During the controversy, sales have shot up for Bud Light’s biggest competitors, Miller Lite and Coors Light, Williams said. What is more, he is beginning to see what is known as a negative halo effect — other Anheuser-Busch brands are suffering because of the dispute.

“I also think that what’s happening now is that anybody that is a Bud Light drinker and switches to Michelob Ultra because they don’t want to be seen holding a Bud Light, someone down the bar is going to say, ‘Hey, buddy, that’s an Anheuser-Busch product you’re holding,’” Williams said.

The slowdown in sales of Michelob Ultra is of particular concern to Anheuser-Busch because it had been one of the fastest-growing brands on the market, said David Steinman, vice president and executive editor at Beer Marketer’s Insights.

[Williams said that A-B is “floundering,” that their “compass is completely broken,” and that “there’s no game plan.” The shortest way out of this is for the company to apologize for insulting them, Williams says, not just with the Mulvaney beer can but also Alissa Heinerscheid’s derogatory comments about the customer base. No one seems to grasp that point at A-B, at least so far, which is just putting out pointless ads about ‘Murrica and country music. — Ed]