Ben and Jerry decided to add a new vegan flavor to their line honoring social activist and athlete Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick has fought against racial inequality and has spoken publicly about this topic, especially within the athletic world, “he routinely took a knee during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality while playing in the NFL (Jackson, 2021).” 

This partnership is in line with Ben and Jerry’s racial justice mission. On their website, they have a section that discusses racial justice. In this component of their website, Ben and Jerry acknowledge that racism is a deeply embedded system. They, as a company, are educating themselves on the issues and want to create change. They also have partnerships with the NAACP and the organization Color of Change. 

The collaboration between Kaepernick and Ben and Jerry’s feels very authentic because his values of racial equality and creating change align with Ben and Jerry’s. This campaign is effective and genuine due to how the ice cream company framed the partnership. Kaepernick’s campaign section on their website utilizes the ethical principle of authenticity. Ben and Jerry’s dedication to fighting for racial equality and having some of these difficult conversations about race is part of what Colin Kaepernick did for the NFL. He got sports fans and people worldwide talking and thinking about their racial biases when he knelt for the National Anthem during an NFL game. 

Ben and Jerry’s campaign also displays a significant amount of awareness. They fully acknowledge their racial biases and state their desire to create change. Ben and Jerry do a successful job of incorporating Kaepernick’s and Know Your Rights Camp’s values of investing in black lives’ liberties while incorporating their new flavor. They focus on their social justice mission rather than their self-promotion. Overall, Ben and Jerry handle the whole campaign respectfully, and the whole thing is hugely informative. 

The partnership is mutually beneficial because people will feel inspired to support Ben and Jerry’s ice cream because they use their collaborations and their platform to fight racial injustice. Consumers will feel drawn to buy Ben and Jerry’s ice cream because their campaign with Kapernick fights for racial equality and brings the topic of race to the table, challenging old ways of thought. The Issues We Care About section enhances the mutually beneficial relationship because the section clarifies the company’s position on these racial issues and acknowledges their bias and what they are doing to make a change.

Jackson, W. (2021, February 04). Goodell ‘thankful’ FOR Kaepernick’s Activism. Retrieved February 08, 2021, from https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/02/04/roger-goodell-thankful-colin-kaepernick-activism