Sweets & Snacks

Creating Familiar Yet Luxurious Plant-Based Alternatives: The Case of Ben & Jerry’s

This article is of the Vegconomist X ProVeg International New Food Hub article series, which aims to make actionable insights into the plant-based space more readily accessible.

ProVeg International has recently published a case study detailing US ice-cream brand Ben & Jerry’s expansion into the plant-based market. The case study explores how Ben & Jerry’s utilised its existing USP of indulgence to successfully market its plant-based ice cream.

In 2022, Ben & Jerry’s plant-based ice cream products account for 32% of its entire US range, with 20/62 of its products being dairy-free. Such an expansive range allows the company to target not only vegans and vegetarians, but also flexitarians and those who are lactose intolerant (75% of global consumers!).

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Image courtesy ProVeg International

Ben & Jerry’s approaches the plant-based market with a taste-first approach, telling consumers there is “no need to compromise” when it comes to its plant-based ice cream selection. Taste is a key driver for consumers when trying plant-based food, and Ben & Jerry’s makes sure to maximise on this desire for indulgence. The plant-based indulgence sector is growing quickly – check out ProVeg International’s webinar ‘How to position plant-based foods to maximise their appeal’ to discover more on this topic.

Aside from indulgence, Ben & Jerry’s targets flexitarian consumers by promoting familiarity and, in Europe, reassuring consumers through the use of ProVeg International’s V-Label certification. If you want to know more about the steps Ben & Jerry’s has taken to successfully develop their plant-based range, click here to find the full case study.


This case study provides key insight and advice for other brands who may be considering releasing a plant-based version of a fan-favourite product. If you are interested in finding out more about low-risk plant-based product ranges which can drive profit for your company, check out ProVeg International’s full whitepaper, ‘Plant-based profit: lucrative low-risk product ranges’.

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