In April 2000, Unilever PLC, a multi-billion dollar, multinational consumer products conglomerate (Wisk, Vaseline, Lipton, etc.) based in Europe, “scooped up” Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. for $326 million. Unilever added Ben & Jerry’s to its portfolio of other famous ice cream brands, such as Breyers All Natural, Good-Humor, Klondike, and Popsicle, to increase its share of the ice cream market in North America. Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield will remain with Ben & Jerry’s to promote its brand of socially conscious capitalism as specified in its mission statement, even though some customers and other stakeholders thought the pair had sold out. Moreover, as a condition of the buyout, Unilever must continue to donate 7.5 percent of all pre-tax profits to the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation and other organizations that engage in socially responsible activities.

Go to the Ben & Jerry’s Website http://www.benjerry.com/ mission.html and Unilever’s Website http://www.unilever.com/company/ourpurpose/ to compare the mission statements that each firm has adopted.

1		How are the mission statements similar? How are they different?
2		Which mission statement do you believe will lead to “sustainable, profitable growth for the brand or businesses and the long-term creation of value for shareholders and employees” (from the Introducing Unilever promotional brochure)?
3		Do you think that Unilever will continue to allow Ben & Jerry’s to pursue the “social” aspect of its three-pronged mission, particularly during periods of economic difficulty when corporations typically reduce costs in an attempt to remain profitable?
4		Also, since Ben & Jerry’s cartoon ads no longer feature the images of its co-founders, do you think the brand will continue to retain its socially minded, counterculture image?
5		How could a multinational firm like Unilever apply Ben & Jerry’s business mission to its other brands or businesses?