Did Bud Light's top marketing executives Daniel Blake and Alissa Heinerscheid take leaves of absence? Company issues statement

Bud Light, the popular beer company recently made headlines after its top two marketing executives Daniel Blake and Alissa Heinerscheid took "leaves of absence." An anonymous spokesperson from Bud Light confirmed the same to The Daily Caller.

While Daniel Blake was the Group Vice President for Marketing, Alissa Heinerscheid was the Marketing Vice President. The duo were top recruits from Missouri-based Anheuser-Busch, a limited liability company specializing in brewing and beverage packaging.

Anheuser-Busch shared a statement with the Daily Caller and mentioned:

"Given the circumstances, Alissa has decided to take a leave of absence which we support. In the interest of our employees’ safety and privacy, we’re not providing any additional information. Daniel is taking a leave of absence."

As soon as the news made headlines, speculations arose surrounding the reason behind the duo's sudden departure. Netizens believe it may have something to do with their involvement in the Dylan Mulvaney (a trans influencer who was featured in a Bud Light ad) debacle that took place in April 2023 and negatively impacted the sales of the beer brand.

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Bud Light's decision was prompted by wholesalers

Both Daniel Blake and Alissa Heinerscheid have been on leave for quite some time. However, a recent report by The Daily Caller confirmed that the Bud Light marketing executives had parted ways with the company and were "gone gone."

Sources told the publication that Bud Light has carefully used the term "leave of absence" instead of "fired" to steer clear of potential legal disputes. However, the fact is that the duo are no longer associated with the company.

"To my understanding if we publicly announced the word 'fire' it opens up the potential for them to sue us. That's why we said leave of absence," the source said, as per the publication.

The leaders and board members of the company had several sit-ins with wholesalers that prompted them to expel both Blake and Heinerscheid. This was because the wholesalers had been showing discontent with the said marketing executives for a few months, especially after the Dylan Mulvaney controversy.

"Wholesalers were told they are both gone for good by leadership during in person conversations. They already shifted all their direct reports to new people and the head of marketing," the source continued.

Initially, Daniel Blake was in the clear and his opinions were highly regarded, however, he got caught in the crossfire. He was directly involved in hiring Heinerscheid in June 2022, to freshen up the company's image. When Alissa joined, she strategized to shed the brand's "fratty" reputation and replace it with inclusivity to attract customers from the young generation.

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About the Dylan Mulvaney controversy

Earlier this year, the reputed beer brand faced backlash and its products were boycotted. This came after the trans activist and TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoted a personalized beer can featuring her face as part of the company's March Madness commercial. The influencer shared a clip in which she was seen drinking Bud Light beer, which the company sent her to celebrate "365 Days of Girlhood."

Anheuser-Busch later claimed that "no one at a senior level was aware this was happening."

Several individuals suggested that this marketing strategy was influenced by Alissa Heinerscheid, who wanted to improve the brand's "out-of-touch" image, as per the New York Post. Alongside the company, she too got slammed online by several conservative netizens, who were not on board with the campaign.

Soon after, Heinerscheid and Daniel Blake were placed on administrative leave. After the top marketing executives decided to take "leaves of absence," Anheuser-Busch reportedly sent a statement to the Daily Caller and said that they would not be providing additional information about the situation in the interest of the "employees' safety and privacy."

While Alissa only joined the company last year, Blake had nine years of experience at Bud Light. Earlier, he had worked as the Group Vice President of marketing for Bud Light's competitor Budweiser.