No chunks, no glory
In 1978, ben cohen and jerry greenfield started their ice cream adventure in a converted gas station in burlington, vermont. Without any experience in the food industry, they simply followed their hearts. Or as jerry once said: “don't just dream. Do." they started small, but they quickly managed to get noticed. The great thing is that their special ice cream was more or less born out of necessity. Ben had anosmia, a condition that impairs taste and smell. This forced him to focus on the texture of the ice cream. That is precisely what made ben & jerry's so special. It contained chunks of cookies, chocolate and nuts. And… it was new!
The first 10 years
The first ten years of ben & jerry's were anything but smooth. Although their approach was creative, it was not always effective. Like many startups, ben and jerry faced financial uncertainties and growing pains. They struggled with low profit margins and a lack of scalability. They hardly had any money to invest in expansion or marketing. Their creation of chunks was truly spectacular. On the other hand, those large pieces also caused production problems. It took time and money to develop machines that could divide these chunks into even portions. They had to invest in better equipment and work closely with suppliers to optimize their production process without losing the quality of their ice cream. Moreover, they also had to enter into fierce competition with häagen-dazs, at the time the largest ice cream company on the market when it came to premium ice cream. Häagen-dazs tried to block the distribution of ben & jerry's through parent company pillsbury. That was a huge threat to the duo, but instead of backing down, ben and jerry dug into their creativity and found a solution. Thus was born the 'what's the doughboy afraid of?' campaign. With this campaign, ben & jerry's took direct aim at pillsbury's mascot, the famous doughboy, by asking why this powerful company was so afraid of their small, emerging brand. They encouraged customers to call pillsbury and ask the same question. The campaign turned out to be a brilliant move. It not only made ben & jerry's likable in the eyes of the public, but they also saw them as the underdog, like david fighting goliath. Of course the media picked this up. Consumers overwhelmingly supported ben & jerry's and pillsbury eventually had to withdraw. The campaign gave ben & jerry's greater brand awareness and laid the foundation for their reputation as a brand that dares to fight against superpowers without giving up their values. The success of this campaign gave the company the boost they needed to break into the national market and strengthen their position.
Striking mission statement
What set ben & jerry's apart from other companies from the start was their social responsibility. While most companies focused purely on profit, ben and jerry had a broader mission. They not only wanted to make delicious ice cream, but also to improve the world. In 1988 they introduced their famous 3-part mission statement. A triple mission with a focus on product, economic and social responsibility. This statement stated that their company was not only focused on making the best ice cream (product mission), but also on generating sustainable financial growth (economic mission) and actively contributing to justice and well-being in society (social mission). ). Ben cohen: “business has a responsibility to give back to the community”. Companies can put their values first and also make a profit. Ben & jerry strove for a balance between profit and social impact (caring capitalism).
Takeover by unilever
Despite their success, ben & jerry's struggled to scale and compete effectively with larger players in the market. The company faced a dilemma: they wanted to continue their growth, but lacked the resources to improve their infrastructure and keep up with global demand for their products. At the same time, they were faced with rising costs for, for example, sustainable ingredients and maintaining their social mission. They decided to be taken over by unilever in 2000. The condition was that their mission and corporate structure remained unchanged. The focus on social justice and environmental awareness had to be maintained. This was an unusual acquisition condition, but unilever agreed and strengthened their commitment to sustainability, among other things. They supported campaigns such as 'save our swirled' (2015) and 'justice remix'd (2019). The collaboration between unilever and ben & jerry's is a good example of how commercial growth and social involvement can go hand in hand.
Special campaigns
Their open support of the lgbtq+ community and their continued fight against climate change stand out. Ben & jerry's came up with special promotions and campaigns. For example, when gay marriage was legalized in vermont in 2009. To celebrate, they took to the streets with a new flavor: 'hubby hubby'. It was of course much more than a symbolic action. They showed that ben & jerry's embraced and stood up for controversial and important issues. They also take numerous steps to reduce their own ecological footprint. Consider implementing sustainable packaging and reducing emissions in their production chain.
But their greatest strength lies in creating awareness among their customers. In 2015 they launched the 'save our swirled' campaign. A specially developed flavor as part of their fight for drastic measures against climate change. The campaign calling for global climate laws showed how ben & jerry's used their platform to drive important social change.
'justice remix'd' is one of ben & jerry's most powerful campaigns, launched in 2019. The campaign focused on changes in criminal law, with attention to racism in the american legal system. Ben & jerry's partnered with the organization color of change to raise awareness about the problem of mass incarceration, especially of black and brown communities. They wanted to make changes that promote fairness and equality. To support this message, they introduced a new ice cream called justice remix'd. The proceeds were used to support reforms. Once again, ben & jerry's used their platform to start a conversation and raise awareness of the problems within criminal justice.the 'make some motherchunking change!' campaign, launched in june 2024, is designed to inspire people to commit to positive change in their communities. The campaign contains various media, including long and short videos, outdoor advertising and social media posts. Murals have also been painted in cities such as new york and los angeles. The campaign is not only about awareness, but also about actual action.
You don't just buy a cup of ice cream, you join a movement.
Values as a compass for success
Ben & jerry's distinguishes itself in the crowded ice cream market through a deep, emotional connection with their customers. You don't just buy a cup of ice cream, you join a movement, that's what ben & jerry's stands for. It makes ben & jerry's a famous ice cream brand and at the same time a symbol for activism and positive change. The story of ben & jerry's shows how you can become and remain successful through values and authenticity. Today, customers are making increasingly conscious choices and social responsibility (if sincere) can be an important pillar of your business strategy. People want to connect with brands that do more than just make a profit.
Ben & jerry's has now grown into a billion-dollar company, with an annual turnover of more than a billion euros for unilever. Although founders ben cohen and jerry greenfield are no longer involved in day-to-day operations, they are still committed to social and political issues, such as criminal justice reform and climate activism. Their vision and legacy continue to play an essential role in maintaining ben & jerry's unique identity and values.
Sources: Ben & Jerry’s, Business Insider, MT/Sprout, The New York Egotist
