MBLM Unveils Ben & Jerry’s as Youngest Brand in Consumer Goods Industry to be Part of Top 10, Ranking Reflects its Unconventional and Outspoken Appeal

MBLM, the Brand Intimacy Agency focused on strategy, design, creative and technology, today revealed that among consumer goods industry brands, Ben & Jerry’s which ranked seventh, stands out for its unconventional and outspoken brand appeal. The youngest brand in the category, Ben & Jerry’s was the only one that led in being indulgent versus focusing on nostalgia, the dominant category convention.

“Ben & Jerry’s ranking so high demonstrates that it is possible for younger brands to take on the giants of an industry and cultivate highly intimate consumer bonds, often challenging the status quo,” stated Mario Natarelli, managing partner at MBLM. “While legacy consumer goods brands appear to be traditional, the rookie Ben & Jerry’s thrives to be different and sets itself apart by being outspoken and unconventional.”

Ben & Jerry’s goes against the grain of the consumer good industry. The brand is defined by the way it breaks the mold, primarily in its mission to pursue the sustainable corporate concept of “linked posterity,” and also the way it markets its products, sources its ingredients and participates in sociopolitical conversation.

The brand’s ice cream is made with fair trade ingredients and its Caring Dairy program encourages dairy farmers to raise “happy cows.” The brand ranks second in the consumer goods industry and fourth in the overall study for the archetype of indulgence, but it sets apart from other indulgent food brands by providing a globally responsible way for consumers to treat themselves. The brand is also known for its bold, progressive political stances. Additionally, it is very effective on social media. It has more social media mentions per sales dollar than any other restaurant brand with 5,627, which is 66 percent more than the second-place brand Chipotle, according to NetBase’s Social Media Industry Report 2016: Restaurant Brands. Ben & Jerry’s also grows its audience by tapping into existing ones with its pop-culture-themed flavors such as “Cherry Garcia” (Jerry Garcia) and “Bob Marley’s One Love.”

The top 10 brands for the consumer goods industry are: Hershey’s, Quaker, Lay’s, Kellogg’s, Campbell’s, Nabisco, Ben & Jerry’s, Pillsbury, Heinz and Betty Crocker.

Other U.S. consumer goods industry findings from MBLM’s 2017 report include:

• Nostalgia, which focuses on memories of the past and warm, poignant feels, is the archetype most associated with the industry
• The top three brands for millennials are Lays, Ben & Jerry’s and Heinz
• Hershey’s also ranks first with men and women, those 45-64 years old, and those earning $35,000-$75,000
• Individuals who earn over $100,000 prefer Kellogg’s

This year’s report contains the most comprehensive rankings of brands based on emotion, analyzing the responses of 6,000 consumers and 54,000 brand evaluations across 15 industries in the U.S., Mexico and UAE. MBLM’s reports and interactive Brand Ranking Tool showcase the performance of almost 400 brands, revealing the characteristics and intensity of the consumer bonds.

To download the full Brand Intimacy 2017 Report or explore the Ranking Tool please visit: https://mblm.com/lab/brandintimacy-study/.