Modelo and Coors Light surge ahead of Bud Light and Budweiser in Q2 2023

Following months of controversy and loss, brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev reported a slump in revenue in North America during its Q2 2023 earnings call.

New data from YouGov shows that as Bud Light and Budweiser grappled with the fallout of the Dylan Mulvaney controversy, competitors within the beer industry capitalized on it, particularly Modelo and Coors Light.

Let’s look at how things have shaken up in the beer industry in the second quarter of the year compared to how they stood in the first quarter.

Competing brands seize the opportunity to ascend in beer ranking

Modelo saw the largest gains in Consideration in the first two quarters of the year. Consideration is a measure of the share of consumers who would consider purchasing from a brand the next time they are in the market for alcoholic beverages.

The Mexican beer brand jumped up seven places from 13th in Q1 to 6th in Q2, marking the biggest move among all beer brands. Consideration for the brand rose by 3 points, from 10.1% to 13.1% during the same period.

Samuel Adams and Coors Light were two other brands to make significant moves at the same time as the Bud Light controversy. Samuel Adams secured the runner-up behind Corona in Q2 beer rankings, moving up two places to displace Heineken.

Coors Light moved up two places in the top 10, from 10th place to 8th place, and its Consideration score saw an increase of 1.4 points. Yuengling also moved up three spots to edge Bud Light and Budweiser out of the top 10.

Major declines following Bud Light and Budweiser boycotts

Compared to Q1 performance, Consideration for Bud Light fell by 2.2 points and by 3.2 points for Budweiser in Q2.

Both beer brands were among the top 10 beers in terms of Consideration in Q1 but have slipped several spots to fall outside of the top 10 in Q2. Budweiser, formerly the 7th most considered beer in Q1, fell by eight spots to no. 15, marking the largest decline of any beer in Q2. Bud Light fell three spots from 8th to 11th place.

AB-InBev's CEO Michel Doukeris said the company will continue to “focus on beer” and that he has learned that customers “want to enjoy their beer without a debate.” The NFL season will be a key period for many beer brands and perhaps none more than Bud Light and Budweiser as they try to win back customers in stadiums, restaurants, bars and watch-parties.

Photo by James Kern on Unsplash