash, criticizing the company for not standing by her. Meanwhile, Bud Light sought to win some of its customers back by offering free beer promotions.

Persons: —, Jon Stewart, Stewart, Bud, Dylan Mulvaney, Mulvaney, Bud Light, Bud Light's Organizations: Service, America, Business, Target, Bud Light, Anheuser, Busch

☆ Supreme Court Justice Alito sold Bud Light stock, then bought Coors during boycott
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Kevin Breuninger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito poses for an official portrait at the East Conference Room of the Supreme Court building on October 7, 2022 in Washington, DC. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito sold shares of beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev as conservatives were ditching the Bud Light brewer over its partnership with a transgender social media influencer . The Supreme Court did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment on Alito's transaction report or the timing of his stock activity. In May 2023, Modelo replaced Bud Light as the top-selling beer in the U.S. Data from around that time showed sales of Bud Light had dropped nearly 25% year over year. Roth noted that the beer companies in question have no pending business before the Supreme Court that he can think of.

Persons: Samuel Alito, Alito, Bud Light, Busch, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Mulvaney, —, Martha, Ann Alito, Gabe Roth, " Roth, Roth Organizations: East, Anheuser, Busch, Molson Coors, Supreme, Busch InBev, Bud, Modelo, InBev, Coors, Blacks, New York Times, Trump, U.S . Capitol, Times, CNBC, Bud Light Locations: Washington , DC, U.S

☆ Corporate America Is Going Un-Woke: Reversing DEI, Sustainability Plan
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Emily Stewart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Plenty of companies are reining in their rhetoric and in some cases action on issues such as sustainability and diversity. Over the past decade, many corporations have at least professed to take a more active role in social issues, under pressure from their customers and, more importantly, employees. After last year's Bud Light debacle, which was a real blow to its business, executives fear they'll be the next target of some anti-woke outcry. For the fourth quarter of 2020, 131 companies mentioned ESG, and 34 mentioned DEI or diversity and inclusion. This may be a great un-wokening, but maybe corporate America was actually never that committed to the idea in the first place.

Persons: Paul Polman, It's, Naomi Wheeless, Eventbrite, Donald Trump, Larry Fink, George Floyd's, ESG, Andrew Jones, there's, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, haven't, Philip Mirvis, Bud, they'll, they'd, Jones, it's, Fink, FactSet, — we're, wasn't, Alison Taylor, University's, we've, Roe, Wade, Taylor, isn't, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light's, Kenneth Pucker, Emily Stewart Organizations: Unilever, Unilever wasn't, Unilever isn't, Companies, Business, Sporting Goods, Conference Board's ESG, Morningstar, Babson, AIG, Amazon, ExxonMobil, University's Stern School of Business, Anheuser, Busch, Fletcher School, Tufts University Locations: Plenty, America, ESG, New, Charlottesville

☆ How Corporate America is rethinking its sustainability and diversity efforts
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . In today's big story, we're looking at how Corporate America is rethinking its sustainability and diversity efforts amid a push to avoid being labeled "woke." The rallying cry against companies' progressive campaigns is starting to leave a mark on Corporate America. AdvertisementAfter years of big promises and grand plans around social issues like diversity and sustainability, companies have taken a noticeable step back , Business Insider's Emily Stewart writes. The electric car maker axed more than 3,400 job postings in North America down to just three on Wednesday.

Persons: —, let's, wokening Brooks Kraft, Emily Stewart, Emily, ESG, hasn't, Peter Thiel, Donald Trump's, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Rock, Saul Loeb, Chelsea Jia Feng, Wall, Warren Buffett, It's, Justin Sullivan, Elon, Eric Schmidt, Steve Mnuchin, Kevin O'Leary, salespeople, BI's Rob Price, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Business, Service, wokening Brooks Kraft LLC, Corporate America, Trump Media, Getty Images, of America, Berkshire Hathaway's, People's Bank of China, Chelsea, Microsoft, Google, YouTube, Netflix Locations: America, Beijing, North America, New York, London

☆ Beer giant AB InBev beats profit estimates, with Bud Light boycott set to ease one year on
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

AB InBev Budweiser and Bud Light brand beer cans at a store in the Queens borough of New York on Feb. 28, 2024. Shares of Belgium's AB InBev rose 5% Wednesday morning after the company posted higher revenue and profit in the first quarter, as analysts said it had escaped the drag from a year-long boycott of its Bud Light brand relatively unscathed. The company nonetheless managed to increase revenue by 7.8% last year, driven by higher sales in the Asia-Pacific and Central America regions. The first-quarter results showed a 11.1% drop in sales of AB InBev's own beer brands in North America, which it said was primarily due to Bud Light. The results also flagged growth in its Corona brand, particularly for its non-alcoholic beer brand Corona Cero.

