“The ice cream is good, but I only buy it because of the company’s values.”

During the primary investor day for the newly shaped Magnum Ice Cream Company in London, co-founder Ben Cohen staged a protest outdoors the venue. He carried an indication saying, “Yo, Magnum, free Ben & Jerry’s.”

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Cohen posted on social media about his and co-founder Jerry Greenfield’s need to remain true to their morals and the unique founding ideas of their ice cream firm.

The U.S. ice cream maker argued that independence was important for preserving its progressive mission.

Meanwhile, executives from the brand new Magnum Ice Cream Company insisted that Ben & Jerry’s would keep a part of the company construction. “The business is not for sale. It’s fully integrated in Unilever, in the Magnum Ice Cream Company,” CEO Peter ter Kulve informed traders.

What occurred on the shareholder conflict

The protest is the most recent transfer in years of stress between Ben & Jerry’s and Unilever. In 2021, the Vermont-based model stopped gross sales within the Israel-occupied West Bank, stating that it was “inconsistent with our values for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to be sold in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).”

Since then, disputes escalated, with lawsuits and sharp disagreements over statements on Gaza. Ben & Jerry’s even referred to the battle as a “genocide,” uncommon language for a serious U.S. firm.

Cohen additionally posted on Instagram, sharing an open letter in a sequence of photographs. The put up emphasised the model’s historical past of linking ice cream gross sales to activism: “We believe that these founding values are central to what Ben & Jerry’s is. They made us successful in the first place, and they’re safeguarded best when we’re independent.”

Online responses rapidly unfold throughout Instagram and Reddit, amongst others. Many followers cheered Cohen’s daring stance towards its company overlords.

On Reddit, u/Working-Ad-6698 declared, “Well done, Ben! I have a very big hate relationship with Unilever, so I boycott them whenever I can.”

Another commenter, u/petiteboule, saved it temporary, saying, “Eff ’em up, Ben & Jerry!!!”

On Instagram, people voiced each encouragement and methods. @yazmasterj requested, “Is there anything we, the people, can do to help?” Cohen directed followers to the marketing campaign web site, freebenandjerrys.com.

Similarly, @tiredhappynatalie advised, “Boycott Unilever but NOT Ben & Jerry’s. This might give them some leverage.”

Others praised the corporate’s values. @krewedefromage commented, “I love y’all so much. I model my small business after your values. ❤️ thank you for always standing up for what’s right.”

Likewise, @lauren_o_reads added, “The ice cream is good, but I only buy it because of the company’s values, so I hope this works. Keep pushing and keep standing up for what’s right. ❤️”

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