Traditional thinking has been that when a company jumps into a political debate, the company experiences shrinking sales and/or a boycott from unhappy consumers. One company that has bucked that trend is Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream.
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are well known for mixing their progressive political ideology with their popular ice cream. They entered the intersection between retail sales and political views many years ago. They embrace the controversies that have been created.
The problem is that many companies leaped into politics instead of focusing on their customers and delivering a good product or good customer service. Some customers grew tired of the social justice finger-wagging and began to boycott companies and businesses. Whether it was individual efforts or organizing a national boycott, consumers, usually conservatives, let their voices be heard.
The…
