CEO of Anheuser-Busch on Bud Light controversy: "We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people."

It's been a busy time for lager lovers and trans identified influencer Dylan Mulvany ever since the Bud Light sponsorship caused a backlash. While music stars like Kid Rock and Travis Tritt swore off the brand and banned it from their tour buses and bars, lesser known bars joined in. Countless articles were written about it, here are just a few, about the distributers being "spooked" by the decline in sales, about the $5 billion loss in stock value, and Forbes brought this opinion piece: Why Does The Bud Light Backlash Feel So Desperate?

While Bud Light was initially silent after the controversy ensued, the CEO Brendan Whitworth has now issued a statement addressing the issue.

As the CEO of a company founded in America’s heartland more than 165 years ago, I am responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew.

We’re honored to be part of the fabric of this country. Anheuser-Busch employs more than 18,000 people and our independent distributors employ an additional 47,000 valued colleagues. We have thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere.

We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.

My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another. As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.

I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands and our partners. I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors and others.

Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation. 

So, in short, nothing had really changed. "Listening and learning" seems a bit late now, as the core market clearly revolted to this choice of spokesperson, wouldn't that have been the top priority of the planners and strategists already, to figure out the core consumer and what they like? With shareholders and distributers losing real money over this, the statement seems quite tame as it doesn't address at all how Bud Light, or Anheuser-Busch, will come back from this.