BUD (the King of Beers)

Quote: rxwine

Interesting premise, which is likely true I think. Boycotts only work when you can easily replace the boycotted item. The argument that Bud lite is both mediocre and easily replaceable makes it an easy target. People that drink lite beer don't want to give it up, but they want a replacement. When a product doesn't suffer those kinds of things, it may outlast any boycott. Of course, I think there is one other factor here, in that it could survive in a smaller version of itself because it was so big to begin with.

I don't pay much attention to boycotts overall. It is similar to how I view most of the people who make music I like to listen to...we don't agree politically, but you do your thing and I will do mine. Bud Light was not a product that I ever drank a lot but I guess a boycott would include the crapton of other products they produce. That would have been almost like work to track.

You are correct, though, Bud Light is nondescript as far as beer goes and is quite easily replaceable.

Quote: rxwine

Interesting premise, which is likely true I think. Boycotts only work when you can easily replace the boycotted item. The argument that Bud lite is both mediocre and easily replaceable makes it an easy target. People that drink lite beer don't want to give it up, but they want a replacement. When a product doesn't suffer those kinds of things, it may outlast any boycott. Of course, I think there is one other factor here, in that it could survive in a smaller version of itself because it was so big to begin with.

Yes and no. AB also owns probably every beer brand that you drink (even many local ones that you would not suspect.) So you can Boycott Bud Light, your money is still going to the same place. Beer only has a couple of major players (yes thousands across the world, but realistically what you can buy for your daily drink at the gas station, it's probably AB.)

I think boycotts are often more about optics than actual effectiveness. For example, I am on the left, I am against alcohol, not a fan of Budlight -even slightly- when I do drink, and despise AB politically and ethically, not a single person on the right boycotting AB offends me, heck I hope they succeed more than they do, the world would probably be better off if AB collapses. Heck let every alcohol company collapse, it would be an empirical good for society.

But, to your primary point, Boycotts can work with hard to replace products, but it requires self-discipline. So for most Americans this will not happen. For example it is easy to say, "I hate Comcast, I am switching to ATT Fiber," it is far harder to say, "I hate the modern telecom network, I am giving up all internet and phone subscriptions." One will be far more effective, but result in a massive lifestyle change that most Americans would not be willing to make (this is an extreme example, but you can apply it to any industry.)

For example take a popular left wing example of boycotting Chikfilet, it is easy to not eat Chickfilet for some perceived issue with the owner that may be valid, fine. But, does it really matter if you are still eating chicken sandwiches from 10 other restaurants? You are not really boycotting something that ethically matters (animal suffering.) Instead, you are not challenging your lifestyle at all, you are just changing where you buy lunch at....

Has the boycott ended?

That's actually wild! I swear on my life I just happened to look at that five minutes ago. Someone didn't mention the boycott, per se, but mentioned the brand in the comments section of something I was reading.

I do think that the boycott amounted to at least a hiccup, on direct. I think it's fair to say that the stock price would be doing better now, but for the boycott, but I also said they'd be just fine long-term, which they are.