Ben & Jerry Case Analysis

Strategic Analysis of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. Can B&J Serve a Double Scoop of Being Green and Making Green? ESM 210 Professor Delmas Final Paper November 21, 2000 Alex Tuttle Vicky Krikelas 1 BEN & JERRY’S ICE CREAM Table of Contents INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. MARKET DESCRIPTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. FIRM DESCRIPTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. THE MISSION STATEMENT†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 1 1 1 2 GENERAL CORPORATE STRATEGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 STRATEGY ANALYSIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 8 Five Forces Model of Competition†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 8 SWOT Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 Key Succ ess Factors†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 STRATEGIC CONSISTENCIES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 12 STRATEGIC DISCONNECTS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 13 UNILEVER ACQUISITION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 14 RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 15 BIBLIOGRAPHY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢ € ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 17 Figures FIGURE 1. FIGURE 2. FIGURE 3. FIGURE 4. FIGURE 5. ANNUAL REVENUES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 4 ANNUAL RECYCLING†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 7 PORTER’S 5 FORCES MODEL †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦9 SWOT ANALYSIS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 KEY FACTORS OF SUCCESS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 2 2 3 INTRODUCTION Ben & Jerry’s is an innovative leader in the super premium ice cream industry. The company blends a commitment to provide all natural, high quality ice cream with a commitment towards social activism and environmental responsibility. This report will analyze both the company’s environmental strategy and general corporate strategy in order to identify the consistencies and disparities (if any) between these strategies and to determine whether a â€Å"green† company such as Ben & Jerry’s can sustain a competitive advantage.We will also discuss the potential impacts on the company’s strategic vision in light of the recent acquisition by Unilever. Our analysis will focus on examining the strengths and weaknesses of the environmental and general corporate strategies in light of its internal resources and external competitive and non-market forces. MARKET DE SCRIPTION Ben & Jerry’s operates in the highly competitive super premium ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet business.Super premium ice cream is generally characterized by a greater richness and density than other kinds of ice cream and commands a relatively higher price. The company’s two primary competitors include Haagen-Dazs (a member of the Ice Cream Partners organization) and Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Company, which introduced its Godiva and Dreamery super premium ice cream line in the fall of 1999. Other significant competitors include Healthy Choice, Nestle and Starbucks (SEC Report, 1999). FIRM DESCRIPTION Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc. the Vermont-based manufacturer of super-premium ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet, was founded in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, by childhood friends Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield with a modest $12,000 investment. The company is now a leading ice cream manufacturing company known worldwide for it s innovative flavors and all-natural ingredients made from fresh Vermont milk and cream (www. benjerry. com). Manufacturing of all Ben & Jerry’s frozen dessert products occurs in the company’s three plants located in Vermont.The company distributes ice cream, low fat ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet and novelty products nationwide as well as in selected foreign countries in supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores, franchised Ben & Jerry's scoop shops, restaurants and other venues. Outside of Vermont, the products are distributed primarily through Dreyer’s and other independent regional ice cream distributors. Unilever, a multinational food and personal products company recently acquired Ben & Jerry’s in spring 2000. The Ben & Jerry's Board of Directors approved Unilever's offer of $43. 60 per share for all of the 8. million outstanding shares, valuing the transaction at $326 million (www. lib. benjerry. com, October, 2000). Under the terms of the agreement, Ben & Jerry's will operate separately from Unilever's current U. S. ice cream business. There will be an independent 4 Board of Directors, which will focus on providing leadership for Ben & Jerry's social mission and brand integrity. Both co-founders will continue to be involved with Ben & Jerry's, and the company will continue to be Vermont-based. THE MISSION STATEMENT Ben & Jerry’s adopted a three-part mission statement formalizing the company’s business philosophy.According to the company’s home page (www. benjerry. com), the mission statement is as follows: Product Mission: to make, distribute and sell the finest quality all-natural ice cream and related products in a wide variety of innovative flavors made from Vermont dairy products. Social Mission: to operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in the structure of society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life of a broad comm unity: local, national, and international.Economic Mission: to operate the company on a sound financial basis of profitable growth, increasing value to our shareholders and creating career opportunities and financial rewards for our employees. Underlying this mission is the determination to seek innovative ways of addressing all three components, while holding a deep respect for employees and the community at large. GENERAL CORPORATE STRATEGY Ben & Jerry's corporate strategy strives to implement the three integrated missions described above: developing a high-quality product, achieving economic growth and profitability, and incorporating social activism.The general corporate strategy can be characterized as a focused or market niche strategy based primarily on product differentiation and quality production. Although focused differentiation strategies target a narrow buyer segment, this strategy helps Ben & Jerry’s gain a strong competitive advantage as it can offer consumers something they perceive is appealingly different from rival competitors—innovative super-premium ice cream flavors that taste better and consist of all natural, high quality ingredients.In addition to differentiating its product from other ice cream competitors, Ben & Jerry’s general strategy combines several other key components, including fostering a company image of social activism, creating brand loyalty, franchising the company to aid economic growth, and developing creative advertising campaigns. Product Differentiation One means of gaining a competitive advantage is through the use of a differentiation strategy to provide a better product that buyers believe is worth the premium price (Thompson and Strickland, 1998).Since higher quality ice cream generally costs more than the economy and regular types of ice cream, Ben and Jerry’s has incorporated product differentiation in its general corporate strategy in order to command a higher price. The use of all- natural, high quality 5 ingredients and the innovative flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream illustrates the strategic use of product differentiation to gain a competitive advantage in the ice cream market.Quirky flavor names such as Chubby Hubby, Wavy Gravy, Phish Food, and Chunky Monkey also set Ben & Jerry’s apart from the traditionally-named ice cream products of rival companies. Furthermore, the use of recycled materials and dioxin-free (unbleached) paper in product packaging contributes to the uniqueness of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and helps keep its costs down. Socially-Conscious Company Image Ben & Jerry’s strives to be an independent, socially-conscious Vermont company that supports local dairy farmers.Several examples illustrate how Ben & Jerry’s implements this corporate strategy. For instance, the company donates 7. 