Executives at Anheuser-Busch have reportedly denied rumors suggesting that two top marketers involved in the failed Dylan Mulvaney campaign for Bud Light have been fired.
According to The Daily Caller, which obtained text communications with an unnamed regional marketing leader at the company, Group Vice President of Marketing Daniel Blake and Bud Light Marketing Vice President Alissa Heinerscheid were officially terminated.
The controversy arose after criticism was directed at Blake and Heinerscheid for featuring a trans TikToker in a March Madness commercial. Consequently, both individuals took a “leave of absence.”
DailyMail.com reached out to a friend of Heinerscheid, who stated, “She’s not supposed to talk about it, she can’t.”
In response, an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson informed DailyMail.com that both individuals were still on an indefinite “leave of absence.”
The spokesperson explained, “Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence, which we support.” The company further confirmed that both Daniel and Alissa were “taking a leave of absence.”
The decision by Anheuser-Busch to use the term “leave of absence” was also employed in April when two marketing executives temporarily stepped down from their positions. The company expressed full support for Alissa’s decision to take a leave of absence, while Daniel opted to take time off from work.
Despite the departures, concerns persisted, especially when Anheuser-Busch executives stated that the decision to collaborate with Mulvaney had been made by an “outside agency without management awareness or approval.”
On Tuesday, it was widely reported that Heinerscheid and Blake had been fired from their roles, with an unnamed insider at the company claiming that the corporate leaders had only referred to a “leave of absence” to avoid legal repercussions.
The insider explained, “Using the word ‘fire’ in a public announcement could give them grounds to sue us. That’s why we mentioned a leave of absence. If they hadn’t removed [Heinerscheid], the wholesalers would have had an absolute hay day with leadership.”
According to the source, wholesalers were informed by company leadership that Heinerscheid and Blake were no longer employed at the company. The head of marketing and all direct reports have already been replaced.
Regarding Blake, the source expressed a positive opinion, stating, “I think he was just caught in the crossfire.” However, the fact that he hired Heinerscheid was viewed negatively.
During his nine-year tenure at Anheuser-Busch, Blake managed the marketing for both Bud Light and Budweiser. He previously held the position of group vice president of marketing for Budweiser and value brands before his promotion in May 2022. Additionally, he served as the company’s vice president of value brands.
Heinerscheid was hired by Blake in June 2022 with the intention of revitalizing Bud Light’s brand image. Prior to the controversial campaign, Blake shared an article highlighting Bud Light’s decision to feature a female lead character in its Super Bowl ad, declaring a “new era for Bud Light.” The article emphasized the idea of inclusivity and shared American values.
In an interview before the Dylan Mulvaney ad aired, Heinerscheid expressed her plan to change Bud Light’s reputation and appeal to a younger generation by embracing inclusivity.
As Bud Light sales experienced a significant decline, with the week ending June 10 seeing a 26.8% reduction, the worst result since the early April commercial, the Mexican lager Modelo, owned by Grupo Modelo (now part of Anheuser-Busch), has overtaken Bud Light as the top-selling beer in America.
Other Anheuser-Busch brands in the US, such as Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, and Natural Light, have also witnessed substantial drops in sales since the scandal emerged. Budweiser is down 10%, Natty Light is down 2%, and Michelob is down 2.4%.