Top 10 power brands

Campbell, which can claim to be one of the originators of convenience, masterfully nurtures the idea that “soup is good food.” Its success can be measured. An average of eight cans are found in every household, and Campbell’s soup is purchased more often than any other product in supermarkets nationally — some 70 cans every second.

“Our brands have leadership positions [in the marketplace] — they are known and cherished by consumers and are part of their daily lives,” explains John Faulkner, director of brand communications.

Campbell’s began with a simple handshake in 1869 between fruit merchant Joseph Campbell and an icebox manufacturer named Abraham Anderson. Their new business produced canned tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, soups, condiments and minced meats. In 1897, general manager Arthur Dorrance reluctantly hired his 24-year-old nephew, Dr. John Dorrance, a chemist so determined to be hired he agreed to pay for laboratory equipment out of his own pocket and accept a token salary of just $7.50 per week. Dr. Dorrance quickly made his mark on history with the invention of condensed soup. By eliminating the water in canned soup, he lowered the costs for packaging, shipping, and storage. A 10-oz. can of Campbell’s condensed soup sold for a dime, vs. more than 30 cents for a 32-oz. can of soup. The five original varieties were Tomato, Consommé, Vegetable, Chicken and Oxtail. So popular was the concept of condensed soups, that in 1922, the company formally adopted “Soup” as its middle name.

Advertising helped trumpet the benefits of soup to consumers and contributed to Campbell’s success, and the company remains one of the leading advertisers in the U.S. In 1904, the cherubic Campbell Kids were introduced in a series of trolley car advertisements as a way to appeal to working mothers. Sales increased 100 percent. The first magazine print ad boasted 21 varieties, each selling for a dime. Campbell’s strategy was to advertise primarily in magazines, insisting that its ads be “the first advertisement following said text, on a right hand page facing a full page of text.” This strategy was so successful that this advertising location is still known as the “Campbell’s soup position.” In the ‘30s, Campbell entered into radio sponsorship and TV, using the familiar “M’m! M’m! Good!” jingle to captivate listeners. It still does.

“We nurture our brands by supporting our brands,” says Faulkner. “Brands must continually be made relevant to consumers – through promotion, advertising and innovation.”

Of course, Campbell’s has evolved to fit a changing marketplace. The Campbell name stretches to China, Australia, Argentina and elsewhere, and its products are available in practically every country in the world, including regional varieties like Watercress and Duck-Gizzard Soup in China and a Cream of Chili Poblano soup in Mexico.

And while the company has acquired or launched brands such as Pepperidge Farm, Pace, Prego and V8, the Campbell’s brand has only been stretched to tomato juice and Supper Bakes Meal Kits.

“Our brands continue to be contemporary because they address the needs and wants of today’s consumers,” continues Faulkner. “Our Campbell’s condensed soup continues to be a wonderful value and with pop-top lids. These soups are more convenient than ever. Our soups continue to be easy to cook with [cooking with soup remains so popular that Americans use more than 440 million cans each year] and consumers can find thousands of recipe ideas at campbellskitchen.com. Our ready-to-serve soups, Campbell’s Chunky and Campbell’s Select, are more convenient than ever, with the introduction of microwaveable bowls. Campbell’s Soup At Hand is the first sippable soup to be designed for on-the-go needs of today’s consumer.”

When pop artist Andy Warhol, who painted his famous Campbell's Soup cans in 1962, was asked why, he replied, “Because I used to drink [soup]. I had the same lunch every day for 20 years.”

Cheerios remains contemporary by delivering benefits and messages that are meaningful to consumers, says marketing manager Joe Ens.

Cheerios
Those little letter ‘O’s

Since its inception, strong marketing and association with cultural icons allowed Cheerios to achieve brand dominance. Ranked No. 1 in cereal in Brandweek’s "Superbrands — America’s Top 10 Brands," Cheerios has maintained its prominent position in spite of generic brand competition, largely due to its strategic association with American culture and its ability to resonate with young (and young at heart) consumers.

A family favorite for years – one of every 10 boxes of cereal sold in America is a box of Cheerios — its wholesome goodness is perfect for toddlers to adults. Introduced as CheeriOats in 1941 by Minneapolis-based General Mills, the cereal was marketed as “The Breakfast Food You’ve Always Wanted.” Apparently it was, because it sold a record 1.8 million cases during its first year. Its name was changed to Cheerios (to avoid confusion with a similarly named competitor brand) in 1945, with the slogan: “Cheerios — the first ready-to-eat oat cereal.”