5% of pretax profits to philanthropic causes through the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, community action teams, and through corporate grants (http://www. hoovers. com). The company also donates free ice cream during public events and community celebrations in the Vermont area, and contributes a percentage of the profits earned from ice cream sold in Vermont retail stores to fund local charities (SEC Report, 1999).Furthermore, the company has ensured the long-term viability of its own key suppliers, the Vermont dairy farmers, by executing a strategic decision to pay more than a specified minimum price for its dairy ingredients (SEC Report, 1999). Brand loyalty Developing brand loyalty is another strategic move to strengthen competitive advantage. Ben & Jerry’s has made substantial efforts to gain a favorable reputation and image with buyers through its frequent promotional campaigns (i. e. , Free Cone Day), donations to social causes (i. , Ben & Jerry Foundation), and the use of eco-friendly products, as discussed below under Environmental Strategy. This strategy has proven successful; the 1999 Har ris Interactive Poll regarding buyer perception of corporate reputability ranked Ben & Jerry’s first in the â€Å"social responsibility† category and fifth overall (SEC Report, 1999). Small-Scale Growth and Franchising The economic mission of the company (to achieve profitability, increase value to shareholders and create career opportunities) is implemented through Ben & Jerry’s strategy for small-scale business growth.Ben & Jerry’s has maximized profitability by initially starting small and slowly building an ice-cream business over time (Spolsky, 2000). Ultimately, the success at the small-scale required the company to shift its corporate strategy toward the establishment of several franchised â€Å"scoop shops† throughout the nation and Europe. As of 1999, there were approximately 164 scoop shops in North America (SEC, 1999). These scoop shops serve as a major employment resource and a source of revenue for non-profit groups.In addition, Ben & Jerry’s gains a competitive advantage through franchising by expanding market share, increasing revenue and publicizing the company’s brand name using minimal amounts of startup capital. As shown in Figure 1, Ben & Jerry’s has achieved substantial, yet gradual, growth in revenues since 1993. Marketing Strategy According to the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) annual report, Ben & Jerry’s use of natural ingredients, high product quality, periodic introduction of new flavors, focus on grass- 6 roots community involvement and the â€Å"down home† local image are essential elements of the company’s marketing strategy.The company’s Waterbury ice cream factory is the single most popular tourist attraction in Vermont. In addition, the company is well known for it’s creative television advertising and public relations campaigns. The use of innovative online marketing and web-based promotions with Yahoo have further emphasized this image and strengthened brand name recognition (SEC Report, 1999). Ben & Jerry's Annual Revenue: 1993-1998 225 $ (in millions) 200 175 150 125 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 Year Figure 1. Annual Revenue for Ben & Jerry’s: 1993 to 1998. Source: Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report.CORPORATE ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY In 1992, Ben & Jerry’s became the first publicly held company to adopt the CERES (Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) principles as part of its environmental strategy (Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report). CERES is a non-profit coalition of interest groups working in partnership with companies towards the goal of corporate environmental responsibility worldwide. This involvement with CERES is evidence of the company’s dedication to protecting the environment and insurance that consideration is made to the environment when managing and operating its business.The CERES principles are as follows: †¢ Protection of the Biosphere 7 â € ¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Sustainable Use of Natural Resources Reduction and Disposal of Wastes Energy Conservation Risk Reduction Safe Products and Services Environmental Restoration Public Outreach and Education Management Commitment Audits and Reports Ben & Jerry’s believes that â€Å"businesses should be among the leaders in the social change necessary to repair and prevent the damage that the human race is capable of inflicting upon natural cycles through everyday corporate, national, international, local and personal practices† (ibid).By integrating the CERES principles into the company’s overall goals, Ben & Jerry’s strives to develop a comprehensive environmental strategy that conforms to its mission of making an exemplary product, earning a fair return, and serving its community. Ben & Jerry’s environmental goals as a company are to minimize its negative impacts on the environment, promote sustai nable farming and safe methods of food production that reduce environmental degradation, and use its business as a medium for environmental and social change.In order to accomplish this strategy there are numerous policies and activities that the company is executing, or has plans to execute in the near future. By analyzing Ben & Jerry’s environmental strategy within the framework of the Principle Strategy-Implementing Tasks, as outlined in Chapter 9 of Crafting and Implementing Strategy (Thompson and Strickland, 1998), we can effectively examine the steps the company is taking to best achieve its goals. These actions are visible in all aspects of the company and are proof of the company’s commitment to its environmental strategy.There is an ever-present culture within Ben & Jerry’s of environmental awareness and interest in company greening. In implementing its strategy, Ben & Jerry’s has worked to ensure that every employee is involved and that values a re shared throughout the company. Within the management structure of the company, efforts are made to make sure that the Board of Directors and CEO are fully informed about pertinent environmental issues and are fully responsible for environmental policy. In addition, the company considers demonstrated environmental commitments when selecting Board members.As the founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield continue to provide strong environmental leadership that is crucial to effective implementation of the company’s environmental strategy. There is significant dialogue within the chain of command of the company. At each manufacturing site in Vermont there is an Environmental Coordinator who is in charge of operating and monitoring environmental activities. These coordinators meet with the Manager of Natural Resource Use on a monthly basis. Through this dialogue, nvironmental strategies for company-wide and site-specific compliance and operations are made. The Manager of Natural Resource Use reports to the Senior Director of Operations who in turn reports to the CEO (ibid). This flow of information ensures that every decision-maker is aware of environmental issues and considers these factors when running the business. 8 There is also a significant employee environmental awareness and education campaign within the company. Programs such as the company-wide Environmental Awareness Week promotes employee knowledge of environmental issues.During orientation, new employees are introduced to the environmental policies of the company by the Manager of Natural Resource Use (ibid). In addition, there are employee-led groups called Green Teams that work on company-related projects like recycling, composting, and writing â€Å"eco-facts† for the company newspaper (ibid). This activism and knowledge-share that is built into the company network contributes to the success of its environmental strategy by enabling company personnel to better carry out their strate gic roles.In addition to this internal communication, the company also uses various strategies to build public interest and awareness in environmental issues. This succeeds in not only promoting the goals of the company, but also in adding to the competitive advantage of the company by gaining public support and loyalty. Ben & Jerry’s website has a plethora of information on its environmental policies, activities, and accomplishments. The importance that the company places on these issues is shown by the fact that some of this information is highlighted on the home page (www. benjerry. om, 2000). Other tools the company uses for disseminating information to the public are the publications of the Annual Report and CERES Report, as well as position papers on dioxin and rBGH at their scoop shops. In addition, the company puts on an annual festival encouraging public awareness of environmental and social issues (CERES Report, 1998). In order to be successful in implementing its e nvironmental strategy, Ben & Jerry’s has established many strategy-supportive policies company-wide. These are detailed in the company’s 1998 CERES Report. These policies apply to all U. S. ocations and international locations under the company’s direct ownership. The Manager of Natural Resource Use continually updates them whenever new technologies, concerns, or standards emerge. Examples of these include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Beginning in 1997, all uncontaminated waste oils from its plants are re-refined by a certified handler to be reused. In 1994 the company created a list of approved environmentally friendly cleaning and office supplies that is continually updated when appropriate. Scoop shops are built with environmentally sound material, such as tiles and countertops made of recycled materials.The â€Å"Contractor’s Handbook† contains