On “Varney & Co.” Friday, former CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder discussed Anheuser-Busch CEO Brandan Whitworth’s tepid message to customers addressing the company’s Bud Light controversy, arguing the CEO needs to either be “more definitive” or “get rid of the brand.”

ANDY PUZDER: Look, the lesson here is it’s twofold. One is, don’t offend your target market. Now, I can’t believe I have to say that, but apparently I do have to say that at this point in the business climate, don’t offend your target market. And if you do offend them, come out quickly, rapidly and definitively and take back whatever you did. You can’t offend the people that create the market for your product and expect to do very well. And these half measures are not going to work. They’re just not going to work. He needs to be more definitive or he needs to, you know, get rid of the brand and come out with another brand that meets his customers’ needs.

[It’s not difficult to figure out. They’re either being willfully obtuse or they’re dumber than a box of rocks. At this point, I’m not sure which it is. — Ed]