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Brand switching or behavior change: The 2023 Bud Light boycott’s impact on alcohol purchases

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  • Janssen, Aljoscha

Abstract

I study how the 2023 Bud Light boycott affected overall alcohol demand using household-level panel data and a set of difference-in-differences designs. Focusing on households that, before April 2023, regularly purchased Bud Light, I find a large drop in Bud Light volume (34%–37%), partial switching into other beer (＋70 to ＋90 ounces per month), and a net decline in total ethanol purchases of about 3–4 fl-oz per month, or roughly 5.5%–7.5% of pre-boycott intake. I detect no compensatory increase in wine or spirits. Scaled nationally, the quantity response is equivalent to roughly 150 million standard drinks per year; using CDC cost-of-illness estimates updated to 2023 dollars implies social savings of about $430 million. A back-of-the-envelope translation suggests an excise-tax equivalent near 0.34% (range 0.23%–0.63%) despite unchanged statutory prices. Identity-driven boycotts can thus reduce harmful consumption via non-price channels, complementing traditional fiscal tools.

Suggested Citation

  • Janssen, Aljoscha, 2026. "Brand switching or behavior change: The 2023 Bud Light boycott’s impact on alcohol purchases," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:260:y:2026:i:c:s0165176526000169
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2026.112822
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    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • L10 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - General
    • M31 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Marketing
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health

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