environmental requirements for all outside parties working at Ben & Jerry’s sites. Another area that is crucial to ensure that environmental strategies are achieved is in the allocation of resources to strategy-critical activities and the institution of best practices for continuous improvement. The company puts a lot of energy into exploring opportunities for waste reduction, recycling, and energy use. In addition, the company tracks the cost and impacts of all waste and energy use associated with the production process.Using a system of integrated environmental tracking tables the company reports on solid, hazardous, wastewater, and dairy waste production, energy use, and recycling. This information is used to identify trends and set 9 goals. As a result of this work the company has demonstrated continual improvement in its solid-waste recycling, rising from 35% in 1995 to 53% in 1998. Figure 2 shows the amount of waste the company has recycled between 1995 and 1998. In 1998, a Packaging Innovation Group was created with a goal reducing waste from ingredient packaging (ibid. ).In 1997, the company conducted a project to develop a pint container that would be more environmentally sustainable and compostable. The company invested hundreds of man-hours to analyze sources of chlorine-free paper for their â€Å"Eco-Pint† (ibid. ). The release of this product is in direct line with the company’s environmental strategy and presents a major step forward in its goal to develop a compostable, non-toxic container. Annual Recycling at Ben & Jerry's Tons of Solid Waste 1000 800 600 400 200 0 1995 1996 Year 1997 1998 Figure 2. Annual Solid Waste Recycling at Ben & Jerry’s between 1995 and 1998.Source: Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Report. Ben & Jerry’s realizes the importance of community participation and accountability. Consistent with its environmental strategy, Ben & Jerry’s uses its business as a means of promoting environmentalism, small-scale agriculture, human rights, and economic justice. This is achieved through C orporate Giving to organizations like Natural Resources Defense Council and the Vermont Land Trust, the establishment of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation which funds non-profit social and environmental organizations across the United States, and Community Actions Teams.These teams are made up of Ben & Jerry’s employees who organize annual major community projects in their area and provide grants to various community-based organizations. All told, Ben & Jerry’s donates approximately 7. 5% of its pre-tax profits annually (ibid. ). 10 Another means by which the company seeks to achieve its environmental strategy is through management of its supply chain. Ben & Jerry’s is consistently working to purchase ingredients and other inputs from environmentally and socially responsible sources. The company has a Vendor Certification Program in which 80% of its suppliers were enrolled by the end of 1998 (ibid. . As part of the assessment process, Ben & Jerry’s eval uates the environmental competencies of potential suppliers and considers this information when determining whether or not to do business. In addition, Ben & Jerry’s only purchases dairy supplies from family farmers who pledge not to treat their cows with rBGH, because of the adverse effects it has on sustainable agriculture (ibid. ). By working with its suppliers, Ben & Jerry’s attempts to ensure that its environmental goals are shared throughout its supply chain. This leads to a more effective implementation of its overall strategy.STRATEGY ANALYSIS An analysis of the external and internal forces shaping the ice cream industry is necessary in order to determine the effectiveness of Ben & Jerry’s current (and prospective) corporate and environmental strategies. We will utilize several analytical tools to characterize the strengths and liabilities of the industry and the effectiveness of the company’s strategy, particularly through the use of the Five For ces Model of Competition, the Sixth (Non-Market) Force analysis, SWOT analysis, and the key factors of success.Five Forces Model of Competition In order to identify and assess the strength of external competitive forces on the ice cream industry we utilized a common analytical tool, Porter’s Five Forces Model of Competition, which is based on the following five factors: rivalry among competing sellers, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers of key inputs, substitute products and potential new entrants to the market (Thomas and Strickland, 1995). Figure 3 summarizes the competitive strength of these forces on the ice cream industry.Rivalry Among Competing Sellers The principal competitors in the super-premium ice cream industry are large, diversified companies with significantly greater resources than Ben & Jerry’s; the primary competitors include Dreyers and Haagen-Dazs. Rivalry can be characterized as intense, given that numerous competitors exist, the cost of switching to rival brands is low, and the sales-increasing tactics employed by Dreyers and other rivals threatens to boosts rivals’ unit volume of production (SEC Report, 1999).Buyers The power of buyers is relatively high because buyers are large, consisting of individual customers, grocery stores, convenience stores, and restaurants nationwide and globally. Since retailers purchase ice cream products in large quantities, this gives buyers substantial leverage over price. In addition, there are many ice cream products to choose from, so the buyers’ cost of switching to competing brands is relatively low. In order to defend against this competitive force, a company’s strategy must include strong product differentiation so that buyers are less able to switch over without incurring large costs. 1 Suppliers The suppliers to the ice cream industry include dairy farmers, paper container manufacturers, and suppliers of various flavorings. Such suppliers ar e a moderate competitive force, given that the ice cream industry they are supplying is a major customer, there are multiple suppliers throughout the nation to choose from, and many of the suppliers’ viability is tied to the wellbeing of large, established companies such as Dreyers and Haagen-Dazs. Therefore, the ice cream suppliers have moderate leverage to bargain over price.Substitute Products Many substitutes products are available within the dessert and frozen food industry (cookies, pies, Popsicles, cake). The ease with which buyers can switch to substitute products is an indicator of the strength of this competitive force. Since substitute products are readily available and attractively priced compared to the relatively higher priced super-premium ice cream products, the competitive pressures posed by substitute products are intense. Companies that enter the super-premium market, therefore, must adopt defensive strategies that convince buyers their higher priced produc t has better features (i. . , quality, taste, innovative flavors) that more than make up for the difference in price. Potential New Entrants The barriers to entry within the ice cream industry are moderate due to the brand preferences and customer loyalty toward the larger and more established rival companies. Other obstacles to new entrants include strong brand loyalty to established firms and economic factors, such as the requirement for large sources of capital, specialized mixing facilities and manufacturing plants.In addition, the accessibility of distribution channels can be difficult for an unknown firm with little or no brand recognition. Although Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield successfully launched their ice cream business from a gas station with modest funding and staff, they had to initially rely on a rival company’s distribution channels (and later on independent distributors) in order to gain a stronger foothold in the market. Figure 3. Porter’s Model of t he Five Competitive Forces S ubstituteProducts Many S ubstitute sBuye rs S trong le rage ve Largenum rs be Rivalry Among Competing Sellers Many large established rivals S upplie rs Mode le rage rate ve Ne Entrants w Mode Barrie to rate rs Entry 12 As discussed above, several competitive forces on the ice cream industry are relatively strong, suggesting that it is a difficult industry to be competitive in. However, Ben & Jerry’s implementation of a differentiation strategy has helped the company effectively defend against these forces and gain a competitive advantage.The use of higher quality ingredients and ecofriendly packaging has created a unique brand image that helps develop brand loyalty and beat rival competitors to the market. The company’s social activism toward the community and use of innovative flavors also help insulate the firm from the strong bargaining power of buyers since rival firms and/or products are relatively less attractive. Similarly, Ben & Jer ry’s product differentiation strategy also allows the company to fend off threats of substitute products that don’t have comparable features.The company’s differentiation strategy also mitigates the threat of potential entrants due to high buyer loyalty for