Ben & Jerrys: What Happens When Brands Take A Stand?

There was a time when companies avoided politics at all costs. Rather than focusing on a particular cause or political candidate, CEOs concentrated their efforts on sales and growing their business. When companies contributed to political campaigns, they contributed equally to both parties.

Well, times have changed.

Today, it’s fashionable for corporations to take a stance on social justice issues. Rather than fearing an impact on the bottom line, it’s seen as a way to grow the business and enhance customer loyalty. Among young people, it’s an expectation that brands take a stand.

This paradigm shift is not something that happened overnight. It can be traced back forty years to two men, a dream, and a few pints of ice cream.

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You can’t blend in when you’re born to stand out.

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I’ve got ice cream in my veins

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield were childhood friends born four days apart in Brooklyn, New York. After high school, Ben drove an ice cream truck, while Jerry attended Oberlin College, working as an ice cream scooper in the school’s cafeteria. You could say that ice cream has always run in their veins.

Upon graduation, Jerry went to work in a lab, while Ben moved to a farm and dabbled in ice cream making. After moving to North Carolina for a few years, Jerry reunited with Ben in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and they decided to go into the food business together.

At first, the pair thought about making bagels, but the equipment was expensive. They settled on ice cream and chose Burlington, Vermont, a college town with no ice cream parlor. They took a $5 course on ice-cream making and in 1978 opened the first scoop shop in a converted Burlington gas station.

The rest was history.

Ben had very little sense of taste, so he packed the flavors with chunks, swirls, and textures. As the news of Ben & Jerry's spread, more people wanted a lick, so they franchised a scoop shop in Shelburne, Vermont in 1981.

Today, Ben & Jerry’s operates 577 shops in 38 countries, producing 400+ pints per minute, up to 1 million pints per day.

If it’s not fun, why do it?

Jerry Greenfeld

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You can’t blend in when you’re born to stand out

The original scoop shop was a community favorite thanks to its rich ice cream and creative flavors. Ben and Jerry made it a point to connect with the community, hosting free film festivals, giving away free scoops on each anniversary, and taking activism to a new level with inventive pints.

• Economic Crunch (1987): This discontinued flavor commemorated the 1987 stock market crash. Shortly after the crash, a Ben & Jerry’s truck pulled up on Wall Street to hand out free scoops to anyone on the street.
• Rainforest Crunch (1988): Designed to “save the forests,” Rainforest Crunch aimed to help indigenous people in Brazil by establishing a nut shelling cooperative.
• One Sweet Whirled (2002): Launched in collaboration with the Dave Matthews Band to bring attention to global warming, part of the proceeds went to Save Our Environment.

Most people can recite their favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavor by heart. While my favorite is Peanut Butter Cup, it’s followed closely by Phish Food and Half Baked. This week, I canvassed Twitter to find out others’ favorite flavors. Cherry Garcia and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough scored high. What would you say is your favorite flavor?

The shift towards conscious capitalism

Fun flavors aside, Ben & Jerry’s pioneered a social mission alongside its product and economic missions in 1988. The social mission called on employees to “operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve our quality of life.”

Central to their purpose is a belief that all three parts of its mission must thrive equally in a manner that commands deep respect from individuals inside and outside the company. To fulfill this mission, they launched the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation with an initial gift of 50,000 shares and a commitment of 7.5% of the company’s annual pretax profits to philanthropy.

The Ben & Jerry's Foundation furthers social justice, protects the environment, and supports sustainable food systems. Ben & Jerry’s believes that people most affected by a problem are in the best position to determine the solutions to that problem. That’s why they support grassroots, constituent-led organizing to create social change.

Photo by Lewis Parsons on Unsplash

Actions speak louder than words

Most of the time, ice cream is all about joy. Ben & Jerry’s, though, shows that ice cream can be a simple mechanism for an even greater force for change, pushing society forward through important social issues.

Social equity

Ben & Jerry’s partnered with Colors of Change, The Advancement Project, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on a campaign titled Justice ReMix’d. The campaign highlighted the need to reform the criminal justice system in order to break the cycle of mass incarceration that disproportionately targets people of color.

Climate and Sustainability

Ben & Jerry’s will reduce its use of plastic. In 2019, Ben & Jerry’s eliminated 80,000 lbs of plastic straws and spoons. They also looked at their packaging, reducing plastic there by 165,000 lbs. Ben & Jerry’s will start designing packaging that is reusable, biodegradable, or repulpable.

