Their whole brand identity is based upon their values. Ben & Jerry’s is regarded as a prototype of a “socially responsible corporation” because it gives away 7.5% of its pretax profits to charity, limits salaries of top executives, and conspicuously supports social causes. Ben and Jerry’s built their business with a social conscience to give back to the community that supports them. They began by giving away free ice cream and sponsoring local festivals, but as the company grew, their efforts became more ambitious. Other than ice cream and yogurt, the company is best known or bringing “sixties” values to today’s business world. They create themes around each flavor and part of the proceeds are donated to a cause, enabling the consumer to feel good about spending extra money when purchasing their product. Some examples of their causes are: introducing a product called “peace pops” as part of a campaign advocating massive reductions in the military budget; opening a shop in Harlem, New York providing jobs scooping ice cream to homeless men, purchasing supplies from minority or disadvantaged suppliers. In spite of much criticism and controversy over the years, Ben & Jerry built a national franchise spread across 15 countries, with $174 million in sales by 1997.