Cans of Bud Light at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo: Rob Carr/Getty Images
Anheuser-Busch, the parent company of Bud Light, announced Thursday that it would lay off roughly 350 employees.
Why it matters: The layoffs come after the company has struggled to win back customers in the fallout from an advertising campaign with a transgender influencer that sparked conservative backlash.
The big picture: The layoffs would affect "less than 2%" of its more than 19,000 U.S. employees, the company said in a statement.
- The layoffs would affect the company’s corporate staff, with the goal to “simplify and reduce layers within" the organization, the statement added.
- Front line workers — including "brewery and warehouse staff, drivers, and field sales" — would not be among the layoffs, the statement said.
- Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said the “very difficult” decision would help ensure the company’s “future long-term success.”
State of play: Bud Light saw a precipitous drop in its sales earlier this year after its work with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney stirred conservative outrage.
- An ensuing boycott of Bud Light dethroned the brand as the nation's top beer seller in May.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional context.