ness consultant] Jim Collins calls
Level 5 leadership. Those qualities
are humility and perseverance, and
she possesses those in spades. She
also has an appetite for learning that
is second to none, and she’s aware
that if there is a better way, she has to
be alert to seeing it. At the same
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27
with our customers to deliver their
objectives with our products. Fourth is
to leverage external development, and
not only acquisitions but also partner-
ships and strategic alliance.”
In August, the company will
launch Campbell’s Skillet Sauces,
sauces in a pouch aimed to provide
28 ;e Costco Connection SEPTEMBER 2012
time, she works collaboratively with
people to think through a strategy.”
Before Morrison became CEO
last year, the executive leadership
team at Campbell embarked on a
yearlong strategic evaluation of four
subjects: the performance of its busi-
ness, the competitive environment,
the expectations and requirements
of consumers, and opportunities
over the next decade. The result
produced three growth strate-
gies: to stabilize and profit-
ably grow North America
Soup and Simple Meals,
expand Campbell’s interna-
tional presence and continue
to drive growth in healthy
beverages and baked snacks.
Spelling out the strategies
During an interview with The
Connection in June at her office in
Camden—a framed Andy Warhol
painting of Campbell’s soup cans sits
high above her desk—Morrison discussed how they planned to achieve
those growth strategies.
“The way we are doing that is
focusing on brand building. Second is
delivering more meaningful innovation, and not just [the] next line extension, but new-to-the-world innovation.
For example, the pouch soups that we
are going to be introducing and our
expansion into the energy segment of
beverages. The third [strategy] is to
grow faster with our customers and
[make] sure that we are collaborating
“It’s inaccurate
to say America’s
appetite for soup
has declined.”
— Denise Morrison
Denise Morrison
in discussion
with members
of her public-affairs team.
STEVEN CROSSOT
consumers with a fast and contemporary dinner solution.
In beverages, Morrison says,
Campbell is moving into the energy
space with V8 V-Fusion and energy
drinks. And this fall Campbell will
launch Campbell’s Go!, a new line of
soup in pouches geared toward
younger consumers, in flavors such as
Coconut Curry with Chicken and
Shiitake Mushrooms. (Also worth noting is the company’s recent purchase of
juice-maker Bolthouse Farms for $1.55
billion, adding depth to its beverage
and packaged-fresh-food business.)
Changing directions
Two years ago Campbell announced it was reformulating more
than 60 percent of its condensed soups
to reduce the sodium content, but the
health-inspired initiative produced
sluggish sales, prompting Campbell to
reverse course last year by increasing
the sodium in all of its Select Harvest
soups (they still offer a range of Healthy
Request soups that have lower sodium).
Asked how Campbell can com-
pete in the marketplace when more
and more consumers are focused on
local food and ingredients, Morrison
says, “I don’t think you can put con-
sumers into one lump. Take health and
wellness, for example. For a long time
we were focused on sodium reduction
and working on the absences of nega-
tives. So health and wellness means
different things to different people,
and they are going to pick different
kinds of foods to satisfy that need.”
Despite several winters of weak
soup sales, Morrison says she is bullish
on the consumption of soup.
Richard Deitsch writes for numerous
magazines. He lives in New York City.
