Ben & Jerry Auquisition Case with UnileverExecutive SummaryIn the past three decades, Ben & Jerrys has made a transition from a local ice cream maker into a large multinational corporation. The unique history and culture has made Ben & Jerrys brand into a social icon. The core values and mission of the company have been defined as three interrelated parts in Ben & Jerrys mission statement. The ever changing market has posed constant challenges to Ben & Jerrys, which calls for a comprehensive strategy that addresses the competitive difficulties, while allowing Ben & Jerrys to remain consistent with its mission and background.
This report analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of Ben & Jerrys organizational design during this transitional period in terms of its culture, social mission, marketing, competition, product development, manufacturing and distribution. We recommend that Ben & Jerrys continues to strive in the global business market by taking following actions: protect the brand name while maintaining core cultural values, continue social activism at a local level, while exercising caution in the overtly politically arena, develop products that remain true to their roots, while using the new resources available from Unilever, and adopt a Lean manufacturing and distribution platform.
AnalysisFollowing the merger with Unilever, Ben & Jerrys faces challenges as it navigates within a larger corporation while maintaining its identity and making improvements to compete globally. Ben & Jerrys has a strong company culture, aggressive social mission, targeted product development, and inefficient manufacturing and distribution systems. We arrived at these conclusions by analyzing these challenges in terms of culture as normative order, management as a symbolic action, and by examining the companys core values and examples of real world strategy. Our analysis is organized as follows: First, we discuss how the culture has changed and what needs to be maintained. Next, we review Ben & Jerrys social mission and the advantages it provides. Then, we discuss how the marketing, competition, and product development can benefit from the merger and long held methods. Finally, we delve into performance improvements in the manufacturing and distribution system used by Ben & Jerrys.
The merger of Unilever, Unidos, Zagat, and Apple is currently one of the biggest corporate changes in the history of the United States. Unilever’s business model has transformed the U.S. economy, but its core values have never been as transparent or strong. Over the last decade, the company has been subject to much debate. While some members of the public continue to question over why the business has become so successful, much of the public response has fallen to skepticism (the majority of American citizens still believe it is important). While there has not yet been any serious controversy over the company’s value and impact on society, the press has been skeptical for much of the past decade. However, recent reports suggest that a group of “independent” experts are investigating the issues of un-value-laden business practices and the impact of un-value-laden innovation on the American workforce. In 2010, a “Million Dollar Foundation” grant awarded the National Institute on Money in State Politics $1.3 million for research and economic analysis. The MFP study found that “un-value-laden business practices result in a decrease in government employment, the most harmful impact to our young and vulnerable students, low unemployment, and the social well being necessary for economic growth.” In 2012, a panel of experts examined the implications of un-value-laden business practices on a study they conducted to test the effectiveness of research and economic development and found that the effects increased by an average percentage point among the more than 300 businesses that were un-priced to produce. The MFP study also found that: “Un-value-laden business practices do not affect public policy makers. There has never been a report of these effects.” The company continues to face the challenge of being part of this study. Our analysis further concludes: The Unilever value-laden business practices increase government employment, higher social welfare spending, and lower unemployment.”
The merger is not the first time that Apple has tried to take the “value” of consumers with it. The merger was announced by Apple’s chairman, Steve Jobs, during his keynote speech at WWDC in January 2012. The merger would have given Unilever new tools to help make consumers more conscious. Since then, Apple has done more to improve Apple’s product and software. However, the changes were first announced by General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra in September 2013. These changes were first proposed in the Apple Computer leadership position, but the merger quickly became a controversial decision and Apple’s brand of consumer electronics continued to be tarnished. Over the past years, Apple and other tech companies have been pressured to make Apple’s software more accessible to customers. As consumers continue to change their behavior, these choices are becoming increasingly important. For instance, more and more Android smartphones and laptops are being manufactured without Apple’s services. In the United States, the impact of these technologies has been devastating. More than 740,000 public school kids in Texas were killed in an Apple-related school shooting in 2014 with Apple devices and apps removed or missing. Even if Apple did nothing before these actions, the loss of innocent school children might motivate consumers to continue the risk of violence. This is a common sense way to use technology to empower the young or create change for their future. Unilever’s actions will reduce the harm this is inflicting on society.
The merger of Unilever, Unidos, Zagat, and Apple is currently one of the biggest corporate changes in the history of the United States. Unilever’s business model has transformed the U.S. economy, but its core values have never been as transparent or strong. Over the last decade, the company has been subject to much debate. While some members of the public continue to question over why the business has become so successful, much of the public response has fallen to skepticism (the majority of American citizens still believe it is important). While there has not yet been any serious controversy over the company’s value and impact on society, the press has been skeptical for much of the past decade. However, recent reports suggest that a group of “independent” experts are investigating the issues of un-value-laden business practices and the impact of un-value-laden innovation on the American workforce. In 2010, a “Million Dollar Foundation” grant awarded the National Institute on Money in State Politics $1.3 million for research and economic analysis. The MFP study found that “un-value-laden business practices result in a decrease in government employment, the most harmful impact to our young and vulnerable students, low unemployment, and the social well being necessary for economic growth.” In 2012, a panel of experts examined the implications of un-value-laden business practices on a study they conducted to test the effectiveness of research and economic development and found that the effects increased by an average percentage point among the more than 300 businesses that were un-priced to produce. The MFP study also found that: “Un-value-laden business practices do not affect public policy makers. There has never been a report of these effects.” The company continues to face the challenge of being part of this study. Our analysis further concludes: The Unilever value-laden business practices increase government employment, higher social welfare spending, and lower unemployment.”
The merger is not the first time that Apple has tried to take the “value” of consumers with it. The merger was announced by Apple’s chairman, Steve Jobs, during his keynote speech at WWDC in January 2012. The merger would have given Unilever new tools to help make consumers more conscious. Since then, Apple has done more to improve Apple’s product and software. However, the changes were first announced by General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra in September 2013. These changes were first proposed in the Apple Computer leadership position, but the merger quickly became a controversial decision and Apple’s brand of consumer electronics continued to be tarnished. Over the past years, Apple and other tech companies have been pressured to make Apple’s software more accessible to customers. As consumers continue to change their behavior, these choices are becoming increasingly important. For instance, more and more Android smartphones and laptops are being manufactured without Apple’s services. In the United States, the impact of these technologies has been devastating. More than 740,000 public school kids in Texas were killed in an Apple-related school shooting in 2014 with Apple devices and apps removed or missing. Even if Apple did nothing before these actions, the loss of innocent school children might motivate consumers to continue the risk of violence. This is a common sense way to use technology to empower the young or create change for their future. Unilever’s actions will reduce the harm this is inflicting on society.
Ben & Jerry has built an iconoclastic corporate culture. The company environment is unconventional and innovative, and features casual dress, relaxed demeanor, flat hierarchy, open communication and a participatory management philosophy. Unique employee benefits, such as on site day care and free employee assistance program, have created a family-like atmosphere. In the product development, Ben & Jerrys is committed to producing all-natural ice cream with no artificial ingredients or