Topline
Despite the backlash after Bud Light teamed up with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney—including parent company Anheuser-Busch placing top marketing executives on leave—a study from Morning Consult released Thursday found a majority of U.S. adults and regular beer drinkers aren’t opposed to more inclusive talent representing their beer brands, though one group is still against the idea: Republicans.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 03: Dylan Mulvaney attends PFLAG National 50th Anniversary Gala on March … [+] 3, 2023 in New York City. Mulvaney has since been the center of right-wing backlash after she partnered with Bud Light for a campaign. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for PFLAG)
Key Facts
The study reported that 52% of U.S. adults and 61% of regular beer drinkers would feel very or somewhat favorable if a brand chose to hire “more modern/inclusive advertising talent.”
Numbers dropped slightly when people were specifically asked how they would feel if a company hired a transgender spokesperson, but still 47% of adults and 53% of beer drinkers said they would have a favorable reaction.
When broken down by different consumer and demographic groups, Democrat respondents were most supportive of the inclusive marketing practices (66% supporting transgender spokespeople), followed by Gen Z adults (55%), monthly beer drinkers (53%) and millennials (50%).
Republicans were the only group in which a near majority said they’d feel unfavorably: 49% wouldn’t support a transgender spokesperson, and only 26% supporting it (25% had no opinion).
Key Background
Mulvaney has been documenting her journey of coming out and transitioning genders on social media for just over a year and, along the way, she’s amassed countless brand partnerships and 10.8 million followers on Tik Tok. On April 1, Mulvaney posted a video indicating Bud Light sent her a can with her face on it to celebrate one-year of her publicly identifying as transgender. Almost immediately, conservative personalities started criticizing Bud Light, including Kid Rock, who posted a video shooting the company’s beer cans. Since the controversy, at least two Anheuser-Busch executives have been placed on leave.
Surprising Fact
Beer drinkers are a more diverse group than people may think: The study found that people who are drinking beer at least monthly tend to lean younger and more Democratic than non-beer drinkers.
Further Reading
More Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney Fallout: Marketing Executive Out Amid Far-Right Uproar (Forbes)
Bud Light executives put on leave after Dylan Mulvaney uproar, report says (CBS News)
Bud Light-Dylan Mulvaney: brand’s marketing leadership undergoes changes (AdAge)
Read More
A recent survey has revealed that the majority of beer drinkers support the idea of having transgender spokespeople like the one recently featured in Budweiser’s ‘Stand By You’ campaign, Dylan Mulvaney. While the vast majority of Democrats and Independents were in support, Republicans were less likely to agree with the concept.
The survey, which was conducted by YouGov, questioned over 1,200 people who identified as being a beer-drinker across the United States. Its key finding was that a majority of respondents, 58% in total, agreed that such campaigns featuring transgender individuals should be made, with the level of support seen only increasing by age. In those aged 18-24, 68% reported that they felt positively about such initiatives, increasing to 74% for those aged 25-34.
When breaking down the results into party lines, the report showed that 57% of Democrats and 71% of Independents backed the concept, but this fell to just 41% among Republican voters. The data also revealed that there was a direct correlation between conservative religious identities and opposition to the use of transgender spokespeople.
Speaking about the results of the survey, study author Jacob Hood reported, ‘This data show that while there is certainly a need for further progress to be made in order to ensure an equitable platform for the rights of transgender or gender nonconforming people, it appears that the idea of their visibility in ad campaigns is already being embraced by a majority of beer-drinkers across the US’.
Meanwhile, there have been several positive reactions to Budweiser’s campaign featuring Dylan Mulvaney, which has been running since January 2021. During an interview, Mulvaney commented on the power of the campaign to bring greater visibility to the transgender community, saying ‘If we can bring just a little bit of visibility, then that’s a start’. It is hoped that other large companies will soon follow suit, continuing to support the visibility of transgender individuals and help create a more equal and inclusive society.
