April 10, 2023
The National Desk recently published an article featuring Andrew King, Professor of Strategy and Innovation, discussing risks and rewards for companies collaborating with influencers weighing in on political issues.
Large businesses are again finding themselves in the middle of the crossfire for supporting sensitive political or cultural issues in a growing trend of companies taking stands on societal issues. Recently, Bud Light and parent company Anheuser-Busch have been the target of conservative criticism of a partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
After she posted on Instagram promoting the company, numerous threats and promises to boycott the most popular domestic beer have multiplied online. Far from a new phenomenon, companies from a wide variety of sectors have faced backlash for political stances or ad campaigns that have offended consumers on both sides of the aisle. King states, “The old style of ‘we will just keep our house clean, and we won’t worry about regulation and the broader social environment’ has kind of gone out of style”.