Last year, following the murder of George Floyd by police and the ensuing Black Lives Matter protests, the Vermont ice cream maker and Unilever subsidiary Ben & Jerry’s issued perhaps the strongest corporate statement on the matter. Its headline was We Must Dismantle White Supremacy.
Why Ben & Jerry’s Speaks Out
An interview with CEO Matthew McCarthy and global activism chief Christopher Miller.
January 13, 2021
HBR Staff/Unsplash/Ben & Jerry's
Summary.
How does a large company with a diverse customer base choose when and how to take a prominent stand on highly politicized current events? An interview with Matthew McCarthy, Ben & Jerry’s CEO, and Christopher Miller, head of global activism strategy, on its swift and strong responses to the murder of George Floyd and the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, why it believes in multi-issue corporate activism and advice for organizations that want to become better social advocates.