Ben & Jerry’s and why it’s hard for activist brands to stay true to themselves after corporate buyouts

By Bob Doherty, Dean and Professor of Marketing at School for Business and Society, University of York
Karolos A Papadas, Associate Professor of Marketing, University of York
Nadine Waehning, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of York
Victoria Wells, Professor of Sustainable Management, University of York

Since its founding in 1978, Ben & Jerry’s has been known for its advocacy on a wide range of social causes, including homelessness, fair trade and GMO-free products. In 1988, it was certified as one of the world’s first benefit-corporations or B Corps, meaning it was seen as being one of the most sustainable, socially conscious and transparent companies in the world.

When it was sold to Unilever in 2000, the news sent “shudders and shivers through the socially responsible business community”.…

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