Campbell's says their cans will be BPA free by 2017... gee I thought they already were.

In 2012 Campbell's promised to eliminate BPA from its can linings.  I didn't realize it would take five+ years.  I guess the linings other companies are using in Europe weren't good enough for them.

They say the new linings which use acrylic or polyester linings will be safer.  I'm not sure that I believe that.  Why would one petroleum based product be better than another?  In fact, they could be worse, but we don't know it yet.

Truthfully I took Michael Pollan's advice back in 2007 and eliminated all processed foods from my diet.  And I won't be going back.

But my bigger question is whether it makes sense for companies to even release information that involves making their products healthier and safer.  Are they just drawing attention to a problem that most consumers were unaware of?  There seems to be a spate of announcements like this coming out lately.  And, they all make me wonder what they aren't telling me.

So perhaps the best approach is the one that Kraft recently took with their Mac & Cheese.  They reformulated the product to replace artificial dyes, waited several months, sold 50 million boxes, and then shared the news. 

Here's the commercial...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-kul627Y3g

Very interesting.  And I think it will be far more effective then telling me what's wrong with your product and then waiting 5 years to fix it.  What do you think?

Lukovitz, K. (2016, March 29)  Campbell Says Its Packages Will Be BPA-Free By Mid-2017.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved April 8, 2016, from

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/272300/campbell-says-its-packages-will-be-bpa-free-by-mid.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=91617

Kell, J. (2016, March 7)  Kraft Mac & Cheese Changed Its Recipe And Nobody Got Mad.  fortune.com.  Retrieved April 8, 2016, from

http://fortune.com/2016/03/07/kraft-mac-cheese-changed/

Will Gen Y buy Coconut-Curry Chicken soup for $2.99?

Campbell’s Soup has announced plans to introduce a new line called “Go Soup” aimed at Gen Y foodies, who have a taste for culinary adventure and variety.  Interestingly, many of the announced varieties such as Chorizo and Pulled Chicken with Black Beans seem to have an ethnic skew perhaps reflecting the fact that the U.S. is well on its way to becoming a majority non-white country. (Forbes, 2012)

The new line also taps into the target’s desire for convenience, with fuchsia and white pouches replacing old style cans.  But at least one consultant fears that the $2.99 selling point, approximately three times that of condensed soups, may scare off under and un-employed prospects.  (Welch, 2012)

What do you think?  Is $2.99 too much for a home cooked meal?

Forbes, T. (2012, July 25).  Campbell Looking To Bowl Over Millennials.  mediapost.com.  Retrieved July 25, 2012, from

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/179517/campbell-looking-to-bowl-over-millennials.html?edition=49388

Welch, D. (2012, July 24)  Campbell Chases Millennials With Lentils Madras Curry: Retail.  Bloomberg.com.  Retrieved July 25, 2012, from

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-24/campbell-chases-millennials-with-lentils-madras-curry-retail.html

Is naming names an effective strategy?

3/30/09

Conventional wisdom has always maintained that it is a bad idea to name your competitor outright in advertising, for fear that a consumer will remember the name of the competitive product rather than your own. It’s a valid concern since in most cases the brand doing the advertising is comparing themselves to the category leader.

But last year, Campbell’s decided to start the MSG wars with Progresso. Unfortunately for them, Progresso decided to fight back. (Wong, 2008) This has lead to a series of ads where each accuses the other of marketing unhealthy products. What has this accomplished? Well, in my case it made me more aware of the fact that all canned soup is loaded with chemicals and has turned me into a non-user of both.

Now comes word from Powerade that they intend to attack industry leader Gatorade head on with claims, backed by research, that Gatorade is an inferior method of hydration. (Zmuda, 2009)

Is this a good idea or bad? Do you think this will be an effective way to convert Gatorade users to Powerade users? Or is there a potential for a backlash here too?


Wong, E. (2008, October 8). Soup War Continues, Progresso Strikes Back. brandweek.com. Retrived march 30, 2009 from
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/content_display/news-and-features/packaged-goods/e3i7e19cce243eb21aaa2048c8982be98f9

Zmuda, N. (2009, March 23). Gator Baiter: Powerade Jabs at Powerhouse. adage.com. Retrived 3/25/09 from
http://adage.com/article?article_id=135436