Ben & Jerry’s Founders Urge Unilever to Sell Ice Cream Brand
The founders of Ben & Jerry’s are pushing parent company Unilever to allow the popular brand to once again operate independently and exclude it from the CPG giant’s upcoming spinoff of its ice cream business in November. In an open letter to The Magnum Ice Cream Company, the ice cream operation Unilever is divesting, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield wrote they agreed to sell their Vermont-based ice cream brand in 2000 with the understanding that the Cherry Garcia maker would have the freedom to pursue its progressive social mission. However, the founders claim that Unilever has broken that promise and has “silenced” the brand, particularly when it speaks out on social justice and war.
“We no longer believe Ben & Jerry’s can thrive as part of a conglomerate that fails to support its founding mission, and which is reducing the company’s value by undercutting one of the critical reasons why customers love and support the brand,” the cofounders wrote. They urge the board to allow Ben & Jerry’s to operate once again as an independently owned company, supported by socially-aligned investors and free to honor its mission without compromise.
The ongoing battle between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s has escalated over the years, with Ben & Jerry’s claiming Unilever demanded it stop publicly criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump and tried to block it from making public statements advocating for a ceasefire in Gaza. The founders emphasized that the current situation is not in line with the values and mission they envisioned when they agreed to join Unilever 25 years ago.
Ben & Jerry’s recent criticism of Unilever includes allegations of unfair treatment in the firing of the ice cream brand’s CEO. Ben & Jerry’s claimed the CEO was let go due to his support of the brand’s social mission rather than his job performance. Unilever denied the allegations and stated that it acted properly in the situation.
In response to the founders’ letter, a Magnum Ice Cream spokesperson reaffirmed that Ben and Jerry’s is a proud part of the company and will remain within the portfolio, which also includes Klondike, Breyers, and Talenti. The spokesperson expressed commitment to Ben & Jerry’s unique three-part mission and looks forward to building on its success as an iconic, much-loved business.
Ben & Jerry’s was the leading ice cream brand in the U.S. in 2023, with $951 million in sales. Mintel estimated the U.S. ice cream market to be valued at more than $19 billion. Following the split, Magnum Ice Cream forecasts annual organic sales growth of 3% to 5% and plans to launch a cost-cutting initiative to boost profitability, with the largest savings coming from a transformation of its supply chain. Magnum Ice Cream, which generated $9.3 billion in revenue last year, is set to become the largest ice cream company in the world.
