Campbell Soup Company Keeps in Touch with Consumers
No company is connected to consumers’ lives quite like Campbell Soup Company (www.campbellsoupcompany.com). The company puts an immense amount of thought and investment into ensuring it has a deep understanding of what consumers are looking for, so much so that consumer-driven innovation was designated as a top priority when the company set a new strategic direction in July 2011.
Charles Vila, Campbell’s vice president of Consumer and Customer Insights, and his team are devoted to discovering and activating the insights that drive this type of innovation forward.
They hit the road over the last year, meeting with people across the country, to find out what makes consumers tick. The insights that they collected shaped Campbell’s recent decision to heavily focus on new consumer groups, new consumer needs, new consumer platforms and new geographies.
“There’s a Campbell’s product in most pantries in America today, but in this time of immense change, we must focus on strengthening our relationship with our existing consumers and establishing a connection with new ones,” says Vila.
In this interview with CGT, Vila reveals how the company is proactively pursuing new opportunities that are presented by today’s changing consumer landscape.
Q: What top trends did your team uncover based on direct conversations with consumers?
Vila: The consumer landscape is changing rapidly. There are a number of trends that are driving consumer and shopper needs and desires, such as the new definition of health and wellness and a new emphasis on energy. Consumers are also looking for different sensations and opportunities for authentic flavors. On top of these trends are dynamic shifts, from the changing face of the New American Family (nontraditional, multi-generational, single parent and multi-cultural) to new taste preferences and new mealtime occasions — all of which are driving consumer choice.
We also know that consumers are increasingly looking for a high-value return on the investment on the purchases they make — both large and small. And it’s not just about price; they are assessing all of the products they buy through a new lens that helps them evaluate what will bring the most benefit to them personally, based on their needs.
Q: How is Campbell bringing these powerful insights to life through innovation?
Vila: Campbell is striving to move ahead of the curve. This requires us to maintain a balance between line extensions and more disruptive innovation — new and differentiated products, packaging and category segments that create new pathways for growth.
We are now beginning to bring products to the market that appeal to both traditional and nontraditional households, offering more consumers more compelling ways to engage with our food and drinks, and to help them manage at the pace, complexity and fluidity of their daily lives.
This year, we will introduce 100 new products in the United States across Campbell and Pepperidge Farm, and, within that, 30 new soups. Some of these new products have a multicultural feel and flavors inspired by global cuisines, or offer greater convenience and new packaging. New products, and new varieties of existing products, are helping us take the Campbell’s brand to a decidedly different place.
Q: You and your team specifically identified millennials as a key target consumer segment for Campbell moving forward. How are you meeting their unique needs through innovation?
Vila: We know the nation’s roughly 80 million millennials (ages 18-34) are conscious about the way they shop, cook and eat. They are the most ethnically diverse generation we have seen so far, and they take great pride in that. This influences their desires for adventurous eating and global taste profiles.
Campbell has responded to this new generation’s desire for global cuisine with meal solutions such as Campbell’s Skillet Sauces and Campbell’s Go Soups, both packaged in pouches with ethnic flavor profiles. [Campbell’s Go Soups flavor varieties include Creamy Red Pepper with Smoked Gouda and Moroccan Style Chicken with Chickpeas.] Campbell’s Go Soups were born from the insights we’ve gathered based on the diversity of changing demographics and new taste preferences.
Q: Millennials differ from other consumers when it comes to how they connect with brands. Has Campbell altered its marketing tactics to better reach this key consumer segment?
Vila: We’re aware of how our consumers want information, and we’re delivering that information in ways that are relevant to them. To reach millennial consumers, we have focused on digital media and have been creating a presence in mobile search, apps, mobile-optimized web sites and mobile-friendly coupons. We’ve also formed relationships with digital partners, working with them to create relevant content and deliver it through digital channels. For example, the launch of Campbell’s Go Soups has been supported by an online marketing campaign because we want to reach consumers in a way that matters to them (see “Go-ing After Millennials” sidebar).
Q: Back to new consumer segments, the Latino population is a high-growth market. How has this knowledge impacted innovation and marketing efforts across Campbell’s brand portfolio?
Vila: With the growth of the Latino population, Latino flavors are finding their way into all types of foods across the United States. So when we’re launching new products or new varieties, we ensure that those new offerings reflect the taste preferences of Latino consumers. For example, our new Chunky soup line extensions include a Chipotle Chicken & Corn Chowder variety, and our new Campbell’s Go Soups include a Spicy Chorizo & Pulled Chicken with Black Beans variety. In addition, we know from our research that many of our existing products resonate with Latino consumers, and we’ve developed our marketing plans with Latino consumers in mind. For example, this past fall, we launched a Spanish-language marketing campaign for Prego because we know that this sauce is an important part of many Latino kitchens. We also launched a new advertising campaign in September 2012 for Campbell’s Chunky soup with Victor Cruz, New York Giants wide receiver and Super Bowl XLVI champion — the first Latino to be featured in the campaign.
Q: What role do Campbell’s retail partners play in determining which consumer segments are most important?
Vila: There is a mutual need for both Campbell and our customers to efficiently use our resources to identify and target relevant consumer groups. We want to help our customers reach their shoppers. So, we’re in regular communication with them about shopper preferences because understanding the unique needs of these segments helps us enhance the in-store shopping experience.
Q: What type of feedback have you received from these innovation and marketing initiatives so far?
Vila: It’s been quite a busy year, and it’s still early to draw conclusions. But what has been an incredibly positive experience is hearing the real-time feedback our consumers are giving us through digital and social launch programs.
Go-ing After Millennials
Recognizing millennials’ penchant for social media, the Campbell’s Go marketing campaign focused primarily on digital communications. With the Campbell’s Go Facebook page as a central hub, the brand is leveraging a series of partnerships to generate original digital content that speaks to the millennial. Efforts include the following:
- A partnership with BuzzFeed.com to develop shareable social content
- Collaborating with Spotify, a digital music service, to develop custom playlists using the bold flavors of Campbell’s Go soups as inspiration
- A partnership with Rovio Entertainment as a launch sponsor for the Angry Birds Star Wars release in November 2012
- Inviting millennials in New York City and Chicago to gather around the Campbell’s Go Communal Tables to enjoy great tasting food and lively conversation