Persons: Stella Artois, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Donald Trump, Jason Warner Organizations: InBev Budweiser, Bud Light, Belgium's, InBev, Light, Corona, Former U.S, InBev's, U.K, Revenue Locations: Queens, New York, Asia, Pacific, Central America, North America, China, Brazil, Colombia, Europe, Mexico, South Africa, Corona

☆ The $21 billion influencer industry has gone completely off the rails
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Influencer marketing is booming, and brands spend billions to promote products with a personal touch. But these days, the industry of influencer marketing is completely off the rails. Since 2016, the dollars driving the influencer marketing industry have ballooned from $1.6 billion a year to an estimated $21.1 billion in 2023, according to Influencer Marketing Hub. Marketers, brands, influencers, and platform companies all have opportunities to exploit one another to varying degrees of harm." It's not great for consumersDespite the money flying around, the FTC only provides basic guidelines about disclosure requirements for influencer marketing to protect consumers of their content.

Persons: —, Emily Hund, Hund, David Camp, Michael Jordan, George Foreman, Brooke Shields, Calvin Klein, isn't, It's, Kim Kardashian, influencer Chiara Ferragni, Lindsay Lohan, DJ Khaled, Naomi Campbell, Kardashian, Dylan Mulvaney, Bud Light, Ben Shapiro, Donald Trump Jr, Camp Organizations: Service, Business, Social Media, Harvard Business, CBS News, Nike, Salton, FTC, SEC, Consumer, NBC Locations: influencers, California

☆ Best Buy offers to screen LGBTQ nonprofit donations after conservative pressure, filing shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Matt Lavietes | Brooke Sopelsa | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

"Best Buy has partnerships with and contributes to organizations and activists that promote the practice of gender transition surgeries on minors and evangelize gender theory to minors. Why are Best Buy shareholders funding the proliferation of an ideology seeking to mutilate the reproductive organs of children before they finish puberty?" "This contentious and vast disagreement between radical gender theory activists and the general public has nothing to do with Best Buy selling electronics." "Were Best Buy to agree to such a compromise with us, we will not make a splash about it." In an email on Friday, GLAAD, one of the LGBTQ nonprofits mentioned in the SEC filing, expressed its displeasure with Best Buy.

Persons: hasn't, Carly Charlson, NCPPR, —, Ethan Peck, Peck, Marina Rizzo, Rizzo, we're, Bud Light, Bud Light's, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Sarah Kate Ellis Organizations: Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, National Center for Public Policy Research, Best, HRC, NCPPR's Free Enterprise Institute, SAGE, GLAAD, Rights, PRIDE, NBC, Anheuser, Busch Inbev Locations: States

☆ How creators are using long-form writing to build community and combat the uncertainty of short-form video
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Marta Biino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

AdvertisementBuckle is part of a group of creators that has turned to slower, longer types of content that don't live on social platforms. Turning to long-form content — in writing, but also through podcasts, community platforms like Patreon, and YouTube videos — has been a way for creators to counter this. AdvertisementFor some creators, long-form content is also a way to slow down their relationship with their audiences and build stronger connections. Alexandra Hayes Robinson recently started the newsletter Hello Hayes after finding success on TikTok. Alexandra Hayes RobinsonWritten content is a way for creators to build 'community'The idea of "community" has become central to the creator economy, and long-form content can help foster it.