a superior product. The moderate threat posed by suppliers is tackled by two other facets of the company’s strategy: ensuring the viability of suppliers by paying premium prices for raw materials, and redesigning the distribution network to gain more control and reduce reliance on rival distribution channels. The â€Å"Sixth† Force (Non-Market Forces) Industry Regulations Ben & Jerry’s is subject to regulation by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Vermont Department of Agriculture.In response to stringent labeling criteria for healthoriented foods, the company made changes in its labeling regarding its low fat/low cholesterol products (SEC Report, 1999). FDA regu lations may potentially affect the ability of the company, as well as rival firms in the ice cream industry, to develop and market new frozen dessert products. However, given that Ben & Jerry’s is already in compliance with the FDA, it is unlikely that such regulations will have a significant impact on the company’s operations.Other regulatory forces include potential RCRA liability due to the company’s generation of hazardous materials during the manufacturing process. However, Ben & Jerry’s is currently exempt from these hazardous materials regulations since the level of hazardous materials generated is below the threshold for requiring a permit; indeed, by staying small and maintaining regulatory compliance, the company gains a competitive advantage over larger companies that may have to meet stricter regulations or be more susceptible to non-compliance.Public and Stakeholders Public and stakeholder concerns over health and nutrition and environmental pollution exert a strong force on the ice cream industry. The heightened consumer awareness and demand for low-cholesterol or low-fat foods can force companies to respond with ingredient substitutions and differentiated product lines to stay in business. Similarly, the increasing consumer trend toward supporting eco-friendly product packaging and all-natural, organic ingredients can cause ice cream companies to revise their strategies.Ben & Jerry’s, with it’s commitment to providing all natural ingredients, a low-fat ice cream line, and chlorine-free paper for example, is in a better position to attract those consumers who are willing to pay more to get more. Given Ben & Jerry’s proactive strategic approach, the company can effectively insulate itself from these public pressures and enjoys a significant competitive advantage over those companies that resist incorporating socially progressive or eco-friendly values into their strategies. 13SWOT Analysis Another m eans of analyzing the strategies of the company is by examining the strengths and weaknesses of its internal resources, and then exploring the external threats and opportunities facing the company. By developing a clear understanding of these factors, we can evaluate where the company should go from here. Figure 4 identifies these forces for both the general corporate and environmental strategies of Ben & Jerry’s. Based on our analysis, we feel that much of the company’s internal strengths and external opportunities lie within its environmental strategy.This gives further evidence to suggest that the environmental and corporate strategies are well integrated, and that this integration is crucial to the future success of the company. Figure 4. SWOT Analysis of Ben & Jerry’s Strengths Product Differentiation Brand Name & Image Creative Advertising & Promotion Innovation Environmental Leader Threats Image Deterioration Increased Competition Shift in Buyer Preferenc es Loss of Sales to Substitutes Bush Presidency Conflicts with Unilever Weaknesses Dependence on Outside Distribution High Cost Financial Instability Geographic LimitationsOpportunities Growing Consumer Environmental Interest Geographic Expansion Market Diversification Alliances Key Success Factors A successful strategy incorporates the company’s efforts to be competent on all of the industry’s key success factors and to excel on at least one factor (Thompson and Strickland, 1998). In the highly competitive super-premium ice cream industry, the key factors of success include product 14 differentiation, a strong distribution network, brand loyalty and clever advertising.As shown in Figure 5, Ben & Jerry’s excels in these (and other) key factors, and has a particular expertise on product differentiation to gain a competitive advantage. Product Differentiation All-natural ingredients Innovative flavors High quality Brand Loyalty Favorable reputation with environmen tally-aware consumers Access to Distribution Network use of independent suppliers and existing channels Social Activism Corporate philanthropy Ben & Jerry’s Fund Eco-friendly Product Dioxin-free pint containers Recycled materials Hormone-free dairy supplyClever advertising Free ice cream samples Grassroots and local image Figure 5. Ben & Jerry’s Key Factors of Success. STRATEGIC CONSISTENCIES According to the Ben & Jerry’s Mission Statement, the goal of the company is to integrate product quality with economic success and social responsibility. One of the key strategic factors that successfully links these three missions together is the differentiation strategy. In this respect, the environmental and general corporate strategies are very much in tune with each other.Differentiation not only increases the competitive advantage of Ben & Jerry’s, but it also leads to environmental excellence in the operation of the company. By focusing its attention and ener gy on recycling, energy efficiency, and product innovation, Ben & Jerry’s can reduce its impact on the environment while at the same time reducing product cost. This is being achieved through the work of the Packaging Information Group that focuses on reducing the incoming packaging which adds to the waste stream, and the production of the compostable â€Å"Eco-Pint. † These and other actions help build a competitive advantage within the market.By using allnatural, rBGH-free ingredients and dioxin-free containers, Ben & Jerry’s can also attract environmentally minded consumers to its products, thus increasing market share. At the same time, this practice helps protect the environment and support family-farming and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, this differentiation strategy has the versatility of providing a better product that can attract customers, command a higher price, and protect the environment, thus satisfying the three integral parts of the company ’s mission and both the corporate and environmental strategies.In order for this environmental differentiation strategy to be sustainable there needs to be a willingness among customers to pay for environmental quality, credible information about the company’s environmental attributes, and insulation against imitation. The company’s steady 15 growth in revenue over the last few years shows that the customer base is there and that they are more than willing to pay a premium price for a superior quality product. Ben & Jerry’s addresses the latter two issues through its informative website, external audits, and constant innovation creating unique, hard to imitate flavors and products.Another way in which the environmental strategy and corporate strategy are consistent with each other is in the area of regulatory compliance. As a result of the attention Ben & Jerry’s pays to the environmental risks associated with its production process, and the effort s made by the company to ensure that negative impacts to the environment from its business operations are minimized, Ben & Jerry’s has had very few compliance issues and has never been issued any penalties by Federal regulators (1998 CERES Report). In addition to the environmental benefit from such compliance, there is a beneficial impact on the business as well.By minimizing operational costs, the company gains a potential competitive advantage over competitors with less stringent environmental controls that may face compliance issues. Overall, the company’s environmental strategy and general business strategy are well integrated. By focusing on differentiation, which is in large part due to environmental policies and programs, the company gains a competitive advantage over its rivals. As the company grows and increases its annual profits, more money can therefore be donated to social and environmental causes through its various giving channels.Ben & Jerry’s ha s positioned itself so that its success is highly dependent on its environmental image, therefore the two strategies are intimately linked. There are, however, some disconnects between strategies. There are a few instances where environmental goals take a back seat to company profits. Examples of these disconnects are described in the next section below. DISCONNECTS BETWEEN STRATEGIES Although the mission of the company is to temper economic growth with environmental responsibility, during our research we discovered several ccasions in which company profits clearly outweighed the desire to be as environmentally proactive as possible. For example, Ben and Jerry’s currently packages its Peace Pops inside a plastic wrapper and paper board