Refugees

Ben & Jerry’s teamed up with The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network (TERN) to see how they could help people who arrived as refugees get back to business. Together, they started the Ice Academy to help people develop business ideas, providing entrepreneurship training, mentoring, and part-time employment. To date, the Ice Academy has supported 175 entrepreneurs in France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

When brands like Nike say “just do it”

Ben & Jerry’s was a pioneer in creating a model of business that made purpose and profits coequal. “Business has the responsibility to give back to its community,” Ben Cohen says. From the beginning, Ben & Jerry’s used its three-part mission to develop a competitive advantage. But what happens when other brands try it?

In 2018, Nike unveiled an ad campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The news trended on social media and made headlines across the world. Kaepernick had been loudly criticized by conservatives since 2016 when he began kneeling during the national anthem before NFL games to highlight anti-black police violence.

The idea that a major sports brand would feature Kaepernick in an ad seemed implausible. And reactions were swift. While Kaepernick’s fans expressed delight, detractors took to social media to upload images of burning Nike shoes. Nike’s shares tumbled the day after the ad’s debut. However, in the weeks that followed, Nike’s stock rebounded, then surged.

Ten days after the ad initially aired, a Quinnipiac University poll indicated that U.S. voters approved Nike’s decision, 49 percent to 37 percent. Interestingly, the poll highlighted a distinct age gap, with those 18 to 34 years old approving of Nike’s decision by a 67-21 margin, while voters 65 years and older disapproved of the decision, 46 to 39 percent.

For Nike, the campaign worked because Nike understood its fan base. Fans that agreed with Nike’s decision loved it, while those that disagreed with Nike got over it quickly. Nike took a massive risk, but there’s an important lesson here.

In general, it’s good business to do the right thing.

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What happens when brands get political?

In the lead-up to the 2020 election, consumer brands in nearly every industry encouraged customers to exercise their right to vote. Chipotle debuted “CHI-VOTE-LE” T-shirts. Live Nation converted venues to voting stations. And social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram directed users to voter registration websites.

In September, a Morning Consult survey found that companies gain more than they lose from voter registration efforts. The survey, which was conducted from September 25-27, canvassed 2,200 U.S. adults. While 49 percent of Americans said that branded efforts tied to voting did not impact their purchasing decisions, many said they’d view companies that promote voter registration in a more positive light.

In particular, brands with more progressive audiences see greater boosts in their favorability ratings tied to voter engagement initiatives. Whereas typical partisan voter engagement initiatives target voters who are already politically active, brands have the opportunity to reach those who are less likely to receive information about voting from political groups.

As politically driven corporate action becomes more common, staying silent can attract negative attention. By appearing less civically engaged, brands could appear uninformed, or even untrustworthy, when compared side-by-side to those working to get out the vote.

Should your brand take a stand?

Evidence supports that when brands take a stance it can help the bottom line. But activism doesn’t work the same way for every brand. Ben & Jerry’s have always held progressive social views. And Nike’s $3.5 billion marketing budget enables them to take risks. Your brand is different, which is why it is important to ask yourself three questions before taking a stance.

What is your brand narrative?

If you’re forming a point of view on social issues, start with your brand narrative. What does your brand stand for? Weave your brand’s identity into everything you do. Patagonia, an outdoor apparel company, dedicates significant resources to support environmental causes. Through its 1% for the Planet pledge and Patagonia Action Works, their efforts have raised $270+ million to help grassroots movements.

Can you speak genuinely on behalf of the cause?

Choose issues that align closely with your narrative. Customers perceive brands as credible when they take a stance on issues that align with an organization’s mission and corporate character. Veer too far outside of your “comfort zone” and efforts could do more harm than good.

Is the issue significant to your primary audience?

Don’t support a cause because it’s trending in the media. Instead, select issues that align with your brand and your customers. Is your audience comprised of like-minded consumers who will applaud your authentic approach to activism? If you’re starting a new brand or repositioning an existing one, this could be a great time to double-down on a primary audience that resonates with your values.

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Is it time to wake up?

If you’re building a brand from scratch, get clear on your values. Who are you as a company and what do you stand for? Does your audience care about social issues, or will your stance fall on deaf ears? In my opinion, the brands that survive the next twenty-five years will be those that understand the next generation of consumers.