Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Ben and Jerry Backhand Haagen-Dazs for Shrinking Ice Cream Cartons

 You deserve more ice-cream!

That's the message from Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founders of Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream, The dynamic duo have never been afraid to speak their mind on political and environmental issues, so it comes as no surprise that they're waging a war of words on one of their arch rivals.

Haagen-Dazs downsized its  packaging  (ala the Pepsi 8-Pack) and the pint-sized cartons now hold 14 fl. oz rather than 16. Haagen-Dazs rationalized the downsizing as a cost-cutting measure. A page on Haagen-Dazs.com, explains the cause for smaller cartons , citing a 25% rise in ingredients such as "fresh eggs, top-quality raspberries and Madagascar vanilla."Oh,and who could forget the gas excuse.

On the same page, Haagen-Dazs touts its unique form of flavor-blending. This is a direct quote:

Rather than simply slicing and mixing them into ice cream as many do, our berries are 'hugged' to release their juices. We blend these juices into the ice cream before folding in the fruit to maximize the flavor while preserving the berry's beautiful natural color.

(Wow, I didn't realize how expensive hugs are these days.)

In response, Ben and Jerry's launched a campaign "A pint is not a pint unless it's a pint." at Benandjerrys.com , You can read Ben and Jerry's complete statement. An excerpt includes.

We think downsizing pints is downright wrong. We understand that in today’s hard economic times businesses are feeling the pinch. We also understand that many of you are also feeling the same, and think now more than ever you deserve your full pint of ice cream....While our competitor may be experiencing a bit of shrinkage, rest assured that your Ben & Jerry’s will still be standing tall in the freezer.

In my opinion, this was a brilliant move by Ben and Jerry's, because they're portrayed  as consumer advocates ,while their arch rival is villanized as greedy corporate pigs. Passion for their brand and reputation are some of the main reasons why Ben & Jerry’s negotiated for parent company Unilever, (NYSE:UL) to let them operate separately. with an independent Board of Directors.

Posted By Matt O'Hern at 10:35 AM
Permanent Link: Ben and Jerry Backhand Haagen-Dazs for Shrinking Ice Cream Cartons | Comments (3)

(3) Comments on Ben and Jerry Backhand Haagen-Dazs for Shrinking Ice Cream Cartons

This is ridiculous. The men who patented the most diabolically small carton the world has ever seen containing the best brand-name ice cream for a whopping cost are attacking their adversaries who provide far larger amounts of (inferior still) ice cream? BEN AND JERRY, I DEMAND YOU TO MAKE LARGER CARTONS!

Comments by Ian : Wednesday, April 01, 2009 at 11:02 AM

I think Haagen Daaz have totally done the right thing, rather than compromise on quality of fantastic ice cream give us 2oz less. Maybe Ben and Jerrys should concentrate on getting half the taste and quality of haagen daaz.

Comments by AMANDA LOYNS : Thursday, September 03, 2009 at 02:35 PM

The article states that HAAGEN DAZS' had shrunk!!! NOT the Ben and Jerry's! Yay for Ben and Jerry's!!!

Comments by jaimee Siron : Friday, September 11, 2009 at 07:30 PM

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