box. This change was in response to a belief that sales had been declining due to customer disapproval of its original packaging, which consisted solely of a plastic wrapper. This change has led to an increase of packaging materials by 152,000 pounds annually (ibid. ).This is in direct conflict with the company’s policy on waste reduction and illustrates the priority given to company profits over environmental concerns. Similarly, an effort to introduce an organic line of desserts, which would have been more in line with its environmental strategy, was abandoned due to economic costs. Another example of a â€Å"disconnect† is in the company’s energy use. Ben & Jerry’s recognizes that its operation, like any industrial process, is energy intensive. However, as of 1998, the company had no formal policy on energy use and conservation (ibid. ).While the plants and scoop shops make attempts to be energy efficient, the company relies on non-renewable sources of energy for its production processes, instead of using green energy that would be less damaging 16 and more consistent with its environmental policies. Although not expressly stated, it seems that economic cost is once again superseding sustain ability. While Ben & Jerry’s works to reuse and recycle as much of its waste as possible, it is the policy of the company to send any hazardous waste that cannot be recycled to a hazardous waste incinerator to be handled.Although this may be the most economical method of treating hazardous waste, it is not necessarily the most environmentally sound disposal technology, and directly contradicts the company’s environmental goals. In keeping with the corporate strategy of maintaining a local, down home image, many sacrifices to the environmental strategy are made. The most glaring disconnect is in the national distribution of the product from a single state. Manufacturing in Vermont requires extensive shipping of its products; this is a highly energy-intensive process.In 1998, emissions from the distribution of its products totaled over 113,000 pounds for carbon monoxide, 15,000 pounds of nitrogen oxides, 7,000 pounds of hydrocarbons, 1,600 tons of carbon dioxide, and 400 pounds of particulate matter (ibid. ). This tradeoff illustrates an inherent inconsistency between the corporate and environmental strategies of the company. While these disconnects do occur, we feel that Ben & Jerry’s has done an excellent job in integrating its business and environmental strategies and balancing profitability with environmental protection.UNILEVER ACQUISITION AND IMPACTS ON STRATEGY Ben & Jerry's strategy will likely shift towards larger-scale economic growth in response to the recent Unilever acquisition of the company in April 2000. Ben & Jerry’s emphasized that this acquisition will allow the company to create an even more dynamic, socially positive ice cream business with global reach (www. lib. benjerry. com). In addition, the financial backing of a larger and established company will strengthen Ben & Jerry’s competitive advantage with respect to the five forces, particularly the threat of competition from rival firms.According to the co founders, â€Å"neither of us could have anticipated, twenty years ago, that a major multinational would some day sign on, enthusiastically, to pursue and expand the social mission that continues to be an essential part of Ben & Jerry's and a driving force behind our many successes. But today, Unilever has done just that. While we and others certainly would have preferred to pursue our mission as an independent enterprise, we hope that, as part of Unilever, Ben & Jerry's will continue to expand its role in society† (ibid).The agreement between Unilever and Ben & Jerry’s ensures that the current social mission of Ben & Jerry's will be encouraged and well-funded, which will lead to improved performance in this area; and an opportunity has been offered for Ben & Jerry's to contribute to Unilever's social practices worldwide. According to Richard Goldstein, President of Unilever Foods of North America, Unilever feels that â€Å"Ben & Jerry's has a significant opportunity outside of the United States. Unilever is in an ideal position to bring the Ben & Jerry's brand, values and socially responsible message to consumers worldwide.Much of the success of the Ben & Jerry's brand is based on its connections to basic human values, and it is our hope and expectation that Ben & Jerry's continues to engage in these critical, global economic and social missions† (ibid). Based on the nature of this agreement, Unilever is pledging to uphold Ben & Jerry’s mission of 17 integrating product quality with economic performance and social responsibility. Therefore, we do not expect that Ben & Jerry’s environmental strategy will change, except that more innovations can possibly be made with the augmented financial and human resources.In addition, the social and environmental mission of the company will have the opportunity to be applied on a more global scale. As far as the preservation of the company’s corporate strategy, Unilever’s gl obal presence and greater access to distribution channels will allow for Ben & Jerry’s to continue to expand internationally, thus increasing market share, profitability, and competitive advantage. Potential threat to Ben & Jerry’s success as a result of the Unilever acquisition are the negative public perception of the company (i. e. elling out), loss of consumer support and brand loyalty. This can be mitigated through marketing strategies geared towards alleviating public fears and ensuring that the underlying goals and policies of the company will remain intact. RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSION Based on our analysis, we believe that the corporate and environmental strategies are appropriate and well integrated. While there are some disconnects between the two strategies, overall it is clear that the company strives to achieve economic success and environmental responsibility.Up to now, Ben & Jerry’s has been successful at maintaining this balance. The primary con cern is how well the company can insulate itself from future competition that could threaten its position as a leader in the super premium frozen dessert industry. In light of the threats identified in the SWOT analysis, we recommend that Ben & Jerry’s implement the following suggestions: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Protect its public image in light of the recent acquisition by Unilever by maintaining its current position as a market-leader in environmentally and socially responsible business practices.Continue cost-cutting efforts through implementation of further waste reduction, energy conservation, and recycling programs. Draft a formal written policy on energy use. Frequent product innovation and diversification to address threats of substitute and imitation products and meet changing consumer preferences (i. e. lactose-free ice cream, all organic line of frozen desserts, cookies) Continue franchising scoop shops to increase its market reach a nd withstand growing competition, both nationally and internationally.As the company grows, there will be greater waste generation and distribution-related emissions – increase the development of cleaner manufacturing, disposal, and distribution technologies to ensure that the company continues to stay in compliance. Develop additional manufacturing plants and distribution centers outside of Vermont to reduce distribution costs, cut down on distribution-related emissions, and increase production volume of the company. If George W.Bush becomes President, there could be a relaxation of environmental regulations and attitudes, thus leveling the playing field and eroding Ben & Jerry’s competitive advantage over firms that may be less environmentally responsible. The 18 †¢ company needs to continue to focus on its differentiation strategy to retain its edge and bolster customer loyalty and support. Continue to work with Unilever to ensure that Ben & Jerry’s rema ins an independent subsidiary with its social and environmental values firmly in place. Protect itself from assimilation into the multinational corporate identity.In conclusion, our analysis has illustrated that a company can be competitive without sacrificing its environmental goals and strategies. Through differentiation, Ben & Jerry’s has established itself as both a leader in product quality and environmental responsibility. The challenge will be for Ben & Jerry’s, after being acquired by a multinational conglomerate, to demonstrate that it is still possible to maintain its uniqueness and proactive environmental strategy. So can Ben & Jerry’s continue to serve up a double scoop of being green and making green?Stay tuned for the next flavor of the month. 19 BIBLIOGRAPHY Ben & Jerry’s 1998 CERES Environmental Report, 1998. Securities and Exchange Commission Annual Report for Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. Form 10-K, 1999. Spolsky, Joel, â€Å"How to Grow a Business,† http://www. fool. com, August 4, 2000. Thompson, Arthur A. Jr. , Strickland, III, A. J. Crafting and Implementing Strategy, Text and Readings, 10th edition. Irwin McGraw-Hill, 1998. www. hoovers. com www. benjerry. com www. lib. benjerry. com Substitute Products Many S ubstitute s 20

