Ben and Jerry’s Double Dip

“How To Run A Values Led Business And Make Money Too” is the basis of this very interesting and thought provoking book.  The story charts the rise of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, from two guys with one ice cream parlour all the way to international expansion and public floatation’s.

Through their journey Ben and Jerry have always integrated their values into the business.  They argue that it doesn’t matter too much what your values are, but that there is considerable added value to be gained by integrating these into every aspect of your business.  The book nicely demonstrates how Ben and Jerry have integrated values into everything from the way they source ingredients and work with suppliers, to the way they develop packaging and promote the business.   Ben and Jerry integrate their values into recruitment , into expansion, often opening “partnership stores” offering people from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to work in a store for example.

Ben and Jerry argue that by doing this they have not only created a business that they feel very proud of, but they have built a brand that has more value, with more depth, substance and meaning to its customers than the competition, a stronger sense of loyalty from its fans, and considerably more exposure in the media at a much lower cost.  The book gives some good examples of how Ben and Jerry have linked new flavours, packaging materials, promotional activities to a particular cause that they care about and perhaps more importantly in some way captures the mood of the moment amongst its customer base.   This approach they argue creates a stronger call to action amongst customers who are prone to not only buy the product, but encourage others to buy as well, and builds a groundswell of interest in the business amongst the media and local communities.

If you are setting up a new business I think it is well worth considering this book.  It is far easier to implement some of the ideas in the book when starting out, as opposed to trying to move into some of these areas at a later date.

The book is very detailed, and therefore sometimes quite difficult to read, but it is packed full of examples, case studies, and insights not just from the Ben and Jerry’s team, but from likeminded businesses and the partners they have worked with over the years.