Who buys Ben & Jerry’s?

Ben & Jerry’s is perhaps one of the more talked-about brands in Unilever’s portfolio, and it’s not necessarily because customers are obsessed with Cherry Garcia. The ice cream maker is known for its uncharacteristically outspoken political stances – which have included refusing to sell its products in the West Bank, and repeatedly criticising US President Donald Trump – which has sometimes led to clashes with its parent company Unilever. 

All of which can obscure the basic question of: who buys its ice cream? Ahead of its spinoff later this year, we take a look at Britain’s Ben & Jerry’s customers using YouGov Profiles and BrandIndex. 

Demographics of Ben & Jerry’s customers 

Looking at the basic facts of Ben & Jerry’s customers using YouGov Profiles & BrandIndex – and comparing them to customers of sweet snack brands (excluding chocolate brands), we can see that they’re more likely to be aged 18-34 on average (44% vs. 30%). 

They’re also somewhat more likely to be aged 35-54 (43% vs. 37%), and rather less likely to be over 55 (13% vs. 33%). 

We can also see that, along gender lines, they’re slightly more likely to be male than both customers of sweet snack brands (55% vs. 50%). So we’re looking at an audience that’s significantly, but far from entirely, comprised of younger people, and men. When the brand is listed as a standalone entity, it may wish to think about ways to appeal to this current core audience – and about ways to expand beyond it into other groups. Without further research we can’t say whether Ben & Jerry’s colourful branding, its political stances or some other factor entirely is what’s keeping older customers at arms reach; we can say for now that they’re more likely to get their ice cream elsewhere.  

The other sweet snack brands Ben & Jerry’s customers like 

Looking at how Ben & Jerry’s fares next to other brands in the space in terms of general sentiment – as measured by BrandIndex Impression scores – we can see that 42% of sweet snack customers like it. This puts it solidly middle of the pack compared to other brands operating in the same commercial arena. At the top of the table, we have McVitie’s chocolate digestives (57%) – which are also viewed positively by 50% of Ben & Jerry’s customers. 

Jaffa Cakes come in second (52% vs. 48% of B&J customers), with Mr. Kipling (50% vs. 49%) and McVities in general (50% vs. 49%) tying for third. 

Brands that feature in the top ten but are more appreciated  by Ben & Jerry’s customers include Oreos (41% vs. 48%), Maryland cookies (37% vs. 43%) Krispy Kreme doughnuts (34% vs. 43%) and Lotus Biscoff (41% vs. 47%). Rival ice cream Wall’s completes the top ten (37% vs. 34%). 

Attitudes of Ben & Jerry’s customers 

Combining YouGov Profiles and BrandIndex data also allows us to explore what Ben & Jerry’s customers think – their opinions on life, food, brands, diversity, and more. 

In a very general sense: Ben & Jerry’s customers are more likely to say they’re trying to work on becoming a better person (88% vs. 76%). The relevance of that to a commercial audience might seem dubious – ice cream has been used for therapeutic purposes, but it is not necessarily its primary function – but it helps paint an overall picture. It may have something to do, for example, with the higher importance Ben & Jerry’s customers place on corporate ethics: they’re more likely to say it’s hard to keep track of companies that have been involved in scandals (86% vs. 76%), that diversity and inclusion should be a consideration when it comes to putting on events (72% vs. 67%), that they don’t mind paying more for products that are good for the environment (60% vs. 51%), and that it’s more ethical to be vegan (39% vs. 28%). 

Most notably, given the headline-grabbing nature of certain Ben & Jerry’s statements, its customers are more prone to say that if a brand expresses a view they agree with in advertisements, they’re more likely to purchase something from them (60% vs. 49%), as well as the reverse proposition: if a brand holds a view they disagree with, they will stop buying from them (57% vs. 48%). Two in five go as far as to say that they try to only buy from companies that are socially and ethically responsible (41% vs. 32%). 

So how to reach these customers? YouGov BrandIndex & Profiles offer a wealth of data on their preferences when it comes to advertising and marketing, as well as deeper-dive intelligence on how customers feel about Ben & Jerry’s and their competitors. Get in touch to find out more. 

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YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for Great Britain is nationally representative of the online population and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.