The Best-Selling Ice Cream on Earth, 'Ben & Jerry's'

[Hidden Business Story] Leading the Pint Ice Cream Industry with 5.9% Global Market Share
A Symbol of Healthy Ice Cream, Eco-Friendly Policies, and Ethical Business
Started in 1978 with 14 Million KRW, Sold to Unilever for 2.8 Trillion KRW in 2000
Entered Domestic Market Last Year, Now Operating in 41 Countries

[Source - Ben & Jerry's]

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Ben & Jerry's, the world's best-selling pint ice cream. Although it is a relatively unfamiliar brand in Korea, having entered the market only half a year ago, it holds a 25% market share in the United States and a 5.9% share globally. It has grown into its current form by gaining popularity as a 'natural ice cream' free from harmful substances to the human body.

Ben & Jerry's is an ice cream manufacturer founded in 1978 by close friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. At the time, the two founders took an online ice cream manufacturing course costing five dollars and, based on that, opened an ice cream shop by remodeling an old gas station in Burlington, Vermont, with $12,000 (about 14.7 million KRW). This was the beginning of Ben & Jerry's. How did this small shop become the most popular ice cream on the planet?

At first, the two novice entrepreneurs sold ice cream without any differentiation or standard measurement, which led to the shop closing just two months after opening. However, they reflected on their shortcomings and decided to focus on making high-quality ice cream. They developed natural ice cream using milk from cows raised without recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), without synthetic flavorings or artificial colorings?substances harmful to the human body.

The unique feature of Ben & Jerry's ice cream?the method of blending various chocolate syrups?was also devised at this time. They made ice cream with white chocolate, brown chocolate, almonds, walnuts, and other nuts. Especially, by generously using ingredients such as chunks of chocolate, they captured the taste buds of people in the eastern United States. Thanks to spreading word of mouth, within three years of founding, they even graced the cover of Time magazine with the title 'World's Best Ice Cream.'

Ben & Jerry's launched a campaign to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day [Source - Ben & Jerry's]

Behind this eco-friendly ice cream is a supporting management philosophy. Since the 1980s, they have pursued shared values for everyone related to the brand?from sustainable product production methods and suppliers to farmers, franchisees, and customers. To minimize environmental impact in production, they introduced carbon reduction programs in manufacturing facilities, took the lead in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and continue various environmental protection campaigns.

They also take the lead in solving social issues through the 'Ben & Jerry's Foundation.' Established in 1985, this foundation allocates 7.5% of annual profits to addressing racial discrimination, gender discrimination, poverty, and more. Since 1988, they have been running the '1% for Peace' campaign, dedicating 1% of profits to peace initiatives.

Regarding this, Ben Cohen emphasized corporate social responsibility in an interview with the media, saying, "Companies often tend to exploit local communities and workers. But in reality, communities allow companies to operate, so companies have an obligation to support and return benefits to those communities. When you help the community, you get rewarded in return. That is the reality."

In 2000, Ben & Jerry's corporate value was revealed when it was acquired by the British multinational company Unilever. At that time, Unilever acquired the company for $2.3 billion, approximately 2.818 trillion KRW. However, Unilever stated that it would respect Ben & Jerry's philosophy and management style, and to this day, Ben & Jerry's remains a 'good company.'

Last year, it also started business domestically, expanding into 41 countries worldwide. Although H?agen-Dazs still holds the number one market share in Korea, attention is focused on whether the entry of the global number one company Ben & Jerry's could change the market landscape.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.