Speaker A
Hi everyone, I'm Kayla Luffy, and I'm here with LTV interviewing Jerry Greenfield from my favorite ice cream van, Ben & Jerry's.
Interview with Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's discussing favorite flavors, new non-dairy options, and the company's social activism.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- Ben & Jerry's balances popular flavors with innovation, including non-dairy options.
- The company has a strong commitment to social activism, especially voting rights.
- Flavor rotation is necessary due to limited retail space despite customer favorites.
- Ben & Jerry's was a pioneer in corporate social responsibility starting in the late 1970s.
- Jerry Greenfield is proud of the company’s willingness to take principled stands.
What the video covers
- Kayla Luffy interviews Jerry Greenfield, co-founder of Ben & Jerry's, about ice cream flavors and company values.
- Discussion of popular flavors like Americone Dream, Cherry Garcia, and Fish Food.
- Explanation of limited shelf space requiring rotation of flavors despite their popularity.
- Introduction of new non-dairy flavors catering to vegan and dairy-free consumers.
- Jerry shares the company’s origins as a small homemade ice cream parlor.
- Ben & Jerry's commitment to using business as a force for social good.
- The rarity of corporate social responsibility when the company started in 1978.
- Details on the 'Empowerment Ice Cream' campaign promoting voting rights for marginalized groups.
- Jerry expresses pride in the company taking controversial but principled stands.
- Overall enthusiasm for both the ice cream and the company’s social mission.
Chapters
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
favorite what's your favorite American dream have you ever had that no I haven't had so vanilla with a caramel swirl and fudge-covered pieces of waffle cone and I think we have Americone dream here tonight I think what we have Cherry
Speaker A
Hello, I'm actually nervous now meeting you. I don't know why. It's the ice cream, isn't it?
Speaker A
there's limited space in grocery stores and in scoop shops and so you have to get rid of some old flavors even if they are fantastically wonderful flavors and that's usually what happens the company gets rid of some really good flavors to
Speaker A
I love, I love fish food. That's my favorite.
Speaker A
don't know what's come out lately though I guess some of the more recent ones are the core flavors of Ben and Jerry said they have a core down the middle of the pint of fudge or salted caramel there's a new
Speaker A
What's your favorite? American Dream? Have you ever had that?
Speaker A
your hands the company came out with some new flavors this year that are non-dairy flavors so for people who are vegan or just don't want to be eating dairy there's four flavors of that and what are they made out of soy they're
Speaker A
No, I haven't had that. So, vanilla with a caramel swirl and fudge-covered pieces of waffle cone.
Speaker A
have any real traditional business training and we started as a little homemade ice cream parlor as the company started to grow we realized the the power that businesses have and we felt like businesses ought to be using that
Speaker A
And I think we have Americone Dream here tonight. I think what we have is Cherry Garcia, Chapa fudge brownie, strawberry cheesecake, Americone Dream. Maybe I'm forgetting something else.
Speaker A
didn't like that was right great and when you were in the process of starting Ben and Jerry Ben and Jerry's how common was it for companies to have commitments to their communities like so we started in 1978 many many many years ago and at
Speaker A
Those are like amazing flavors, all of them.
Speaker A
some other businesses doing it but it was not really typical among big businesses can you elaborate more on the new campaigns that about empowerment ice cream that's for it promotes voting rights yep so as I said it's called
Speaker A
Yeah, well, you know, a great and interesting thing about flavors is that even though they're all great, anytime you want to bring out new flavors, there's limited space in grocery stores and in scoop shops.
Speaker A
voting by certain groups particularly people of color low-income people and so Ben and Jerry's is trying to get involved in that so that our democracy our representatives represent everybody and not just rich white people like myself what are your hopes for Ben and Jerry's
Speaker A
And so, you have to get rid of some old flavors, even if they are fantastically wonderful flavors.
Speaker A
proud that the company is willing to take somewhat controversial positions when it's the right thing to do and I think it's really unusual but it makes me really proud that's great I love your company for that and also the ice cream
Speaker A
And that's usually what happens. The company gets rid of some really good flavors to bring in new ones, and people are in it.
Topics:Ben & Jerry'sJerry Greenfieldice cream flavorsnon-dairy ice creamsocial activismvoting rightsEmpowerment Ice CreamAmerican Dreamice cream interviewcorporate social responsibility
