Campbell Soup is prepping for the future

Formed in 1869, Campbell Soup Company is now in its third century, and the iconic brand is embracing technology to make sure it survives to see a fourth.

Thanks to a growing product portfolio, and the use of AI to spot new trends, Campbell is evolving beyond its soupy roots, per Food Dive.

Known best for its iconic can…

… recent acquisitions have pushed Campbell’s product assortment into new categories:

• In 2017, the company acquired Pacific Foods, which makes organic soups, broths, and milks.
• In 2018, Campbell bought snack behemoth Snyder’s-Lance, which owns Late July, Pop Secret, and several other brands.

With the Snyder’s-Lance acquisition, ~50% of Cambell’s sales now come from snacks.

To identify new food trends…

… the company uses a process called “Insights Engine,” which uses AI to review 300B menus, studies, and other data points per year.

Campbell’s employees use the data to understand where a trend is going, whether it will last, and if one of its brands is in position to capitalize on it. Recent innovations include:

• Oat milk-based soups, which the company rolled out in 2021 through Pacific Foods.
• FlavorUp, a cooking concentrate that comes in three flavors and enhances the flavor of food.

And these products are impacting the bottom line — innovation products currently account for 2% of net sales, and the company hopes to reach 3.5% by 2025.

If Campbell runs out of inspiration, they can always pull from centuries past, like this 1933 advertisement featuring asparagus soup.