Soup up your profits

Launched last year with four varieties, sippable Soup at Hand was one of the most successful new product introductions in the Campbell's history.

If a USD 1.6 billion company announces that new microwaveable soup containers are lifting quarterly earnings with more than one third, someone at research/business development has done something right. Campbell’s Soup, the company in question, has scored a major hit with its sippable, heat-and-go soups. It started out with market research: according to National Eating Trends, 59 percent of all meals in the US are rushed, 44 percent of women carry lunch to work or school and 34 percent of lunches are eaten on the run. Soup is consistently a top choice for consumers preparing lunch at home, but falls low on the list for out-of-home lunch choices. So putting one and one together, Campbell’s saw the opportunity to shift the paradigm, getting consumers to think about soup as a meal solution for many occasions. In fact, launched last year with four varieties, sippable Soup at Hand was one of the most successful new product introductions in the company’s history. To keep the buzz going, and to stick with trend-based product introductions, the Soup at Hand line will see seven new varieties next month, three of which — Chicken & Stars, Mexican Fiesta and Pizza — catering to ‘Tweens’, children 10 to 14. Note: Tweens are currently the ‘generation du jour’! (Sources: Newstream.com, CNet.com, AdAge.com.)

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