Campbell’s is a legacy brand, with over 150 years in the market. Modernizations become imperative generation after generation, all while striving to maintain the quality that forged its name. However, global phenomena like a pandemic and the consequent decline in the world’s economy can shake even the sturdiest foundations. CMO Linda Lee reveals to Ben Kaplan for TOP CMO how the soup company read the room and quickly stirred in a direction that was most beneficial to its consumers.

The calm before the storm

“The strategy was in place, had we not had the strategy of modernization in place, we would probably react slower to that rapid change.”

Campbell’s had been working on a revamp before the pandemic hit, sensing the shifts in its environment. A big one was the rise of healthy eating, which means the brand had to pay more attention to “what consumers find acceptable the expectations of what makes healthy food”, according to Linda. Thus, a part of the company’s efforts was focused on the quality of its products.

Before any catastrophe struck, Campbell’s had started undergoing a series of changes that would, unknowingly, prepare it for what was to come.

Hit the pedal

“We needed to quickly respond to that and do even more. And that was the acceleration.”

Once the storm hit, Campbell’s received a new influx of occasions, of needs, and of young consumers. After a short hiatus, Linda says, they set a new direction and filter: “providing comfort or utility to our consumers, because that is what they need at this moment”. 

While they’d been already aiming at adapting to consumer needs, this was a chance they could not miss out on. “Everyone had to learn and become comfortable, or more comfortable, with cooking, especially the younger generations”, explains Linda. Health became a priority, rather than a preference. The economy receded, inflation rose, and people’s wallets grew tighter. Linda presents two strategies Campbell’s implemented to target these new needs.

1. Making it easy

“Everyone now knows how to cook and everyone is a possible audience for us.”

Yes, most people may be able to cook after the pandemic –at least according to Linda–. But going back to normal means having less time, and most people don’t think of it as a hobby but as an issue to solve. Linda realized people were now looking for help in useful cooking: “So inspire me, inspire me to want to cook with Campbells”.

At the same time, they had to adjust to a new generation with different pallets and relationships with food. Healthier, tastier, complex. Campbell’s needed to up its game with organic options, varied recipes, and diverse flavors; experiences mattered.

So one way of modernizing Campbell’s was by taking their Speed Scratch Cooking series and repurposing it towards a solutions-oriented help guide with variety in its dishes and healthy alternatives. The brand listened to its audience and evolved with it.

2. Making it affordable

“Now you can get something that is high quality or healthier, has certain health attributes, and not have to pay more for it.”

When considering inflation and the struggling economy that the pandemic left behind, Linda found it imperative to take care of Campbell’s customers’ pockets and wallets. Identifying this need led the company to look into ways of offering quality products they could afford, and help with making food yield.

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From that premise, Campbell’s launched the Make It Stretch program, which provided people with tasty and nutritious alternative dishes to make out of leftovers. Products were more useful, and multiple meals would cost less than making them all from scratch.

It came down to looking at their catalog and finding exactly how they could help their clients, in the easiest way possible. “We have many brands in there that really can provide the solutions to what people need today, which is a good meal”, summarizes Linda.

Keep it simple

“The brand is the product, and the product is the brand.”

In the consumer packaged goods industry, the focus is on the product. It’s always at the forefront, which makes it critical to ensure that the quality is the best it can be and that it is serving the target audience’s needs as satisfactorily as possible. One must always be on the lookout for modernization to keep up with the trends in every aspect of the market: price, caliber, and utility. That’s the Campbell’s way. And who knows? Linda Lee might be giving a tip worth 150 years.

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