One of the most enduring food brands is about to make a major change. But not to its ingredients.
On Wednesday, during an annual investor call, Campbell Soup Co. announced that it’s potentially preparing to change its name, dropping “soup” from its moniker to simply become Campbell’s Co.
According to the Associated Press, the brand’s CEO, Mark Clouse, said in a statement that it’s a “subtle yet important change” that will better reflect “the full breadth” of the company’s food portfolio. However, the change isn’t set in stone just yet. The company’s shareholders will be asked to vote on the potential name change.
And while the name change may make us a bit sad for nostalgic reasons, as the AP pointed out, the 155-year-old company hasn’t been focused solely on soup for decades. Its portfolio also includes items like Prego and Rao’s sauces, Pepperidge Farm products, and Goldfish. In fact, according to FoodDive, Campbell’s soup lineup accounts for just a quarter of its total sales, which is a decrease of 40% from 2017, while its snack ranges make up about 50%.
“We will always love soup, and we’ll never take our eye off of this critical business,” Clouse added at the event, according to FoodDrive. “But today, we’re so much more than soup.”
Campbell’s will also be far from alone if investors choose to vote in favor of the name change. As Food In Canada pointed out, Dunkin’ Donuts changed its name to simply Dunkin’ in 2018, and Krispy Kreme did the same, dropping “doughnuts” from its name in 2021. Domino’s also dropped “Pizza” from its official name in 2012, and Starbucks dropped a ton from its original name, going from Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices to Starbucks Coffee to just Starbucks over time.
And, as Today also reported, this actually wouldn’t be the first time Campbell’s changed its name either. Its original name was Anderson & Campbell, and changed to Campbell Soup Company in 1922.
So, odds are, if it does change its name, it will continue to do just fine. There is one thing Claus wants to make clear. He shared on Linkedin, “I’ve seen the speculation that we’re going to change the recipe — even some of my friends texted me … I’ll tell you what I told them: There’s no way we’re changing the sauce!”