Persons: —, Lesley Buckle, interning, Instagram, . Buckle, Buckle, it's, Dylan, Annie Openshaw's, Rafy Evans, Alexandra Hayes Robinson, Hayes, Emma Brooks, She's, Annie Openshaw —, Openshaw, Jessamyn Stanley, Ashley Batz, Thomas Walters, Julianne Fraser Organizations: Service, Business, Porter Magazine, Infinity Creative Agency, TikTok, Google, Buckle, Dollar, New Locations: Marie Claire, virality, Europe, New York

☆ Right-wing boycotters take aim at another brand: Doritos
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRight-wing boycotters have set their sights on another major brand: Doritos. Representatives for Doritos, PepsiCo, and Hudson did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment. AdvertisementOn Tuesday, Doritos Spain announced it was cutting ties with Hudson because of comments she reportedly made that resurfaced online, Newsweek reported. Advertisement"I don't remember having written such barbarities," she wrote, according to a Rolling Stone translation. While brand boycotts are nothing new, experts previously told Business Insider that political polarization in the US, combined with culture wars and panic-stoking media coverage, have been gaining steam in recent years.

Persons: —, Samantha Hudson, Hudson, Doritos, Rolling Stone, BoycottDoritos, Dylan Mulvaney, aren't Organizations: Service, PepsiCo, Hudson, NBC News, Business, Doritos, Newsweek, Stone, Bud Light Locations: Spain, Doritos Spain, Spanish

☆ Bud Light boycott likely cost Anheuser-Busch InBev over $1 billion in lost sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The world’s largest brewer may have lost as much as $1.4 billion in sales because of the backlash to its brief partnership with a transgender influencer to promote Bud Light beer. Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) reported record revenues for 2023 Thursday but said its “full growth potential was constrained” by its US business, where sales were hurt by a boycott of Bud Light over a sponsored Instagram post with Dylan Mulvaney. In North America, organic revenue, seen as the best measure of operating performance, plunged $1.4 billion last year as beer sales by volume tumbled in the region, primarily due to a decline in Bud Light sales in the United States. Bud Light sales tanked after the company’s partnership with Mulvaney sparked an anti-trans backlash and calls for a boycott. The firestorm saw Mexican lager Modelo Especial dethrone Bud Light last May as America’s top-selling beer, a title the brand had held for more than two decades.

Persons: BUD, Bud Light, Dylan Mulvaney, Beer, Mulvaney, Bud, Aarin, Hargreaves, ” Organizations: London CNN, Bud, Anheuser, Busch InBev, Bud Light, Modelo, “, Teamsters, InBev, InBev’s, Budweiser Brewing Company Locations: North America, United States, InBev’s Asia, Hong Kong, South Korea, China

☆ Unilever and Dell have shut down some sustainability marketing initiatives as big corporations embrace 'green hushing'
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Late last month, computing giant Dell cut part of its marketing team that focused on sustainability and other ESG-related marketing roles, Business Insider has learned. This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. AdvertisementThis is feeding into a growing trend of "green hushing," where companies stop publicizing their sustainability efforts due to concerns around regulatory scrutiny or a consumer backlash, experts say. Other sustainability agencies have been absorbed into wider offerings, R3 EVP of delivery Sarah Tan told Business Insider. Leo Rayman, head of the sustainability consultancy and venture studio Eden Lab, said that the green hushing phenomenon could suggest a sign of maturity in the space.

Persons: we're, Hein Schumacher, hushing, Pimco, , Harriet Kingaby, Sarah Tan, Kingaby, Bud, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Guy Parker, — that'll, Parker, Leo Rayman, Rayman, Townsend Organizations: Dell, Business, Unilever, JPMorgan, State, ACT Climate Labs, Media, Advertising Network, Brands, Green Guides, Standards Authority, ASA, BMW, Shell, Etihad Airways, Competition, Markets Authority, Eden, Sustainability

☆ Opinion: Shane Gillis’ turn on ‘SNL’ shows that all too often, bigotry sells
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-25 | by ( Dean Obeidallah | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

“That’s how I got to New York.”Since losing the “SNL” gig, Gillis has only leaned into what some call “cringe humor” and others rightly slam as bigotry. Even among the cast members of “SNL,” we didn’t see any public outrage or protest over Gillis hosting. If you don’t like a comedian’s material, don’t attend their shows. In the case of Gillis, despite what he said with the joke in his opening monologue on “SNL,” he might actually want you to Google his name. Based on what we’re seeing, there’s a lucrative market for views like his in the world of bigotry.