Facundo Summary Essay

The evil that afflicts Argentina is its size: the vast surrounding desert everywhere. To the south and north the wild-lurk the Indians prepared to attack at any time. This insecurity of life in the Argentine character prints some stoic resignation to violent death, explaining the indifference with which the giving and receiving of death. The inhabited part of the country can be divided into three faces: the dense forest (north), the jungle and the pampas. The Pampa is the image of the sea on earth, waiting to send her to produce. There are numerous navigable rivers republic, but dislikes the son of the Spanish navigation. Thus, the greatest gift to a people is a dead item, untapped. The fruitful is the only river Plate. Buenos Aires is called to be one day the gigantic city of the Americas. She alone is in contact with Europe and exploits the advantages of foreign trade. This monopolistic position of Buenos Aires that although Rose does indeed had wanted to follow the federalism would have been impossible, and would have ended up with the system that holds today: the unit. (â€Å"We, however, wanted the unity of civilization and freedom, and the unit has given us into barbarism and slavery.†) As America is called to be a federation for its wide exposure to the Atlantic, Argentina is set to be unity. The city is the center of civilization Argentina Spanish, European, but the desert nearby.Man City live a civilized life. In the city are the laws, ideas, progress, education, regular government. The countryside and the city represent two separate companies, two people strangers to each other. The man’s campaign to the city hates and hates the educated man. Argentina shares many features with the Asian plains of the Tigris and Euphrates, and the lives of his men are often similar (Arabs and gauchos). Field: Argentina dominated the campaign of brutal force, the authority without limits and responsibilities of charge. This is seen in the executions of the foreman, that do not support claim legitimate authority considered that it  has killed. The people of the field consists of two races: Spanish and Indian (except in Buenos Aires, the black, leaning toward civilization and endowed with talent, is extinct). These races are known for their love of idleness and industrial disability. The American races, the Indians are unable to work hard, and the Spanish race shows the same trend. In the campaign the company disappears completely, only the family remains feudal isolation. Thus, any form of government becomes impossible, no municipality, scope and execution of judicial state violence monopolized. The population is scattered. No public response. Civilization is entirely unworkable and barbarism is normal. Progress is stifled, because there can be no progress without permanent possession of the ground, not the city that unfolds is the man’s industrial capacity and allows you to extend your purchases. In the field of religion is distorted. What happens with religion than with the Spanish language is corrupted. It is a natural religion. The Gauchos are Spanish only by the confusing language and religious notions they possess. Home occupations, cottage industries, are exercised by the woman, she weighs nearly all the work. Education country man: children exercise their forces and are trained for pleasure in handling the bow and the balls and are riders. With puberty and adolescence are the complete independence and unemployment. From childhood are used to kill cattle, which familiarizes them with bloodshed. The horse is an integral part of Argentine fields. Thus, children are gradually acquiring the characteristics of their ancestors: the habit of succeeding in the resistance, to challenge and overcome nature. This promotes a sense of individual importance and superiority in the field man. All Argentineans are aware of their worth as a nation, have some vanity. In conclusion, rural life has unfolded in the gaucho faculty, without stimulating the intellect.His moral character is supported by the habit of triumph over obstacles and nature.Strong, proud, energetic, has no instruction. He is happy in their poverty, because that’s all he knows. The gaucho is not working, food and clothing it is prepared at home, the one and the other was provided by their cattle. Chapter II: Argentine originality and character. The crawler. The trail guide. The gaucho malo. The cantor. The pastoral life is also his poetic side. For example, in the immensity Echeverrà ­a, in the wild, found in the solemn nature of the inspirations for his works, which were then greeted with approval in Europe. The Argentine people are by nature a poet and musician. In the middle are the storm, the omnipresent death, the endless pampas. The gaucho is in this sense, their popular poetry, naive and sloppy. Trivia: when Echeverria resided in the campaign, the gauchos around him with respect. Although it was for them a â€Å"pack†, respected him because he was a poet. The farming village has its own songs, including: the sad (the North) and vidalita (sung issues of the day and war songs). The guitar is the instrument par excellence. Especially notable in the campaign: The crawler, knows to follow the tracks of animals and men. It is a serious character, awareness of knowledge-a science that has popular home and gives him a certain dignity, quiet and mysterious. You can, by all accounts, follow tracks produced long ago. The trail guide, knows every inch of thousands of square miles of plains, forests and mountains. It is oriented based on the signs of nature. It is a surveyor. The map that the generals are, the fate of the army depends on it. It also announces the proximity of the enemy. Know the geographic distances and smaller. They say that General Rosas recognized by the taste of grass every room in the south of Buenos Aires. The bad gaucho: an outlaw is a misanthrope. Justice pursues, in the settlements name is pronounced with respect. Live in rural, isolated society that feeds on the hunt. It is a divorced man in society, outlawed by legislation, a savage white. Poets sing of their exploits around. However, the gaucho is not a bad villain, no t a criminal. Their profession, their science is to steal horses. It has some honor, and credit his word. The singer: Same bard, minstrel of the Middle Ages. It moves between the struggles of cities and the feudalism of the fields. The singer goes to pay in return, singing of the heroes of the pampas fugitives from justice, while mixing the story of his own exploits (often it is also being pursued by law). His poetry is dull, irregular, more sentimental narrative is filled with images of rural life. The singer does the same job of chronic, customs, history, biography, the bard of the Middle Ages. In Argentina are at the  same time two different civilizations on the same ground, without consciousness of each other: that mimics a nascent naive and popular efforts in the Middle Ages, and the other trying to make the last results European civilization. In Argentina, XII and XIX century living together: the first campaign, the second in the cities. Conclusion: reading this book the reader will find the characters typed above, and will reflect the country’s situation in the countryside, its customs and its organization. The bad gaucho Facundo. The singer: La Madrid. The trail guide: Artigas. Foreman carts, â€Å"The Herdsman† (warrior in the service of warlords). Chapter III: Association. The store. Here Sarmiento takes the first chapter and adds the following: In the field need to create a shell company to remedy the normal dissociation. In the shop give and receive news, there attend the parishioners of the surroundings, are armed horse racing, is the cantor. They are gambling and liquor. There fraternize. This accidental association of every day, on repeat, form a partnership, a public assembly without object, without social interest, probe begins to lie the roots of reputations. The gaucho esteem above all physical forces, the skill of horsemanship, and value. It is dedicated, for example, horse riding games. The gaucho knife goes armed, inherited from the Spanish. This is an instrument that serves for all occupations, can not live without it. Play the stabbing, he drew the knife and make your opponent hits him in the face, without killing him. The row is locked by reputation. He has no intention, in principle, to kill. Killing is a â€Å"disgrace.† Juan Manuel Rosas had made his home a kind of asylum for homicides (political paternalism). In this society, then the culture of the spirit is impossible, there is no public good. The gaucho becomes criminal or leader, according to the direction things take. Authorities of the campaign to crack down on ruthless judges are needed even more heartless. These authorities (remember the foremen) are ideas in the people about the power of authority, which later leads to its effects. The judge is obeyed by his fearsome reputation for boldness, his justification is â€Å"so I’m  in charge.