In April 2000, Unilever N.V., a multinational consumer products firm, bought Ben & Jerry's, adding to its portfolio of other famous North American ice cream brands, such as Breyers All Natural, Good-Humor, Klondike, and Popsicle. As a condition of the buyout, Unilever must continue to donate 7.5 percent of all pretax profits to the Ben & Jerry's Foundation to fund organizations that engage in socially responsive activities, a critical aspect of Ben & Jerry's mission. In early 2004, Unilever revised its mission in response to its Path to Growth strategy that was launched in February 2000. Go to Ben & Jerry's website (www.benjerry.com) and Unilever's website (www.unilever.com) to compare the mission statements of each firm.
How are the mission statements of these organizations similar? How are they different?
Which mission statement do you believe will lead to "sustainable, profitable growth for our businesses and long-term value creation for our shareholders and employees" (from the "Introducing Unilever" promotional brochure)?
