Summary:
The “Dylan Mulvaney effect” continues to impact brands that partner with transgender influencers, as seen with Anheuser-Busch and Kathmandu Holdings. Bud Light sales dropped nearly 30% in early 2024 after its 2023 campaign with Mulvaney, while Kathmandu reported an $82.9 million loss due to backlash over a transgender surfer ad. Consumers are rejecting what they perceive as inauthentic marketing, leading to boycotts and financial consequences for these companies.
What This Means for You:
- Brand Authenticity Matters: Consumers are increasingly skeptical of marketing campaigns that feel performative or disconnected from their values.
- Actionable Insight: Companies must prioritize aligning advertising strategies with their core audience’s expectations to avoid backlash.
- Future Outlook: Brands that fail to learn from these missteps risk long-term reputational and financial damage.
- Warning: Ignoring consumer sentiment in favor of trend-driven marketing can lead to significant losses and boycotts.
Original Post:
The Dylan Mulvaney effect claims another victim.
After Anheuser-Busch decided to partner with self-proclaimed transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney — a man pretending to be a woman — for an ad campaign featuring him drinking Bud Light in 2023, Fox Business reported sales were down 29.9 percent for the week ending in January 2024 when compared to the previous year.
That was 2023. Companies have had time to learn that customers did not want to see delusional men play dress up in a marketing effort, but here we are.
Kathmandu Holdings, known as KMD Brands, has reported an $82.9 million loss after a boycott in 2024 over a decision to use another so-called transgender surfer to promote the sport to women.
The U.K.’s Daily Mail reported this is its biggest loss in a decade.
Those losses include a $40.3 million writedown value for its Oboz hiking boot company. KMD owns both Kathmandu and Rip Curl.
Rip Curl – a famous surfing brand – have dropped Bethany Hamilton (who lost her arm in a shark attack) from their ad campaigns.
They have instead used Sasha Lowerson to advertise women’s surfing.
Their total contempt could not be more clear. pic.twitter.com/Gmc2n5aL0s— Jill Foster (@JournalistJill) January 26, 2024
This is a New Zealand-based company, and the Daily Mail reported the boycott came as many Australians opted to boycott Rip Curl last year after it featured the so-called transgender Sasha Lowerson as part of an ad campaign.
After what they did to Hamilton, would you ever do business with this company again?
Using a man dressing up as a woman is off-putting enough, but it becomes worse when considering who Lowerson replaced.
Bethany Hamilton is the survivor of a shark attack and a fellow pro surfer. According to the biography on her website, she lost her arm at 13, but she has continued to pursue the sport she loves.
Reading through her biography, Hamilton is also a mother, a wife, and a Christian woman who is clearly passionate and determined in not letting that moment as a child hold her back.
The Daily Mail reported she has also rightfully spoken out against so-called transgender athletes.
It was an incredibly foolish decision by Rip Curl, and now they are paying for it.
Of the 328 Kathmandu and Rip Curl stores, 21 are closing.
The Daily Mail added that the boycott was not directly responsible for KMD’s recent woes, but how can this be overlooked?
The Dylan Mulvaney effect is undeniable.
Consumers do not want men pretending to be women using products they are buying.
The world is fed up with this weird, disgusting fetish men are now engaging in, forcing the rest of us — children included — to go along with it.
Get woke, go broke.
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Extra Information:
Fox Business Report on Bud Light Sales Decline – Details the financial impact of the Dylan Mulvaney campaign. Daily Mail on Kathmandu’s Loss – Explores the boycott’s effect on Kathmandu Holdings.
People Also Ask About:
- Why did Bud Light sales drop? – Sales declined due to consumer backlash against its campaign with Dylan Mulvaney.
- What caused Kathmandu’s $82.9 million loss? – A boycott over its decision to feature a transgender surfer in ads.
- Who is Bethany Hamilton? – A professional surfer and shark attack survivor replaced in Rip Curl’s campaigns.
- What is the “Dylan Mulvaney effect”? – A term describing the negative financial impact on brands partnering with transgender influencers.
- How can companies avoid similar backlash? – By aligning marketing strategies with their core audience’s values.
Expert Opinion:
Marketing experts warn that brands must prioritize authenticity and audience alignment in their campaigns. Missteps like these highlight the growing consumer demand for genuine representation over performative inclusivity.
Key Terms:
- Dylan Mulvaney effect
- Bud Light sales decline
- Kathmandu Holdings loss
- Transgender marketing backlash
- Consumer boycott impact
- Brand authenticity in advertising
- Get woke go broke
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