Mirror Review
September 18, 2025
In the crowded world of ice cream, where flavor innovations are fast and trend cycles short, few brands have managed to stay both beloved and relevant for nearly half a century.
Yet Ben & Jerry’s has done it.
The brand isn’t just an ice cream maker. It’s become a cultural icon, a values platform, and, recently, the subject of a high-stakes governance struggle with its parent company.
Here are 5 key decisions that define the Ben & Jerry’s business model and its category leadership, and what lessons those choices hold, especially now.
1. A Triple Mission That Redefined Success
From day one, Ben & Jerry’s tied its brand to more than dessert.
Its three-part mission of product quality, social impact, and economic fairness later evolved into the idea of “linked prosperity.”
- Example: Beyond ice cream, the company backed LGBTQ+ rights campaigns, launched a Caring Dairy program to support sustainable farming, and took early public stances on climate change.
- Why it matters: Customers don’t just buy ice cream; they buy into a cause. This built loyalty, premium pricing power, and credibility.
2. Turning Flavors Into Cultural Stories
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream became famous for bold flavors, quirky names, and collaborations. Each launch told a story about people, issues, or places, making every pint a conversation starter.
- Example: Cherry Garcia paid tribute to the Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia. Schweddy Balls poked fun at an SNL skit. Americone Dream with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Dough with Jimmy Fallon tied flavors to celebrities and charity.
- Why it matters: Originality cut through a sea of vanilla and chocolate. It sparked free media coverage and gave fans something to share.
3. Protecting Mission Through Governance and Scale
When Unilever bought Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, the founders negotiated safeguards: an independent Social Mission Board and legal protections. At the same time, the deal gave them scale, global distribution, and resources.
- Example: Under Unilever, Ben & Jerry’s expanded to more than 30 countries and scaled Fairtrade commitments globally. The Social Mission Board ensured flavors like Save Our Swirled (climate action) still launched even under a corporate parent.
- Why it matters: Many small brands lose their soul after acquisition. Ben & Jerry’s showed it’s possible to grow globally without losing identity if legal and governance firewalls are built in.
4. Ethical Sourcing and Advocacy as Brand Fuel
Ben & Jerry’s invested early in Fairtrade ingredients and farmer partnerships, while also speaking out on climate change, racial justice, and human rights. Both sourcing and advocacy became core to its brand, not add-ons.
- Example: All sugar, cocoa, vanilla, coffee, and bananas are Fairtrade-certified. Partnerships include cocoa cooperatives in Ivory Coast and vanilla farmers in Uganda, supported with premiums for schools, solar lighting, and living income projects.
- Why it matters: Consumers today demand responsible sourcing and authenticity. By pairing strong flavors with strong values, the brand built trust and attention.
5. Marketing With Purpose and Preparing for Backlash
Instead of relying on discounts, Ben & Jerry’s built campaigns around farmers, causes, and its founders’ story. At the same time, it prepared for pushback by making its mission public, reporting progress, and keeping transparency tools in place.
- Example: Campaigns like Justice ReMix’d (criminal justice reform), Save Our Swirled (climate change), and Fight for the Reef (protecting the Great Barrier Reef) tied activism directly to flavors and scoops. Even controversial names like Fossil Fuel and protests like the “World’s Largest Baked Alaska” against drilling in Alaska kept values front and center.
- Why it matters: Storytelling creates emotional connection. And by planning for criticism, the brand preserved credibility when tensions with owners or critics arose.
Ben & Jerry’s Current Turning Point
These 5 choices gave traction to Ben & Jerry’s business model, but today Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield face their toughest test.
- Co-founder Jerry Greenfield Quits
Co-founder Jerry Greenfield recently resigned, calling it “one of the hardest and most painful decisions” of his life. He said he could no longer “in good conscience” work for a business “silenced” by Unilever.
- Founders Divided but Concerned
Ben Cohen echoed Greenfield’s frustration, accusing Unilever of “usurping the power of the independent board” designed to protect the social mission. He admitted the conflict was “breaking Jerry’s heart,” even as he chose to stay and keep fighting internally.
- Leadership Shake-ups and Legal Battles
Earlier this year, Ben & Jerry’s CEO David Stever was ousted. The company also filed a legal case accusing Unilever of violating the 2000 merger agreement by trying to muzzle its activism.
- Unilever and Magnum Push Back
Unilever, and now its ice cream spinoff Magnum, reject the violation claims. A spokesperson insisted they are working to “strengthen Ben & Jerry’s values-based position,” but tensions remain over issues like Israel, Gaza, and even U.S. politics.
- High Stakes for Authenticity
The risk is clear: if consumers believe Ben & Jerry’s has lost its voice, the brand could lose the edge that made it iconic. Its cultural power comes as much from activism as from flavors. Without it, the pints risk becoming just another carton in the freezer aisle.
Lessons for Other Mission-Driven Brands
- Build values into your structure early: Governance and contracts matter when growth pressures arrive.
- Make sourcing and storytelling part of the product: Customers trust what feels authentic, not bolted on.
- Balance scale with credibility: Expansion is useless if it costs your voice.
- Plan for ownership changes: Acquisitions can help you grow, but only if your mission has real legal protection.
Conclusion
Ben & Jerry’s became a category leader not just by making good ice cream, but by deciding differently at multiple junctions: choosing mission, voice, transparency, and structure over easier paths.
Those decisions are merged into a brand people love and one that matters beyond the scoops.
Now, with founders divided over how much voice remains, those earlier choices face their greatest challenge yet.
What happens next will not only redefine Ben & Jerry’s future but set an example for every purpose-led brand operating inside a corporate giant.