† The field commander has more power than the judge and his features are even more terrible. To rule makes use of the men who inspire fear, and this is the dealings of weak governments. When Rose took over the city, wiped out all the commanders who had helped him to ascend, so that disputes the place of power that began to fill. These details given so far about life in the Argentine countryside, with its order, its distinctive partnership approach, have to explain social phenomena a nd the Argentine revolution that erupted in 1810. Previous chapters are often taken in high school. To these must be added: a) Chapter I of the Second part (or chapter 5) on children Quiroga b) the ninth or 13 (Barranca Yaco).See below. Chapter IV: Revolution of 1810. In all the nations of Latin character, object and purpose of revolutions for independence were the same, and born of the same breast: the movement of European ideas. Before the revolution in our country, there were books, ideas, law, education, was a base of organization, backward, feudal, monarchical, yes, but it existed. In the pastoral campaign, freedom, responsibility of power, developments involving the revolutionary movement was alien to their lifestyle. The revolution was useful to the field, both involved a new meeting place higher. Thus, the pastoral joined the agitation and revolutionary impulse. When people come into revolution, two competing interests fighting in principle, conservative and revolutionary, ie, realistic and patriotic. When a party wins, it is subdivided into moderate revolutionaries and visionaries. Then the defeated party was reorganized and succeeded by subdividing their rivals. When a revolution, one of the forces allied with the revolutionary cause, it follows immediately, forming a third entity, and indifferent to each other, this force is removed is heterogeneous. This was the movement led by Artigas. The force holding Artigas in Gauteng is the holding current to the leaders in their provinces and that kept Facundo in the Llanos. Individualism is its essence, the horse his gun and his theater pampa. The montonera appears Artigas, and is  parallel with the African hordes, presents a character of ferocity and spirit brutal terrorist. This is what Rose has become a system of laws applied to a cultured society. Rosas has not invented anything, his talent is plagiarizing their predecessors and make the brutal instincts of the ignorant masses, a coolly thoughtful and coordinated. The run with the butcher knife is an instinct that takes Rosas death to give the Gauchos forms, and to change the legal forms of other learned societies, which he calls America. The guerrilla band is a unique kind of war, which has its antecedent in the Asian peoples, and only in our country can be explained by examining the organization of society where applicable. Artigas was a trail guide, a leader of mass es on horseback, an enemy of civil society and the city, still playing in the figure of Argentine leaders. The war of the revolution in Argentina has been twofold: 1: war of the cities, launched in European culture against the Spanish in order to give greater extension to that culture (patriots influenced by the ideas of independence versus European Spanish royalists). 2: War of the leaders from the cities to escape the civil subject and fight against civilization. (The War of the savages of the campaign led by the warlords and Roses embodied in European culture versus existing cities) First, the triumph over the Spanish cities (the monarchy), but secondly, the campaign is due to the cities. Here is explained the enigma of the revolution in Argentina. With the victory of the leaders of the campaign, all civil manner disappeared in the field and is on track to disappear into the cities. â€Å"†¦ It is finally the central government, unitary, despotic landowner Juan Manuel de Rosas, who digs into the cultured Buenos Aires gaucho’s knife and destroy the work of centuries, civilization, laws and liberty.† (Excerpt from the end of Chapter III illustrates this idea). But Buenos Aires is so powerful elements of European civilization that will eventually educate Rosas, and contain their bloodthirsty and barbaric instincts. In fact, some of their wild characteristics and have been moderating over time. There are four cities that have already been wiped out by the domains of warlords and Roses: Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, San Luis and La Rioja. All of them had in 1810 with a great economic prosperity, intellectual and cultural life. Produced eminent men, the lights were  widespread. However, the process of barbarism has acted on them to bring them to ruin religious, educational, intellectual, economic and cultural. Sarmiento checks this done through an â€Å"interview† that holds a canon of La Rioja. San Juan (province Sarmiento) is headed for destruction: the educational level is very poor there, opposed to the high level it enjoyed before this process. Conclusion: ignorance and poverty expect the inner cities to give the last gasp devou r their prey, to make field stay. Buenos Aires can be saved for European civilization is so strong there that the brutalities of the government can not be against it. â€Å"Why fight? We fight to return to the cities their own life. â€Å" Part II. Chapter I (or Chapter 5 run number) Children and youth of Juan Facundo Quiroga. The chapter begins with this anecdote: Between the cities of San Luis and San Juan there is a desert called â€Å"journey.†Facundo, forced St. Louis to escape the knife justice issues, was the need to go through it alone. At that time, a man-eater (cannibal) walked hanging around the crossing. While crossing, Facundo heard the roar of the tiger. He climbed up, then a small locust tree.The tiger tracked the gaucho there and began trying to hunt him. He stayed for two hours staring at his prey, his eyes reddened by the blood lust. The gaucho was looking reeling from the glass, fascinated by the look of the animal. His friends managed to get tracks without hope in time and captured the tiger, who then killed him Facundo. â€Å"Then I knew what I was afraid,† said Facundo on this story. He called him â€Å"El Tigre de los Llanos.† Phrenology has demonstrated the relationship between the appearance of men and animals who are similar in character. Facundo Description: It was of short stature and stocky. In broad shoulders and short neck. His head was well formed, very thick hair cover, black and curly. His face was buried in a forest of hair, had a curly black beard that went up cheekbones sharp enough to discover a strong-willed and tough. His eyes caused terror were black, full of fire and was shaded by thick eyebrows.Facundo never looked head always bowed his head and looked  out between the eyebrows, to be feared. His complexion was pale brown. The structure of the head revealed, under this cover jungle, the organization of men born to command. However, as he was born in a given society these characters had to manifest itself in a bloody, terrible and wicked. Facundo was the son of a lowly San Juan, but had made some money with grazing. He went to school where he learned to read and write. In school he was arrogant, aloof and alone, just mingling with colleagues to lead acts of rebellion and to beat them. In the fables of childhood is the germ of the characteristic features of historical character. The memory of the people is full of stories of Quiroga. ‘I slapped his teacher because he hit him with a stick and ran to hide in a vineyard where he spent three days. This will be the leader who later challenge to the whole society. At puberty, kills his first victim: Jorge Peà ±a. The first drop of blood stream that marked its path. – Worked as a laborer in Mendoza for a woman. Exerted influence over other pawns and interceded on their behalf with the patron. Therefore pawns called him â€Å"Father† (political paternalism). At the end of one year called for his salary-sixty pesos, immediately went to a grocery store and played them all on one card, he lost. Leaving there, a judge ordered his book conchavo and left lying in a stabbing. Adult life spent hiding, hunted, playing, working as a laborer and distributing stabbing. -Travel to Buenos Aires and in 1810 he enlisted as a recruit in the militia of Ocampo.Then in the regiment of mounted grenadiers. However, military life involves discipline, order, and he was called to command, a rebel, I wanted to be created only in defiance of civilized society, a career combining bravery and crime, government, and disorganization. Defects and returns to the provinces, on the road kills a game. – Facundo returns to her parents. Like his father does not want to lend money, he sets fire to the roof. Father denounces this act and slaps him. But a year later make peace. Solve-enroll in the montonera Ramirez, scion of Artigas. The governor of St. Louis makes it turn and sends him to jail. There were Spanish prisoners who had been defeated in Chile. These rise up and open the door to the common prisoners to help them in flight. Facundo there escapes killing many men with a male crickets. He claims to have killed fourteen  