HERES MY PROBLEM

A few years ago , Campbell set out on a mission to grow an otherwise stagnant soup business Canned soup still is popular among baby boomers. However, younger consumers just aren't as interested. They turn to alternatives, like microwaveable and mini meals (such as pizza and tacos). Campbell realized its core business would be at risk if the company couldn't come up with products to entice the emerging group of millennial consumers who are between the ages of 18 and 34. These customers are 25 percent of the U.S. population, or approximately 80 million people. They spend a lot of money on food, but very little of it on soup.

To understand what makes millennials tick, Campbell went through a deep immersion. They scrutinized millennialsculture and habits to learn what kind of soups appeal to them. Cindy led a cross-functional innovation team that conducted dozens of extensive face-to-face, in-depth interactions with young consumers, both one-on-one and in groups. The team ate meals with young people in their homes, checked out their pantries, and tagged along with them on shopping trips to the supermarket .

After that immersion, the team listed all the pain points millennials associated with canned soup. For example, they told the team millennials think that these products are too "processed" and that they taste bland, homogeneous, and unexciting. Another common complaint was the lack of healthy ingredients these consumers look for, such as quinoa and on-trend veggies, like kale. The team found this group includes flexitarians"-that is , consumers who eat vegetarian for a few days and then eat meat on the weekends , for special occasions , to satisfy a craving, etc. They tend to care about sustainability , local sourcing , and company practices .

As a result of these insights, Cindy's team then created concepts and prototypes to test their potential solutions for the pain points they identified. The team continued to put these ideas in front of a series of focus groups as they fine-tuned their solutions based on the feedback they got from actual millennials

This process gave Cindy's team some great insights about what they could do to boost Campbell's appeal to millennials. One no-brainer was to change the packaging from a can to a pouch; the respondents told the team that a pouch communicates a "fresher ingredients" message. And the team knew the flavor profile of the soup had to be bolder than the varieties that baby boomers are used to. They ultimately aligned on the following as the guardrails to create this new product platform :

Young adults are looking for satisfying, easy meals for one.

Products should satisfy demanding tastes for a more flavorful life.

Products should always deliver ofthe- moment flavors and show packaging from a trusted brand .

However, given Campbell's current portfolio of soups, Cindy's team needed to position this millennial-focused platform differently from existing products they already sold under the Gampbell's name. Specifically, most of the ideas they tested overlapped with Campbell's Slow Kettle brand. The Slow Kettle brand was created to bring Campbell into the packaged premium soup categoryBecause consumers were becoming more interested in the rich, complex flavors they enjoy from restaurant soups, the team saw an opportunity to bring that experience home Campbell's culinary team created Slow Kettle to create a "prepared with carefeeling even though it still comes from the supermarket soup aisleThe flavors are familiar, the soups are hearty and filling, the quality is better than that of other canned soups, and the package is meant to convey a homemade feeling (Slow Kettle comes in a tub, like Tupperware ) The brand skews toward higher Income millennials. Because the price point is at a premium for the category , 3,25represents small but interesting opportunity for Campbell

Clearly Cindy's team needs to do more work to figure out the best way to create a new offering that grabs millennials' attention and makes it clear that this is "not your father's soup," while at the same time avoiding confusion with the Slow Kettle brand.

Cindy considered her options 1 * 2 * 3

OPTION 1

Carve out a new space within the soup portfolio for this millennial- driven soup offering. They would have to demonstrate that the new offering serves a unique need for prepared soup that is not already available in Campbell's other brands. This strategy would give them an opportunity to build a new brand from scratch entirely based on millennials' needs. The brand could include soups but also possibly other food products such as mini-meals and hearty on- the-go snacks, positioned to meet the needs of the millennial. This new product line would be so distinct that they wouldn't have to worry about cannibalizing sales from other parts of their portfolio, especially Slow Kettle. However, it's expensive and risky to build a brand. They would have to commit to at least a three-year investment to build awareness and encourage trial. Because Campbell does offer somewhat similar products, like Slow Kettle, if they fail to create a really tight message to set apart the new brand, they might shoot themselves in the foot by injecting some confusion into the marketplace .

OPTION 2

Reposition an existing brand to be the face of the millennial portfolioCampbell's Kettle Brand already has many elements that could meet the needs of these young consumersWith a fow tweaks, they could probably transform it into the kind of product that would resonate with this target market. This approach would involve less investment building an entirely now brand, and they already have the manufacturing to out these soupsOn the other hand, they could commit the cardinal when marketing to millennials: offer a product they perceive as inauthenticBecause the Slow Kettle brand has already been on the market , these young consumers might decide that a few tweaks to an existing offering doesn't really speak to themMillennials run from products they view as fakefaster than soup on a hot stove

OPTION 3

Don't take the risk, and stick with their existing solutions. Investing in a unique millennial product might be just too costly and time-consuming, and it's possible that a new solution wouldn't deliver enough return on investment to justify their efforts. This conservative solution would allow Campbell to focus their resources on maintaining their solid (though stagnant) base business. They could ramp up their advertising to appeal to the nostalgia of the familiar Campbell brand, because millennials sometimes do respond well to this kind of appeal. On the other hand, if this stay-the-course strategy backfires, they risk becoming irrelevant to an entire generation of new consumers . In that event they would continue to experience a decline in their bottom line as an aging group of loyal consumers eventually dies off. And , if competitors eventually enter the millennial space, Campbell might be forced to sit on the sidelines as they capture this valuable target. The team knows that most consumer -packaged -goods (CPG) companies are taking similar steps to satisfy this new generation . Many traditional brands are transitioning to natural colors , removing artificial sweeteners and high fructose com syrup, and in some cases , moving toward a non -GMO label to address consumers concerns about genetically modified food . There's no doubt that changes are coming .

QUESTIONS

1- Review Here's my problem.

Review the three options listed and for each option answer the follow

A- Would you choose yes or no

B- Explain your answer