Ben & Jerrys

Ben & Jerrys Mission

Ben & Jerrys operates on a three-part
mission that aims to create linked
prosperity for everyone thats
connected to our business: suppliers,
employees, farmers, franchisees,
customers, and neighbors alike.

http://www.benjerry.com/values

Founders
Ben & Jerrys was started by Ben Cohen and Jerry
Greenfield in 1978
Ben and Jerry met in seventh grade gym class and have
been good friends ever since
Ben Cohen was born on March 18th, 1951 in Brooklyn,
New York
Ben attended Colgate University but failed to graduate,
working odd jobs until Jerry agreed to go into business
Jerry Greenfield was born in Brooklyn on March 14th,
1951
Jerry attended Oberlin College, however failed to get
into medical school, so he decided to join Ben on this
business endeavor
Fun Fact: Ben and Jerry were born within four days of each other at the same hospital
http://www.biography.com/people/ben-cohen-20842061#ben-&-jerrys-ice-cream
http://www.biography.com/people/jerry-greenfield-20967339#commercial-success

Images from Google Images

Getting Started
With only a five dollar course in ice cream
making from Penn State, Ben and Jerry took a
$12,000 investment to open their first shop in
an old gas station in Burlington, Vermont
Their store became an instant success and
began to serve pints out of Bens Volkswagen
Within five years, their success moved to
neighboring states
Fact: Ben and Jerry were originally deciding between a bagel or ice cream business, ice
cream was cheaper, so they ended up in the ice cream business
http://www.benjerry.com/about-us#1timeline

Images from Google Images

Making Competitors
By 1984, Ben & Jerrys was
becoming so popular, it intimidated
and threatened larger ice cream
companies such as Haagen-Dazs
In 1984, the companys sales reached about
$4 million
By 1985, the company sales were greater than
$9 million
http://www.benjerry.com/about-us#1timeline

Images from Google Images

Current Competition
Haagen- Dazs
Owner: Pillsbury
In 1984, Pillsbury tried to limit Ben & Jerrys distribution to
Boston, Massachusetts (also tried in 1987)
Ben and Jerry decided to file a suit against Pillsbury in their
famous, Whats the Doughboy Afraid Of? campaign
Overall, Haagen-Dazs is not unique like Ben & Jerrys
Ice cream flavors are not original or specific to that
company; unlike Ben & Jerrys flavors such as Chunky
Monkey, New York Super Fudge Chunk, Americone Dream,
Chubby hubby, and many more
http://www.haagendazs.us/Learn/Philosophy/

Innovation in an Ice Cream World

Due to Bens anosmia loss of smell and neartaste- the duo created ice cream with chunks,
swirls, and different textures in their ice cream
(unlike any other company had done before)
Scoop Shops may not be in every state, but these
allow consumers in nearby areas to actually go to
a store (the company still manages to produce
their ice cream on a global scale for those
countries with no shops)
Ben & Jerrys also offers Sorbet, Greek Yogurt Ice
Creams, and Fro-Yo ice creams they do this to
offer healthier ice cream options
http://www.benjerry.com/about-us#1timeline

Images from Google Images

Ingredients
All ingredients are non-GMO Ben & Jerrys supports
the right to know whats in the food we eat
Fair Trade Commitment in the process of
converting ingredients to Fair Trade all over the globe
Give fair price to farmers for their harvest and
enable them to reinvest in their land
Ben & Jerrys support farmers and clean, natural
ingredients from all over the world

http://www.benjerry.com/about-us#1timeline

Social Activism
Ben & Jerrys Foundation- uses 7.5% of the companys
annual pre-tax profits to fund community projects
1988- Ben and Jerry are named U.S. Small Business
Persons of the Year by President Reagan
rBGH the company stands against the Recombinant
Bovine Growth Hormone due to concerns about the
economic impact on family farming and confidence of
what we eat
Supports Farm Aid, a non-profit organization whose
mission is to keep farmers on their land
Childrens Defense Fund whose goal is to bring
childrens needs to a national level
http://www.benjerry.com/about-us#1timeline

Images from Google Images

Activism, Cont.
Rock the Vote 2004 gave
demonstration with
out free cones to register
citizens from all over the
over 11,000 young voters
nation
Artic National Wildlife
Occupy Wall Street- issued
Refuge protested the
a direct statement of
drilling with Fossil Fuel
solidarity due to the issues
Ice cream
in 2011 and offered ice
cream for the Occupiers
Truth and Clone When
the FDA declared milk and
meat from cloned animal
was safe to eat, Ben &
Jerrys completed a
http://www.benjerry.com/about-us#1timeline

Political Views
Ben & Jerrys have come into controversy with
their ice cream names however, most of the
issues people have are fixed (their ice cream
names should be taken as a joke and not
seriously)
Socialists ownership and control in production
and distribution - in a Capital Market
Their views have not hindered them- many
citizens like that the company stands up with
them to face certain government issues
http://www.benjerry.com/values

Impact
Ben and Jerry managed to take a $12,000 investment
and convert it into a profitable 325 million when Ben
and Jerry sold the company to Unilever in 2000
The duo started with a $5 class in ice cream making
and took this to create a global company
Their company doesnt just make ice cream they
stand with the population on government and FDA
issues
They created a new type of ice cream and have been
successful in doing so since they opened a shop in a
Burlington in 1978
Their mission to make great ice cream, sustain financial
growth and make the world a better place have all led
this company to enormous success
http://www.benjerry.com/values

Works Cited
Ben Cohen Bio. Accessed December 6, 2014.
http://www.biography.com/people/ben-cohen-20842061.
Ben & Jerrys. Accessed December 6, 2014.
http://www.benjerry.com.
Haagen Dazs. Accessed December 6, 2014.
http://www.haagendazs.us/M.

Jerry Greenfield Bio. Accessed December 6, 2014.

http://www.biography.com/people/jerry-greenfield20967339.