Preserving the Ben & Jerry's Brand

Paper Summary:

The paper relates that the Ben and Jerry's brand had a philosophical and ethical foundation of a triad of product, economic and social factors. The paper examines Unilever's acquisition of this brand and highlights how Unilever's governance and compliance could not replace the ethics and shareholder trust that was inherent in the Ben and Jerry's organization. The paper explains that Unilever's need to show a profit from the acquisition does not allow the ethical ecosystem to stay intact. The paper recommends that Unilever should look at the most severe areas of weakness and work quickly and thoroughly to turn them into strengths, for otherwise, the value of the original brand acquired will be lost.

Outline:
Executive Summary
Defining Product, Economic and Social Mission at Ben & Jerry's
Lesson for Unilever: You Can Buy a Brand but You Can't Buy Trust
Corporate Social Responsibility Assessment
Conclusion and Recommendations

From the Paper:

"Ben & Jerry's business model from the beginning was one of the most unique in the history of business, in that it successfully integrated Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), commitment to product, economic and social initiatives that successfully balanced both product quality and concern for the environment while attaining profitability. In many respects, Ben & Jerry's egalitarian roots in one of the most liberally-mind states, Vermont, would eventually permeate the company during its rapid growth period and be tested as the growing pains of the company began to become apparent."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Austin , J, & Quinn, J (2007). Ben & Jerry's: Preserving Mission and Brand within Unilever . Harvard Business School Case Study. 9-306-037, 17 pgs.
• Carroll, A. & Buchholtz, A. K. (2003). Business and Society: ethics and stakeholder management. 5th ed. Cleveland. Ohio: Thomson South-Western
• Cohen and Greenfield. (1997), Ben & Jerry's Double Dip, New York, NY: FiresideDavis, K. & Blomstrom, R. (1975). Business and Society: Environment and Responsibility, 3rd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. (pg. 39)
• Kotler (2001). Principles of Marketing (3rd European ed.). Harlow, UK: Prentice Hall.
• Roddick, A. (2000), Business as unusual, London, UK: HarperCollinsPublishers

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