I can’t count the times I witnessed my Mom pour a can of Campbell’s Soup into a pot as the start to a sauce or casserole. Now the soup super-power is newstalgizing its most-used soups as ready-made sauces, for the younger, convenience-obsessed generations…
The first – of probably many – new Campbell’s pre-pared sauces, based on the soups
most cherished by sauce and casserole lovers over many, many decades…
Following the Second World War, packaged foods makers entered a new era of self-promotion. Soup makers, in particular, came to the fore with a new ‘tool’, putting serving suggestions and even recipes on their products’ labels…
Teasing the consumer
Sometimes, shouting your message isn’t the most effective way to entice consumers. Which is not to say ‘whispering’ is any better. But ‘teasing’ them has proven to be just the right ‘tool’ for many pre-pared food makers to optimize their fan bases.
It was from the Campbell’s Test Kitchens that came the earliest recorded examples of ploughsharing soups into sauces and even casserole bases.
What’s new?
After almost 100 years of leading he canned soup sector, and launching dozens of condensed and ready-to-eat soups that have since been called for in its label recipes… Campbell’s is finally releasing its own line of prepared, ready-to-pour soup-based sauces.
Why so long?
I immediately thought, “Why did it take them so long?” But the answer came crashing right back: “They’ve been focused on selling their soups all along. And the casserole and sauce recipes were always a natural extension of that…”
But this is the 2020s. The Boomers and their Moms, who caught the Campbell’s bug in their youth, are either gone or going away… But a new cohort of younger generations who prioritize convenience and instant gratifications is taking charge.
Cautious approach…
“We’re just building on what [consumers are] doing, which is always the best, the most successful innovation,” explains Risa Cretella, President of Campbell’s Meals and Beverages division. “It’s very difficult and very expensive to get consumers to behave differently, but if they already have a behav-iour, you’re just leaning into what they’re doing. So I think it’ll be a tremendous complement to our existing cooking portfolio.”
And… A Wakefield Research survey commissioned by HelloFresh revealed that 93 percent of Amer-icans expect to cook either as much as last year or more over the next 12 months.
My take
The time is ripe for Campbell’s to launch a new product like prepared sauces.
Exhibiting its customary caution, the company is starting off with 4 new prepared sauces: Lemon Garlic, Smothered Chicken, Thai Curry and Butter Chicken. A wise selection, appealing to both ‘legacy’ and new-gen cooks.
I’m curious as to how healthy the new sauces’ ingredients lists are. They just might be the doorstep to another 100 years of soup-sauce leadership for beloved, venerable Campbell’s!
~ Maggie J.