The people who buy this stuff do not buy it for the taste or for the quality. They buy it to make a statement. They buy it to be seen, buying it. They buy it to be seen eating it. The taste is irrelevant to their customers.
Which has it's amusing aspect as Ben & Jerry no longer own Ben & Jerry's. It's owned by Unilever, an [horrors] international conglomerate.
"In April 2000, Ben & Jerry's sold the company to Anglo-Dutch multinational food giant Unilever. Unilever said it hopes to carry on the tradition of engaging "in these critical, global economic and social missions". Although the founders' names are still attached to the product, they do not hold any board or management position and are not involved in day-to-day management of the company."
"Unilever owns over 400 brands, but focuses on 14 brands with sales of over 1 billion euros - Axe/Lynx, Dove, Omo, Becel/Flora, Heartbrand ice creams, Hellmann's, Knorr, Lipton, Lux, Magnum, Rama, Rexona, Sunsilk and Surf. It is a dual-listed company consisting of Unilever N.V., based in Rotterdam, and Unilever plc, based in London. The two companies operate as a single business, with a common board of directors. Unilever is organised into four main divisions - Foods, Refreshment (beverages and ice cream), Home Care, and Personal Care. It has research and development facilities in the United Kingdom (2), the Netherlands, China, India and the United States.
Head office Unilever N.V. Rotterdam, NetherlandsUnilever was founded in 1930 by the merger of the Dutch margarine producer Margarine Unie and the British soapmaker Lever Brothers. During the second half of the 20th century the company increasingly diversified from being a maker of products made of oils and fats, and expanded its operations worldwide. It has made numerous corporate acquisitions, including Lipton (1971), Brooke Bond (1984), Chesebrough-Ponds (1987), Best Foods and Ben & Jerry's (2000), and Alberto-Culver (2010)."
I wonder if the socially conscious Ben & Jerry consumers would choke on their milkfat if they but knew the truth.