Marketing for the Future | (Ice) Cream Rises to the Top - A Daring Dairy (and Non-Dairy) Case Study

Marketing for the Future

(Ice) Cream Rises to the Top - A Daring Dairy (and Non-Dairy) Case Study

Our exploration into purpose marketing had us look at an industry close to our hearts - via our stomachs.

This series was hungry for some real food for thought and some positive examples of purpose marketing that avoided reducing purpose to a fad. To get stuck into some delicious purpose marketing examples, we had to first choose which players we thought did it well. A couple of cases immediately came to mind when contemplating these questions, but two really stood out. Both for the calibre of their campaigns, and for the dilemma they posed in how to bridge the very obvious gap between them. On the one hand, Ben & Jerry’s - the household favoured ice cream company. On the other, Oatly, a venerated vegan brand on a mission to convince you, your parents and your parents’ parents to convert to a non-dairy path. Let us show you why they are both stellar examples of purpose-driven companies that complement each other well.

Consider the infamous Pepsi Max campaign featuring Kendall Jenner which earned a barrage of criticism for co-opting the Black Lives Matter movement and trivialising the critical issue of police brutality. Pepsi’s exploitative approach to oppression and systemic racism was met with much uproar from the public, resulting in the ad getting pulled after only 24 hours. It became clear that social justice cannot be treated as a passing trend and has to be rooted in real activism and commitment to the cause.

Ben & Jerry’s social activism is as much of a staple of its identity as whimsical product names and cookie dough. Justice and anti-racism are two of the causes they feel passionately about, but the catalogue of causes they support also extends to supporting refugees, democracy, LGBTQ+ equality, fairtrade, peace building, GMO labelling, and climate justice. In 1988, Ben & Jerry’s was one of the first companies in the world to place social mission alongside profit and economic mission. Now a certified B-corporation, they boast an impressive history of purpose marketing campaigns spanning from encouraging voter registration and climate action, to supporting marriage equality. Their marketing works hand in hand with activism, and this collaboration gives their campaigns the edge needed to resonate in the hearts of their customer base.

Whilst Oatly probably won’t be holding hands with Ben & Jerry’s any time soon, both companies are two sides of the same coin. The plant-based company gets a lot of attention for its bold campaigns encouraging customers to transition to a more sustainable diet. The fresh take Oatly offers in dairy-substitutes is matched by the fresh take they approach with their marketing, with subversive campaigns that make as much fun of themselves as they do the dairy industry. Take, for example, their 2018 pseudo-guerilla billboard marketing campaign in Berlin; slogans such as “You actually read this? Total success.” and “We made this ad look like street art so you would like it better than if it was just an ad.” popped up overnight in the city. They avoided pushing the narrative of health and eco-conscious consumers and instead made themselves sympathetic and relatable.

So, what could Oatly have in common with Ben & Jerry’s? The conclusion comes down to purpose. Both effortlessly remind us of the human behind the product, and marry witty copy and innovative campaigns with concerted humanitarian and environmental support. In a light-hearted, tongue in cheek way, Oatly has gently ribbed dairy drinkers for the past decades to encourage them to convert to the dairy-free lifestyle. A lifestyle, we are becoming increasingly aware, is a huge asset to combating climate change. No global corporation can be completely, 100% sustainable, something Oatly knows just as well as Ben & Jerry’s - but, both are examples of companies that acknowledge their flaws and don’t shy away from scrutiny. They incorporate social and environmental activism into their marketing blueprints, make clear their attempts to mitigate their impact, and contribute to a better, cleaner, more diverse and delicious world.

We’re left with the knowledge that brands can extol purpose whether this was their original intention or not, and imperfection shouldn’t be a bar to pursuing purpose marketing.The one caveat is that brands must walk the walk as well as talk the talk. Acknowledging your pitfalls whilst laying out the roadmap on how to overcome them will make a difference. Brands can do good and lead influential purpose marketing campaigns even if they don’t have a 100% clean slate, and no brand will be squeaky clean as they balance growing demand with logistical and sustainable realities. No one likes people or brands who preach perfection, but any and all concerted efforts to minimise negative impact and maximise positive results are cause for celebration.