people. -Later, Facundo quell the uprising succeeds and reconciled society. Facundo is the man of nature who has not learned to curb their passions is the nature of mankind in the pastoral countryside of Argentina. Facundo is primitive barbarism. In their actions show the man-beast, acts to produce terror in their environment. Gained prestige among the common people at the expense of patriotism and devotion meet with terror, using his cunning and credulity of the vulgar. Some thought even that he had supernatural powers. What I had was a certain superiority and knowledge of human nature and value of those means. The men close to Facundo said he had a strong dislike decent men who wanted to frighten rather than instill fear alone, he did understand the henchmen who was seer, who treated the men with whom he was connected as slaves, never had confessed, prayed and heard mass. Chapter II. La Rioja. The field commander. La Rioja is a city lonely, suburbs and withered. Los Llanos is a mountainous area, ravine, an oasis of green paste. The appearance of the province is desolate, the scorching weather, the dry land. La Rioja can be compared to Palestine in its geography and the patriarchal aspect of the peasantry. For example, the pawn must protect the life of his employer. Farmers living primitively barbaric preserving its purity and hostile to the cities. As in the Middle Ages, the city of La Rioja there is the struggle of two powerful families, noble: the Ocampo and Davila. After the success of San Luis, Facundo prestigious and recommended by the government occurs in the plains. Los Ocampo, who were in government, give the title field commander and sergeant major of the militia. Facundo, representing the pastoral element, barbarian, the third entity headed by Artigas, presented in La Rioja, called by one party in the city. Quiroga is a Trojan horse inside the city. While it’s field commander in Los Llanos, an uprising in San Juan, makes the northern provinces to quell worry. Facundo part of it and ignoring the strict orders he had, the focus falls on subversive and overcome them. Thus, Quiroga shows no orders from anyone expected and announced its decision to pull down the government. Quiroga takes La Rioja, overthrowing  the city. The leaves by Davila. However, it tries to conspire against him and capture him. Facundo defeat attempts and murders Araya, the captain who should seize him. The government, then, for the murder of intimate Araya. Quiroga decided to turn the civil war between the city and the plains, between him and the government. Send a group to the Board of Representatives to fulfill its mission: to declare deposed Davila. The other provinces decide to intervene to prevent the confrontation between the government and Facundo. Corvalan (the order of Roses, which appears in Amalia) is the mediator. Talk first with Facundo, who claims to accept peace. Then with Davila who abandons weapons. At that time, easily beating Quiroga government attacks. Before killing him Davila, it opens a wound that Facundo, as a good gaucho, always hidden. After the defeat and murder of Davila, Facundo sends condolences to the widow pays tribute to the dead, showing some nobility. As Quiroga has never been in charge of organized government, appointed as governor of a vulgar Spanish. Thus, Facundo seizes his country, the government traditions disappear, the forms are degraded, since the relief, unemployment and neglect are the supreme values ​​of the gaucho. Enrichment Quiroga: Half the cattle in the province belonged to him. His business was to supply the meat market, a monopoly, as no one dared to compete with him. In a business with foreign merchants, Facundo occurs in the home of a magnate of Buenos Aires with silk stockings, breeches mattress fabric and a poncho ruin. He wanted to humiliate the learned men and show their contempt for foreign men. None dared to laugh at this time. Facundo’s passion for the game embraced hi s public life. Took advantage of his power and fearlessness to take advantage. He played with unlimited funds. This destruction of civil order that Facundo achieved in La Rioja resulted in the migration of people to San Juan, the Plains are now deserts. Chapter III: Sociability. Cà ³rdoba. Buenos Aires (1825). Facundo La Rioja has absolute master. Since there are no lyrics, no opinions, and as no opinions, La Rioja is a war machine. State of the country’s major cities: Cordoba is one of the most beautiful cities on the continent. Until 1829, the  spirit of Cordoba is monastic and ecclesiastical. While the old University of Cordoba has a high level, is almost entirely circumscribed to theology. The spirit of Cordoba was by this time the Middle Ages. Cordoba has been the asylum of the Spanish, so the revolutionary ideas of 1810 were little basis in this province. in short, is a Spanish city by literary and religious education, stationary and hostile to innovation. Buenos Aires: the city is believed a continuation of Europe, its spirit and tendencies.Buenos Aires is a city full of revolutionaries. In just ten years is done here and europificacià ³n desespaà ±olizacià ³n. Buenos Aires is all new, all revolution and movement.Rivadavia, located in the government, brings Europe. Thus, the European influence on Buenos Aires motorized progress and builds the most important institutions of the state. Rivadavia never shed blood, or destroyed property. Roses, however, is a butcher and has consumed the national treasury to support the war that he has on. A Rivadavia fits represented the glory of European civilization. Rivadavia and Rosas are the two extremes of Argentina, which binds to the wild on the pampas and Europe by the Rio de la Plata. Cordoba and Buenos Aires are the two prominent phases of the parties that divided the cities. They represent two parties: conservative and progressive. While feeding on Spain Cordoba, Buenos Aires makes it the most progressive ideas of Europe (Rousseau, Montesquieu). These parties concluded by federal and unitary called. But Argentina is geographically so constituted, that is to be united forever, even if the label of the bottle says otherwise. The Federal party of the cities was a link that linked the party barbarian campaigns. That barbaric force was scattered throughout the republic, divided into provinces. A strong hand was needed to melt it and present it as a single whole. Quiroga was the one who lent his hand. Characteristics of the unit: the unit type worship the Constitution and individual rights. Its religion is coming from the Republic. It follows from one generation reasoning, deductive, enterprising. It has fine manners, gestures, cults, dresses European. Chapter IV. Trials. Actions Tala and Rincon. In 1825, the Buenos Aires government invited the provinces to meet at a  conference to shape a general government. Facundo received this invitation with enthusiasm (something positive Facundo). The first test facundo outside the terms of the province is the action of Tala. In it, his hordes are fighting with the army of General La Madrid. La Madrid was a great man of courage, many stories about his enormous courage around him. It was a kind of poet and harangued his troops with war songs. It is the singer of the first part (chapter II). La Madrid, eager to prepare troops for the war against Brazil overthrows the Tucumà ¡n authorities. Facundo decided to invade Tucumà ¡n by order of Government of Buenos Aires. The winner goes bad gaucho of combat and the Tala flies a flag: a black cloth with a skull and crossbones, the symbol of this spirit of strength pastor, Arabic, Tatar, which will destroy cities and their progress. The flag is red, red, just like you have the federal currency Rosas. The red color on the flag is opposed to Argentina and also to progress. The red is typical of the flags of the Wild: Asian, African and is the color of the chiefs, dictators, absolutism, the executioner of Artigas. This is seen throughout history in many cases. Color is a proscribed by Christian and civilized societies, whose flags shout justice and peace, while the red screams violence, blood and barbarity. It is important to analyze this point because every civilization is expressed in suits and each suit shows a whole system of ideas. The motto appears red roses in 1820 by order of the tyrant, and since then, who does not carry the red tape stifles it, regardless if it is a great man, a girl or a child of a wealthy family. This imposes on terror, thanks to the inability to differentiate themselves and the government. This fear that governments control us barbarians is rooted in our blood is Spanish heritage, and they have suffered for centuries the power of the Inquisition. And overcome Madrid, Facundo opposes the government of Rivadavia. Facundo was not federal, was the field commander, the enemy of bad gaucho civil justice, of order, decent man, sage, coat, of the city. Its mission is to d estroy all this, and that is why we oppose the government of Rivadavia. The government proposes to freedom of worship to attract European immigration and labor. Then, in Cà ³rdoba stands an inquisition.

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