Growth Strategies, Innovation, Alliances, and Execution at the Campbell Soup Company

Growth Strategies, Innovation, Alliances, and Execution at The Campbell Soup Company

Assignment number u10a1, DB8004-03, Spring 2013

Nancy Zervakos

Capella University

493 Country Club Drive, #229

Simi Valley, California 93065

Nzervakos@capellauniversity.edu

Instructor: Dr. Suzanne Richins

Introduction

The Balanced Scorecard can tie strategic planning and performance metrics across product lines in MNC (multinational corporations). The use of a Balanced Scorecard or strategy mapping can provide company-wide focus and a clear path to achieving desired results (Thompson, 2012). This paper explores the use of strategy mapping as a tool at Campbell Soup Company and looks at how using strategic innovation has enabled this trusted household American brand to remain vibrant and relevant with today’s global consumers.

At grocery stores around the country, three brands are most visible as consumers walk down the soup aisle: Campbell’s, Progresso, and Swanson. The Campbell Soup Company owns Swanson; while Progresso, over 100 years old and family founded, was acquired by Pillsbury in 1996, and subsequently was sold to General Mills. In 2007, Weight Watchers formally supported Progresso’s Lighter soup offerings in their weight loss meeting, which had a tremendous impact on the success of the Progresso line (Watershed Publishing, 2008).” Campbell Soup was not complacent and did not allow their competitor to take over valuable market share, rather they replied with a series of media ads that positioned the Campbell brand as the healthy alternative to Progresso, containing flavorings like hydrolyzed vegetable protein and Monosodium glutamate (Adams, 1999). The New York Times ran one ad that showed a can of Progresso with the caption, “Made with MSG,” aside a can of Campbell’s Select Harvest with the caption: “Made with TLC” (Tender Love and Care) (Watershed Publishing, 2008).” At one point the Soup Ad War got so heated that the star of the Colbert...