Beer analyst says the rot at Anheuser Busch started when last family member ... trends now
A beer analyst has pinpointed the moment that Anheuser-Busch began its billion-dollar decline as he slammed the iconic brand's shift away from sport and humor.
Harry Schuhmacher, a 30-year veteran of the beer business and podcast host, said the brewery was doomed as soon as family patriarch - August Anheuser Busch III - retired from the company in 2006.
While Busch's old leadership saw the brand roll out hilarious adverts and focus on fan-friendly sports marketing, a new executive lineup has since reversed course.
Schuhmacher pinpointed Anheuser Busch's involvement in ritzy art fair Art Basel Miami Beach as a prime example of it losing touch.
'I always looked up to and feared Anheuser Busch,' Schuhmacher said. 'They were the most respected, they knew the market better than anybody.'
He said: 'It doesn't have to be NFL Football, I get it,' Schuhmacher said. 'But not Art Basel in Miami...'
The firm displayed limited edition cans created for its brand Michelob at the snooty event earlier this year, PRNewswire reported.
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August A Busch III (right) pictured with former FIFA President Joao Havelange (left) in 1998
The beer giant lost over $6 billion in the aftermath of its infamous Dylan Mulvaney marketing campaign, and Schuhmacher said the mistake came due to a change of identity that 'created blind spots'.
Speaking on the BeerNet Studios podcast, Schuhmacher ranted about the dramatic decline of the iconic brand.
'So many people depend on Bud Light for their income,' he began.
'I feel bad for Bud Light, and I feel bad for the employees and distributors who have to go out in the market and deal with this b*******.'
Schuhmacher specifically called out one of the