Persons: Dean Obeidallah, Shane Gillis, Gillis, “, he’d, what’s, didn’t, ”, Theo Von, Vox, ” TMZ, Dave Chappelle, Gillis’s, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Donald Trump, They’ve, don’t Organizations: CNN, Dean Obeidallah CNN, “ SNL, SNL, Los Angeles Times, YouTube, Netflix, New York Times, Blacks Locations: New York

Now, faced with unprecedented attacks in state legislatures, transgender rights leaders acknowledge they are playing defense — and two of the biggest groups are joining forces to counter the onslaught. “This is going to be a defense game — and a movement-strengthening game,” said Andy Marra, executive director of the Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund. Many of laws ban gender-affirming medical care for trans minors or bar trans athletes from competing on girls’ and women’s scholastic sports teams. The national political environment — in regard to LGBTQ+ rights — has changed dramatically since then. Marra, who has been active in the LGBTQ+ rights movement for 20 years, says she remains optimistic in the face of current setbacks.

Persons: —, ”, Andy Marra, Rodrigo Heng, Lehtinen, Marra, Ken Paxton, Greg Abbott, Abbott, ” Marra, Heng, “, Lehtinen —, “ We’ve, He’s, Ileana Ros, Ros, Rodrigo, ” Ros, Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney Organizations: Transgender Legal Defense, Education Fund, Republican, National Center for Transgender Equality, Trans, Texas, Gov, GOP Locations: U.S, New York, Washington, North Carolina

Anheuser-Busch last year suffered a major backlash over its Bud Light marketing promotion with a transgender influencer, Dylan Mulvaney. In his Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump appeared to be well-informed about detailed aspects of the beer company's operations. Trump wrote, "Anheuser-Busch is a GREAT American brand that perhaps deserves a Second Chance?" "Am building a list, and might just release it for the World to see," Trump wrote. Trump wrote.

Persons: Donald Trump, Busch, Dana White, Dylan Mulvaney, White, Trump, Bud, Bud Light, Kid Rock Organizations: Anheuser, UFC, CNBC, Busch, Bud Light, Trump, GREAT, TKO, Holdings, Republican Locations: Nevada, Treasure, Las Vegas , Nevada, U.S, American, Las Vegas

☆ Bud Light’s Super Bowl commercial leans on humor after a year of turmoil and controversy
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Bud Light is back at the Super Bowl, this time with a funny “genie” to grant drinkers’ wishes. The 60-second spot, called “Easy Night Out,” is part of Bud Light’s year-long rebrand that debuted at last year’s Super Bowl. The brand has been in crisis mode ever since, and the Super Bowl commercial is part of its effort to turn around perception. “We wanted to get back to the humor the brand has been known for,” Bud Light’s vice president Todd Allen told CNN. 2024 BUD LIGHT SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL | EASY NIGHT OUT | EASY TO DRINK EASY TO ENJOY :60Bud Light launched its new campaign — “Easy to Drink.

Persons: Bud Light, ”, ’, Bud Light’s, Bud, “, ” Bud Light’s, Todd Allen, Post Malone, Bud Light Seltzer, Peyton Manning, Dana White, BUD, Miles Teller, Keleigh, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, Allen, Heinerscheid, it’s “, isn’t, ” Allen, “ We’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, Super, CNN, “, NFL, UFC, Parent, Anheuser, Busch, Modelo, Miller Lite Locations: New York

NEW YORK (AP) — Budweiser is bringing back some familiar characters this year in its Super Bowl ad. Some advertisers are releasing ads ahead of Super Bowl 58 in the hope of capitalizing on the buzz that builds as the game approaches. Bud Light also angered supporters of transgender rights who felt it abandoned Mulvaney. “The first Super Bowl spots to be released embrace light humor," said Northwestern University marketing professor Tim Calkins. "This isn’t a surprise; safety is key when advertising on the Super Bowl so most advertisers will stay far away from controversial topics.”As always, commercials are stuffed — even overstuffed — with celebrities.

Persons: Bud Light, influencer Dylan Mulvaney, “, ”, Ray Taylor, they’ve, hasn't, Lionel Messi, Kate McKinnon, Pete Davidson, Tim Calkins, Vince Vaughan, Tom Brady, Brady miffed, Wayne Gretzky Organizations: Budweiser, Super, advertising's, CBS, Paramount, Nickelodeon, Anheuser, Busch, Villanova School of Business, ” Anheuser, Bud, Kawasaki, Northwestern University Locations: Labrador, America

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