A "shrinking" economy is no time for shirking values... just ask the hippies

Ben & Jerry's is one of my favorite companies to cover in marketing presentations. Because Ben & Jerry’s isn’t just an ice-cream brand of eccentric flavors, it’s a rich story of a counterculture duo who turned the industry on its head with a story that gave us all a social conscience.

When you think Ben & Jerry's, you don't think of corporate suits in ivory towers. Nowhere near.

You think happy hippies that, in their plight to change the world, changed the ice-cream game--and did so according to their rules, their values and, yes, their signature concoctions. Cherry Garcia. Chunky Monkey. Rainforest Crunch. Bohemian Raspberry. The wonderfully wacky flavors go on and on.

Due to their great product and causes, they've always been in the news cycle because they're so different and far more interesting than those plain ol' vanilla corporate types. But this "shrinking" economy has given them a new platform for them to shine on their old values. Due to Haagen-Daaz's recent shrinkage, Ben & Jerry has launched a brilliant campaign. According to their site:

"One of our competitors (think funny sounding European name) recently announced they will be downsizing their pints from 16 to 14 ounces to cover increased ingredient and manufacturing costs and help improve their bottom line. At Ben & Jerry’s we think downsizing pints is downright wrong. We understand that in today’s hard economic times businesses are feeling the pinch. We also understand that many of you are also feeling the same, and think now more than ever you deserve your full pint of ice cream.   

We are even more committed today to lead with our values through the quality of our ingredients and how we source them to make the best ice cream possible. So, while our competitor may be experiencing a bit of shrinkage, rest assured that your Ben & Jerry’s will still be standing tall in the freezer. Ben & Jerry’s is dedicated to making the best ice cream and giving our consumers full value in every spoonful! Enjoy and Thanks, from all of us at Ben & Jerry's!"

Score another for the hippies. Folks, you can certainly learn technique in business school, but values is something you live--and it does impact the brand, and your bottom line.

It's important to note that Unilever has owned Ben & Jerry's since 2000--but has not changed the brand, nor its values (as that would have been catastrophic, and downright dumb).

Disclaimer: I ate a pint--and by a pint I do mean ALL 16 ounces--of Ben & Jerry's "Mint Chocolate Cookie" last week. It did not bias the opinions presented here... but it certainly took my mind off of the economy.

Comments

[Tyler]

Okay, now I want to go have some half-baked!

[Nathan Gilliatt]

This is a smart move by B&J. Hard to be premium if your product shrinks in the face of adversity.

[Ike]

Good for them. And I mean that.

But wasn't this the same pair of entrepreneurs who publicly pledged a cap on how much their next CEO would make, only to rescind it once they found there were no qualified applicants willing to work for under that amount?

If this were about just corporate responsibility, then they'd do it quietly and sleep at night.

Sounds like they are making this a public issue, which makes this more of a marketing statement. "If you are thinking about buying that less-expensive Haaaaaaaaagen-Daaaaaaaz, know that you're getting less ice cream in that cup."

[Bartel Scheers]

I tend to agree with Ike, it has a lot of marketing all over it. Nevertheless the point you're making CK is very valid imo. Sticking to your values (besides having some to begin with) has been proven a great strategy many times in history, especially during down-spiraling times.

But reading your post made me think about this old saying: "to keep the people happy give them bread and games". I guess that has now changed to: "...give them a full pint of B&J's Mint Chocolate Cookie".

BTW: Did I tell you yet that I miss you?