Ben and Jerry’s CEO on civil unrest and social justice … — Transcript

Ben and Jerry's CEO discusses the company's commitment to social justice, racial equity, and addressing systemic racism beyond business interests.

Key Takeaways

Ben and Jerry's commitment to social justice is value-driven, not profit-driven.
The company collaborates internally and externally to craft impactful social statements.
Setting measurable goals and public accountability are crucial for real progress.
Systemic racism is acknowledged as a widespread issue that businesses must address.
Social justice efforts are part of the company’s long-term purpose and brand identity.

Summary

Ben and Jerry's CEO explains the detailed statement on social justice and calls to action by the government.
The company’s involvement in socio-political issues is rooted in its core values, not marketing.
The statement was developed collaboratively with internal teams and trusted external partners.
Ben and Jerry's has a history of supporting movements like Black Lives Matter since 2016.
The company sets specific annual goals related to racial equity and social justice.
Acknowledges systemic racism is pervasive in society and business, including their own.
Emphasizes the importance of transparency and public accountability in goal setting.
Discusses the challenge of measuring real progress versus symbolic statements.
Highlights the role of businesses in addressing root causes of social injustices.
Ben and Jerry's aims to use its brand power to shine a light on societal issues.

Chapters

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

Certainly, the statement you put out there a couple of days ago has gotten quite a bit of attention, in part because it's several pages long and it goes into quite a number of details, including calls to action by the government and ways that things could change.

Speaker A

ways that things could change certainly Ben and Jerry's it's part of the DNA to get involved into the socio-political issues but I'm curious how did you come up with this list and the statement is it something you personally as the CEO put out there is

Speaker A

Certainly, Ben and Jerry's, it's part of the DNA to get involved in socio-political issues, but I'm curious, how did you come up with this list and the statement? Is it something you personally as the CEO put out there?

Speaker A

matter and now honestly this isn't so much about Ben and Jerry's we don't do this is a way to sell more stuff per se but this is something that comes from the values of our business and evaluate our team and know it doesn't come just

Speaker A

Is it something that you spoke to your management and workforce and even franchisees about crafting?

Speaker A

our business to shine a light on the things in society that are wrong broken or unjust and so we work internally for a long time on this with our team and reached out to trusted partners to help us actually shape the four points that

Speaker A

Hmm, thanks again. This is not a new topic for Ben and Jerry's. We were on record back in 2016 in supporting Black Lives

Speaker A

business and we just have to acknowledge that and get over that to start addressing root causes and taking actions as people and as business leaders yeah and of course in terms of business Ben and Jerry's is not a

Speaker A

Matter, and now honestly, this isn't so much about Ben and Jerry's. We don't do this as a way to sell more stuff per se, but this is something that comes from the values of our business and our team, and no, it doesn't come just

Speaker A

following if people follow what you Leivers been doing over the past many years driving our business and our brands to places of purpose to address real societal and justices or issues and/or climate issues is something all of our businesses

Speaker A

from me. We've got many years of work in the movement and actually getting guidance from our trusted partners in the United States. I'd like to think that we're pretty good at making ice cream, but we really try to use the power of

Speaker A

how do you gauge whether there's actual progress being made versus statements i mean should we look for companies to talk about specific either legislation or policies that they'd like to see and put money toward those policies should we look at the the makeup of their

Speaker A

our business to shine a light on the things in society that are wrong, broken, or unjust. And so we work internally for a long time on this with our team and reached out to trusted partners to help us actually shape the four points that

Speaker A

goals around these things they simply don't happen this is true for people this is true visitors and organizations every year we set out a very specific set of goals of Ben and Jerry's that range from racial equity to the impact

Speaker A

we've put out there, and they're based on, I think, really clear facts for folks that want to take a look into the background of what systemic racism looks like. It is everywhere in our country. It is within our businesses. It is within my

Speaker A

business folks is we can be afraid we can be too shy to set goals and put them out there for public scrutiny because we don't wanna look bad that's normal that's okay stretching goals are all about putting your intent out there for

Speaker A

business, and we just have to acknowledge that and get over that to start addressing root causes and taking actions as people and as business leaders.

Topics:Ben and Jerry'ssocial justicecivil unrestracial equitysystemic racismcorporate social responsibilityBlack Lives Matterbusiness ethicssocial activismCNBC interview

Frequently Asked Questions

What motivated Ben and Jerry's to release their detailed social justice statement?

The statement reflects the company's core values and long-standing commitment to addressing societal injustices, rather than a marketing strategy.

How does Ben and Jerry's measure progress on their social justice goals?

They set specific annual goals related to racial equity and social justice and emphasize transparency and public accountability to track real progress.

Has Ben and Jerry's been involved in social justice issues before this statement?

Yes, Ben and Jerry's has a history of supporting social movements such as Black Lives Matter since at least 2016.

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