How Sticking to Its Values Helped Ben & Jerry’s Grow

It can be challenging for entrepreneurs to figure out when to speak out for causes they back and when to stick to business. But ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s has found the recipe for success in its ardent adherence to its values. 

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield explain their brand’s continued commitment to social justice and how their outspoken nature has impacted the company’s future.

Social activism has been a hallmark of Ben & Jerry’s since its founding in 1978. The company has released statements about racial inequality, environmental issues, LGBTQ+ rights, and, most recently, the Israel-Palestine conflict. However, the South Burlington, Vermont-based brand’s strong political convictions have caused persistent tensions with its parent company, Unilever. 

In March 2023, Ben & Jerry’s London-based parent company, Unilever, said it would spin off its ice cream unit into its own entity or sell it. According to Reuters, Unilever expects to be fully detached from the unit by the end of 2025. 

Cohen believes his brand’s political stances are part of the reason for Unilever’s divestment of the company, telling the Journal that “Ben & Jerry’s creates a lot of problems” for its parent company–but that the upset is worth it. 

The founders shared data with the Journal showing that Ben & Jerry’s had higher growth rates than Unilever’s other ice cream brands in three of the past five years. While a brand’s strong positions might alienate some, it can also foster bonds with current and prospective consumers. As Chris Miller, the activism manager at Ben & Jerry’s, previously told Inc., “The strongest bonds you can build with your customers are over shared values.”

Before Unilever’s acquisition of Ben & Jerry’s for $326 million in 2000, Cohen and Greenfield wanted to stay independent but couldn’t stop the sale because the company was public. Unilever allowed Ben & Jerry’s to keep an independent board to direct the company’s social mission, but Cohen told the Journal that “the social mission rose or fell based on who the CEO was.” With the company’s future still up in the air, the founders expressed uncertainty about the board’s capabilities under a new owner. 

Though neither directly manages Ben & Jerry’s, Cohen and Greenfield, both 73 years old, remain involved and still advocate for the initiatives the company supports; in 2023, the co-founders attended a Boston rally against qualified immunity for police officers, which is one of the issues the Ben & Jerry’s blog sheds light on. “To have a values-aligned owner of Ben & Jerry’s would be a beautiful thing,” Cohen told the Journal.