Jody Eley Issue #40

Pint Powerhouse

By Alysse Dalessandro
Published: June 1st, 2009 | 12:00am

Karamel Sutra. Chubby Hubby. Phish Food. These are just a few of the now classic flavors conjured up by Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Lifelong ice cream guru Jody Eley is responsible for getting these tasty concoctions from the test lab to your grocer’s freezer.

NAME: Jody Eley
AGE: 29
OCCUPATION: Ben & Jerry’s Assistant Brand Manager

TRAINING REQUIRED: Although most people working brand management hold an MBA, Eley went about it the old-fashioned way — from the bottom up. “I was lucky enough to land a marketing position within the company after just a few short years of working in tours,” says Eley, who spent her college days leading tours through the Waterbury factory. “It’s been nearly 11 years since my first day and I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon.”

SALARY: Based on geography, experience, and the size of the organization, folks in the brand marketing biz can make anywhere from $60,000 to $120,000, according to Eley. Not only does Eley make some serious coin, but Ben & Jerry’s has some unique company benefits: employees receive three free pints a day and have access to an onsite gym complete with personal trainers. That means Eley can gorge on Chocolate Fudge Brownie and work it off at the gym later.

HOURS: A workday for Eley usually involves arriving at the office at 8:45 a.m. and staying until 5:30 p.m. She warns that this might not be typical for most brand-management positions. “We’ve hired people that have come from certain metropolitan areas where the typical work day is 10-12 hours,” says Eley. “Here in Vermont, things are more laid back and there’s emphasis put on the quality of life.”

FUN STUFF: Ben & Jerry’s launched the “Mission to Marzipan” flavor in March 2009 — and fans can thank Eley for the marzipan addition. “When we started tasting versions, I felt like there was something missing,” she says. “I came up with the idea of adding marzipan based off an incredible pastry my mom makes every Christmas.”

YUCKY STUFF: The Research and Development team brings their experiments to the marketing team — and sometimes they don’t reveal the ingredients. Eley says it’s often strange flavors with weird spices or floral scents. “That’s the kind of stuff that doesn’t even make it down the marketing department’s throats, let alone all the way to market.”

WORDS OF WISDOM: “It’s a fun and interesting job that’s constantly changing based on market trends,” says Eley. “Every day is different, and if you’re working for a company that you believe in and can stand behind, then you’ve found a pretty fantastic job.”