Brands definitely need to consider the cost of offending their major user base before launching an ad campaign. The primary drinker of Bud Light has been Men who bleed Merica... aka Right Wingers. While I think it's an absolutely insane thing to get this worked up over, people have a right to vote with their pocket books. I've certainly endorsed other boycotts based on businesses engaged in unethical ideals. Bud Light has always tried to appeal to the labor worker, more low-income, All-American type. I certainly understand trying to expand your appeal to other groups while your product is actually losing market share... But I do wonder if someone did the calculus to understand just how butthurt their primary market gets over things like that.
It's a difficult time right now to be in business because of how political everything is, and even choosing not to engage in the political fights is a political decision that can come back to bite you.
