After 20 Years, Bud Light Is No Longer America's Top-Selling Beer

While Bud Light might have once encouraged people to "raise one to right now," it seems that fewer beer drinkers are grabbing that can from the cooler. According to Nielsen's May beer sales, Bud Light lost the top sales spot to Modelo (via The Wall Street Journal). Compared to 2022 monthly data, Bud Light sales were down 24%. The reduced sales are believed to be consumers' response to the brand's marketing campaign with influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The leaderboard change represents one month, but some analysts are speculating that it will be hard for the Anheuser Busch brand to regain its top status.

Although it's dethroning as America's top-selling beer for May was surprising, Bud Light is looking to focus on the positive. In a comment to FOX Business, an Anheuser Busch spokesperson stated that "For the year, Bud Light remains the No.1 brand in the US nationally in volume and dollar sales." Going into the summer months, it appears that Bud Light is hoping to rebound from the disappointing May data. Some analysts are not optimistic that it can regain its top billing.

As Bud Light's sales decline, Modelo's numbers are rising. The Constellation beer brand has been growing its market share over the past several years. As reported by USA Today, Constellation spokesperson Maggie Bowman stated that Modelo's sales volume has more than doubled since 2017. Through efforts to reach new consumers, the brand believes that its "Fighting Spirit" is finding a wider audience.

When Nielsen data showed that Bud Light's declining sales caused it to lose its top-selling beer status, the headline might be more than just the swift impact of a consumer boycott. While pundits on either side of the Dylan Mulvaney campaign will have their spin, there is a difference between lost sales and increased market share. Consumers might have left Bud Light on the shelf, but they were choosing to open Modelo.

As reported by ABC News, Scott Scanlon, an executive vice president at the consulting firm Circana, stated that it was only a matter of time before Modelo would secure its spot as the No.1 beer brand. From its targeted marketing campaigns to its flavor appeal to younger drinkers, Modelo experienced growth in the retail sector. Even if the sales numbers are different regionally, the increase has been expanding year after year. Although the fall of Bud Light might be a more alluring headline, the rise of Modelo could be more substantial conversation.

Whether it was Modelo's role as the official beer of the College Football Playoffs or its culturally-targeted media campaigns, the brand has found an audience through strategic marketing. It might not be the "taste great versus less filling" divide from years ago, but the company is appealing to a type of consumer. Based on sales data, it seems that Modelo has won this round in the beer wars.