I am currently unemployed so for this assignment I am going to talk about a past job that I had at a Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream scoop shop. Ben and Jerry's is in the super premium market for ice cream and its mission consists of three parts: a product mission, an economic mission, and a social mission. Their product mission is to make, distribute and sell the finest quality all natural ice cream and euphoric concoctions with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the Earth and the environment. It's economic mission is to operate the company on a sustainable financial basis of profitable growth, increasing profit for its stakeholders and expanding opportunities for development and career growth for its employees. Their social mission is to operate the company in a way that actively recognizes the central role that business plays in society by initiating innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally, and internationally.
Ben & Jerry's corporate strategy strives to implement the three integrated missions described above. The general corporate strategy can be based primarily on product differentiation and quality production. 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. Ben & Jerry’s general strategy also combines several other key components, including fostering a company image of social activism, creating brand loyalty, and franchising the company to aid economic growth.
From my experience I would have to say that Ben & Jerry’s workforce is highly engaged in its efforts to support and sustain its corporate mission.
Sorry to hear that you are out of work.
ReplyDeleteDo you think the strategy at Ben & Jerry's still rings true after they "sold-out" to Unilever?
Mike, you provided the background information from which to write an organizational memo to Ben & Jerry's employees, but this is not the memo. It is an analysis of B&J - a good one, but not quite the assignment I asked for. Take another shot at this. Tell B&J employees what they need to know to support the company's mission in the face of economic and market realities.
ReplyDeleteBen and Jerry's primary focus is to deliver premium quality ice cream with a memorable experience for their customers. Ben and Jerry's is threatened by other companies that also make super premium quality ice cream and novelties which include: Haagan-Dazs, ColdStone, Dreyers, and Baskin-Robins. Ben and Jerry's is also threatened by other force besides competitors, such as fluctuations in personal income, demographics, and consumer tastes- all of which drive demand. Their mission is to make, distribute, and sell the finest quality ice cream with a continued commitment to incorporating wholesome, natural ingredients and promoting business practices that respect the earth and environment. Current challenges for Ben and Jerry's is to make all of their ingredients in their ice cream to be sourced FairTrade by 2013 while still being profitable and creating shareholder value. All employees at this company are critical to the success of the company, especially those serving ice cream to the customer-the face of the organization.
ReplyDeletePaige, Ben and Jerry's strategy has remained the same even after they were purchased by Unilever. In 2006, Ben and Jerry's created their first ice cream that included all ingredients that were fair trade certified. By 2013, their goal is to have all of their ice cream fair trade certified. From what I can see, I would have to say that Ben and Jerry's is sticking to its business model while creating premium ice cream with business processes that are not harmful to the earth or environment.
ReplyDeleteBetter on the memo. You fluctuated between speaking as part of the company and as an outsider looking in on the company. In this assignment I wanted you to speak as part of the company.
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