After getting canceled on social media and being boycotted by a huge number of customers earlier this month after Budweiser collaborated with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney to promote its products, Bud Light’s marketing vice president, Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid, has found herself in hot waters due to an interview where she spoke about the brand’s renewed focus on inclusivity.
Speaking about the backlash on the Make Yourself At Home podcast, Heinerscheid said that the focus is no longer to cater to “frat guys,” but to promote inclusivity. “I had this super clear mandate. It’s like we need to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand. What does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusivity… it means having a campaign that’s truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different. And appeals to women and to men. And representation, isn’t it the heart of evolution? We had this hangover. I mean, Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty out-of-touch humor and it was really important that we had another approach,” she said.
Also Read | Budweiser boycotted after brand puts trans actress Dylan Mulvaney on cans
However, following her comments, Heinerscheid found herself becoming the target of the backlash. Here are a few reactions:
Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid, vice president of marketing for Bud Light, is the first woman to ever lead the popular brand down the toilet. Looks like A white suburban mom not confident in her skin. #Budlight pic.twitter.com/85UNcREh3Y
— Laura (@teesandshorts) April 8, 2023
alissa gordon heinerscheid is why I'm #BoycottBudLight. pic.twitter.com/ymqhxtEoPi
— Mezz (@BlockchainOrbit) April 6, 2023
FUN FACT: Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid, the Bud Light VP responsible for pivoting the Bud brand to court transgender beer drinkers, was so busy transitioning Bud she hired a surrogate to have her baby for her. pic.twitter.com/w5tFBiA1jl
— @amuse (@amuse) April 10, 2023
I assure Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid that her sophisticated positioning of the Bud Light brand is the most disastrous move of all its recent antics. She should be fired + so should whoever hired her.
— JusticeBrandt (@justicebrandt1) April 7, 2023
I found @AnheuserBusch VP of @budlight Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid continuing way of "Evolving Bud Light." pic.twitter.com/5RtPuQFwPP
— get over it studios (@GOIStudios) April 7, 2023
She promotes "There is No Gender" but, she makes sure and list her self as "First female to lead the largest beer brand in the industry" Maybe she should add another hyphenated name "Hypocritia" Alissa Gordon Hypocritia Heinerscheid? https://t.co/Dv6L313jjK
— OPINIONATED TIMES (@JonnyBoomer60) April 9, 2023
Who is Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid?
Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid graduated from the Wharton School. She also holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Harvard University, where she studied English Language and Literature/Letters. She boasts about being the “first female to lead the largest beer brand in the industry.”
Also Read | Did 2023 Super Bowl Budweiser commercial feature Clydesdale horses?
Before she took up the role of becoming Vice President at the Anheuser-Busch, she started her career in marketing at Tapestry Networks. She worked for that company for five years before becoming the Associate Brand Manager of Listerine. In May 2015, she joined Anheuser-Busch where she worked as a Director of Value Brands. She has also worked as the Director of Bud Light Sports & Music, the Senior Director of Bud Light Communications, the VP of Direct Consumer Marketing, and then the VP of drafting & Digital in the same brand.
According to her official LinkedIn account, she was appointed as a VP of Bud Light, 10 months ago.
