I recently had the occasion to visit the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory (and birthplace) in Vermont. Ben & Jerry's is known for the eccentricities of the founders. It's been called a "hippie" company ... but more importantly it has a longstanding reputation as a company with a core set of sustainable values that include social responsibility. 
Touring the facility, those values were definitely part of the brand experience. The tour guides were well scripted in verbalizing the founders' values and the three missions were prominently displayed on the walls. The mission was exemplified by practices such as buying from local farmers, no GMO products and paying fair trade prices for their ingredients. I was especially impressed because Ben and Jerry no longer own the company. It was sold to Unilever years ago. My impression was somewhat diminished, though, when we ended the tour and bought some ice cream at the little shop on site. Despite all the talk, the ice cream was served with non-recyclable plastic utensils.
It keeps coming back to a fundamental truth. When it comes to branding, everything ... even the "little" things ... make a difference.
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