Ben & Jerry’s is well-known for its deliberate messaging on social media and in the press. The company takes a powerful no-nonsense approach in its statements, speaking out about everything from the death of George Floyd, to climate change, to reparations for Black Americans.
In an interview for the Fast Company series “The Work in Progress,” Christopher Miller, the company’s head of global activism strategy, and David Rappaport, Ben & Jerry’s global social mission officer, share their messaging strategy, and how they ensure it differs from the milquetoast tone taken by so many other corporations.
WATCH: Ben & Jerry’s has successfully blended ice cream and activism for decades—here’s how
When the Vermont-based ice cream company was crafting its response to the January 6 Capitol attacks, speed and accuracy were key—but so was listening to outside voices, says Miller. He says that having the best response entails thinking critically about the intended message, taking timing into account, and focusing on the workshop process among a small group. “[An] external base touch is always super important. We will often gut-check something with our outside partners and allies.”
Finding the right language is a priority. “Words matter,” says Miller, who is a veteran of Greenpeace. “We take our lead from the people who are on the front lines of these issues [who] have been historically marginalized, [who] live and breathe these issues. People have to understand our history and how it created the future that we’re living today.”
In response to recent attacks on Asian Americans, including the murder of six Asian American women in Atlanta, Miller says the company has been discussing the dangers of the racist rhetoric on shaping real-life violence. “Charlottesville. Atlanta. Time after time, it’s clear that these kinds of words have real-world impacts. If I’m honest, there weren’t enough mainstream voices willing to stand up and say, that’s not okay.”
Rappaport says that companies need to be unafraid to draw a line in the sand and show current (and future) employees what they can look for. Amid a turbulent political and cultural climate, Rappaport says it’s no wonder there’s a growing “hunger … to ensure there’s justice in society and the workplace.”
He says helming a company requires a skill of listening and expressing a receptiveness to new ideas. “Listen to your employees. Go into [conversations] really understanding that real change needs to be made; there’s not a ‘neutral’ on a moving train. You’re either racist, or you’re anti-racist. You got to have [these conversations] and get comfortable with that discomfort.”
Children want to know what the rules are, and they want those rules to be applied dependably between them. Baseball players want to know how the umpire is “defining” the strike zone, and they want consistent at-bat calls across both teams…
When I returned from my three-month maternity leave to my position as cofounder of a childcare tech startup, I realized my LinkedIn profile was outdated. As I updated some fields, I came across the industry section, where you can identify what sector y…
Editor’s Note: Each week Maynard Webb, former CEO of LiveOps and the former COO of eBay, will offer candid, practical, and sometimes surprising advice to entrepreneurs and founders. To submit a question, write to Webb at dearfounder@fastcom…
Since the pandemic began and many employees began to work remotely, balancing or blending work and life has been a challenge for many. As we previously reported in Fast Company, an April 2020 survey by Blue Jeans found that remote workers were adding r…
Back in 2019, I joined a packed stadium of enthusiastic fans to hear Michelle Obama speak. She covered a range of topics, from motherhood to leadership. But I was especially struck by Obama’s take on impostor syndrome—that nagging whisper…
With nine months to prepare for the arrival of safe and effective vaccines, our government ignored fast-moving innovation firms in favour of a bureaucratic, risk-averse procurement process
Executive teams that increase gender diversity became more open to change and less comfortable with risk.
Dasilva said he expects to make the service available in Australia and New Zealand within the year
As a global business technology executive, I have spent the past few decades logging many miles back and forth across the globe. I did so to build the confidence of prospects and clients, to forge trusting relationships with colleagues, and to lead man…
