The Bud Light controversy has proven to have legs; and for the second month in the row the once-dominant brand is taking a back seat to one of its biggest competitors.
Bud Light had been on a two-decade run as the country's most popular beer, but after the company decided to expand its marketing outreach with Dylan Mulvaney -- the transgender social media influencer at the center of the controversy -- a sustained boycott has cost the company its top spot.
DON'T MISS: Bud Light Controversy Drags In a New Victim
For the second month in a row, Modelo Especial, which is a subsidiary of Constellation Brands (STZ) -), was the United States highest selling beer in June, garnering an 8.7% share of the beer market, well ahead of Bud Light's 7% second place share, according to Bump Williams Consulting.
Bud Light sales fell 28% in June from a year ago, compared to Modelo's 8.5% year over year increase. The boycott may even be leaking over to Budweiser, which saw sales fall 11.7% year over year.
Bud Light started the year with a 10.3% market share and had 10% of the market as recently as March 25, but the beer has seen a steady decline after offending loyal customers by involving Mulvaney as a spokesperson.
The political right has been able to sustain consumer furor over Bud Light, which is a subsidiary of international conglomerate Anheuser Busch InBev (BUD) -), for weeks, leading the company to backtrack and fire the ad executives responsible for partnering with Mulvaney.
The company's second quarter results and earnings call are about three weeks away, so there should be some clarity and hard figures concerning the boycott soon.
