Brewing crises: Bud Light's stakeholders’ loyalty and crisis communication fizzle

Organisations must clearly understand their stakeholders’ social identities and expectations when making operational and marketing decisions. Failure to do so can lead to a significant backlash that needs to be addressed with textbook crisis communication. This study examines Anheuser-Busch's response to the 2023 Bud Light crisis using the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and analyses stakeholder outrage factors through Instagram posts. This research identifies key outrage factors – primarily trust (52.63%) and control (44.74%) – and the prevalence of humour, particularly sarcasm, in 70% of reactions. Findings indicate that Anheuser-Busch's response lacked core crisis communication principles, focusing on patriotism and product quality (Bolstering) rather than direct crisis acknowledgment or apology (Rebuild). This study highlights the necessity for corporations to align crisis communication with stakeholder expectations and social identities to mitigate reputational damage.