Our Roundup: From iconic brands finding new ways to connect with consumers to unexpected collaborations, creative campaigns, and cultural moments, this week’s stories show how staying true to what makes a brand different can keep it relevant.

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This Week’s Report
—> Ben & Jerry’s Is Fighting for Its Soul
—> Key Takeaways
—> This Week’s Standouts

For decades, Ben & Jerry’s has been more than an ice cream company. It’s been a brand willing to speak up, take risks, and stand behind what it believes.

That approach helped build one of the world's most recognizable and respected brands. Today, Ben & Jerry’s ranks #3 on the Authenticity 500, a reflection of how strongly consumers associate the brand with authenticity.

But now, the very values that helped build its reputation are at the center of a battle over its future.

At Advertising Week New York, co-founder Ben Cohen challenged marketers to help preserve the company's activist identity, claiming that its parent company, Magnum Ice Cream Company, has restricted its ability to speak out on social and political issues. Magnum disputes those claims, maintaining that it respects Ben & Jerry’s social mission.

Beyond the corporate dispute is a much bigger question:

What happens when the values that made a brand successful become inconvenient to the people who own it?

What stood out to me was Cohen's reminder that Ben & Jerry’s didn't build its reputation through clever advertising or purpose-driven campaigns. It built it by actually doing the work, often when taking a stand wasn't popular or commercially comfortable.

As Cohen put it, "It wasn’t about advertising or an image. This was about doing the work." That's an important distinction.

Brands can easily talk about their values when everyone agrees with them. The real test comes when those values require difficult decisions, create friction, or come with a cost.

This is what makes the current situation worth watching.

Consumers don't necessarily expect every brand to take a political position, but they do expect consistency between what a brand says and what it does. Ben & Jerry’s has spent decades making its social mission part of its identity, and that creates expectations that don't disappear when ownership changes.

Authenticity isn't something a company can simply claim, advertise, or inherit. It has to keep earning it.

And sometimes the clearest demonstration of what a brand stands for is what it's unwilling to compromise.

1. Do the Work Before the Marketing
Build your reputation through meaningful actions, not just campaigns that communicate your values.

2. Know What You Won't Compromise
Identify the principles that matter most to you or your brand before they're challenged.

3. Make Your Actions Match Your Words
Consistency between what you say and what you do builds trust that advertising alone cannot buy.

4. Protect What Makes You Different
The beliefs and decisions that distinguish your brand may also be the reason people remain loyal.

This week’s real-time signals on how brands are actually showing up.

• Patagonia brings its Worn Wear resale program to its main website, proving its commitment to sustainability goes beyond words.
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• Pringles turns a quirky piece of its own history into a Halloween campaign, showing how originality can come from staying true to your roots.

• LEGO x Hello Kitty brings two iconic brands together through shared values of creativity, play, and connection across generations.

• Vans creates a frenzy at ComplexCon with Satoshi Nakamoto, reinforcing the power of staying connected to the communities that built your brand.

• Southwest Airlines taps into our need to disconnect, finding a relatable way to connect its longstanding brand promise with today's culture.

• Dolly Parton brings her 40-year coffee dream to life with Cup of Ambition, connecting a personal passion with her commitment to giving back.

What Brands Are Authentic? It is time once again to choose which brands you feel are authentic. Please tell us via our survey (it takes less than 5 minutes to fill out).

The results of your decisions will be part of our annual Authenticity 500 Index rankings, which you will receive for free.

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Disclosure: Some content in this newsletter may be generated with the assistance of AI tools for research and drafting. It was reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.