About Ben & Jerry’s
Ben & Jerry’s Homemade Inc., started in 1978 in a renovated gas station in Burlington, Vermont, USA, founded by childhood friends and dedicated activists Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. In 2000 Ben & Jerry’s became a wholly owned autonomous subsidiary of Unilever with a unique governance structure that provides for an independent Board of Directors vested with primary responsibility for advancing Ben & Jerry’s social mission and ensuring the essential integrity of the brand.
Ben & Jerry’s is one of Unilever’s most valuable and iconic brands, with annual turnover exceeding €1 Billion, and with high ambitions to double the business, and expand its impact throughout the world. Central to the mission of Ben & Jerry’s is the belief that all three parts of its mission must thrive equally. This translates into a high-paced growth environment without compromising our grassroots and activist spirit. That is how we remain a true purpose-led organization with a connected 3-part mission, which you will find reflected in our KPI’s.
Ben & Jerry’s 3-Part Mission:
Social mission: We initiate innovative ways to improve the quality of life locally, nationally, and internationally specifically on Climate Justice, Social Justice, Racial Justice, and Economic Justice
Product mission: We make and distribute the finest quality natural ice cream and euphoric concoctions.
Economic mission: We operate our Company for sustainable, Profitable financial growth.
Background & Purpose of the Job
The CMO will lead the Marketing Team in the development of brand communications, social mission campaigns, new product innovation and marketing platforms that create a strong B&J’s business and connection with our fans in every market in which we compete. Responsibilities encompass all aspects of brand development for B&J’s ice cream businesses, retail scooping, digital, PR, event/guerilla marketing, CMI, advertising and activism communication, as well as the staff, budgets and processes that support same. Lead the Marketing Organization in the creation of integrated marketing platforms that can be applied broadly in Global markets to build brand awareness/trial, demonstrate leadership in progressive values and deliver the fun and irreverence that define Ben & Jerry’s. Continue to advance and strengthen Ben & Jerry’s unique and compelling voice to build, relevance, reputation, and esteem among target audiences. Ensure that the brand is strong and consistent in every marketing tactic, and that the Ben & Jerry’s story is communicated with creativity and impact. Lead the creation/production of inspiring design, content, and campaigns that builds the brand and drives consumer engagement.
Who You Are & What You’ll Do
- Serve as brand steward and integral member of the leadership team providing clear brand vision and strategy.
- Lead and mentor a growing team of marketers, prioritizing activities that support the company’s strategic goals while fostering a culture of inspiration, growth, and empowerment.
- Lead the development and strategy for global marketing plans including media, messaging strategy, promotions, social mission communications and activism.
- Champion digital acceleration and innovation including paid & earned opportunities across emerging digital channels.
- Source, develop and manage external marketing agencies, working collaboratively to deliver compelling results.
- Work closely with the Finance Director to set targets, goals, and budgets for your team.
- Maintain external relationships with production and creative agencies, media, social media platforms, content studios, and brand partners.
- Proactively cultivate an inclusive environment where people of diverse backgrounds, lifestyles, and nationalities love working together.
- Lead and inspire big, creative thinking that drives differentiation and brand love, and cascades into impactful business results.
- Oversee all creative, communications, and content teams to develop and maintain, messaging, creative, communications, experiences, partnerships, and content.
- Staff includes Brand Management, Innovation, Integrated Marketing, PR, Design, Insights, Consumer Services, Digital, & Scoop Shop Marketing.
- Current number of markets – 35
What You’ll Need To Succeed
- Masters degree in Business, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 7-10 years of consumer products marketing experience as well as exposure to the unique requirements of a more entrepreneurial consumer products businesses.
- Communication and leadership skills, with proven success in traditional and innovative campaigns across the broad spectrum of today’s marketing channels.
- Thorough knowledge of marketing principles, brand, product and service management, sales, and business development; along with a demonstrated track record of success and performance.
- Ability to understand changing market dynamics, translating them into actionable strategies to achieve company objectives.
- Advanced experience working with a variety of modern marketing, digital platforms, and communications functions including branding and messaging to different target audiences.
- Experience with trade channels, marketing resources (suppliers) and marketing best practices is a necessity.
- Prior consumer packaged goods (CPG) experience using a variety of marketing tactics to build brand love and drive sales is desired.
- Must exhibit a personal commitment to the Company’s social mission and marketing’s vital role in delivering all three elements of Ben & Jerry’s 3-part mission statement and progressive values.
- Strong analytical, project management skills.
- Ability to drive innovation across the business from products to how we show up for our fans.
- The CMO will be expected to lead in a team-focused environment that is fun, collaborative, values-driven and results-oriented. An inclusive leadership style is essential.
- Skilled at budget management with a focus on budget allocation and optimization and the ability to build business cases for annual plans and strategic initiatives.
- Experience with franchise systems, franchise marketing, and franchisees is a plus.
- An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organization and push the boundaries within the industry.
- Exceptional presentation and communication skills along with the ability to professionally communicate effectively across all levels of the organization.
- Strong ability to establish and maintain effective, collaborative work relationships with diverse individuals, internally and externally through direct and positive communications.
- Excellent leadership skills including the ability to build teams, motivate, guide, develop & mentor.
- Strong facilitation skills and managing teams through creating trust, psychological safety, and effective delegation & empowerment.
Over the past year, we have dedicated ourselves in new ways to understanding and developing strategies for the deep work necessary to uproot the systemic racism underpinning our racial inequity. Ben & Jerry’s is committed to becoming a truly antiracist company by eliminating racial disparities within the company and to disproportionately create Black wealth through our business relationships.
We are actively working to achieve equity in our workforce, franchise network and supplier base through a wide range of ongoing and evolving strategies that eliminate barriers, increase access to opportunity, and make real changes in our business practices and culture. This work will be supported by goals and internal metrics to maintain and report on our progress.
We have chosen to center on racial equity out of an understanding that the culture of white supremacy must be dismantled to achieve equity for all marginalized people. We have focused our strategies on outcomes for Black people because slavery and its legacy remain such a defining element of American life. We believe this targeted work will help us achieve our broader commitment to universal social equity.
The initial phase of this work focuses on our home market of the U.S., where the majority of our employees and business is located. As we learn and build our capacity for this work, we will expand it to our global markets where systemic racism in other forms, with roots in colonialism, persists.