Mkt essay

Case Study: Ben & Jerry’s

Challenge

Ben & Jerry’s, like many other organizations, needs to keep consumers engaged with its

brand and products.

Solution

Ben & Jerry’s developed the global “Do the World a Flavor” campaign that used

crowdsourcing as a way to both promote the organization’s values and generate ideas for

new ice cream flavors and product designs.

Ben & Jerry’s ran a contest across seventeen countries that challenged consumers to go to

the brand’s website and invent their own variety of ice cream. Winners would have their

ice cream made into an official Ben & Jerry’s flavor and receive a trip to the Dominican

Republic to see firsthand where the Fair Trade ingredients used in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream

are grown. Ben & Jerry’s promoted its brand’s core values by supporting Fair Trade, a

global trade model and certification that advocates for fair wages to workers in developing

countries.

Results

Ben & Jerry’s developed a digital campaign that incorporated the organization’s values,

encouraged customer involvement, and increased the customer experience. Ben & Jerry’s

used crowdsourcing to harness the passion of its fans in order to promote the brand in a

positive way, generating deeper interaction with consumers along with a slew of new ice

cream flavors. With 10,000 new flavor suggestions in the US alone (including iconic hits

like “Cherry Garcia” and “Chunky Monkey”), Ben & Jerry’s “Do the World a Flavor”

campaign was a resounding success.