Every ice cream flavor at Ben & Jerry’s has an origin story. And it’s often years in the making.  

The “flavor gurus” — members of the research and development team — approach every creation with equal parts scientific and cultural research and creative fun. They anticipate flavor trends before they even happen and come up with unique tastes that appeal to their core demographic of “fans” — as well as new audiences.

But a delicious flavor is only half of Ben & Jerry’s strategy. Research and development partners with the brand innovation team for every new flavor journey, identifying impact partners and mapping out how to support the ice cream company’s mission, well beyond a flavor’s sell-by date. 

In this episode, Ben & Jerry’s Head of Brand Innovation Emily K. Smith and Head of Research and Development Chris Rivard reveal how their teams’ unique collaboration leads to product innovation, brand growth, and a lasting positive impact.