Campbell Soup Essay
Campbell Soup, Co. Camden, N.J. - When R. David C. Macnair, Campbell Soup Co.‘s chief technical ofticer, summoned doctors and nutrinists for a preview of the company’s promismg new product, he wasn’t prepared for the gasps as he unveiled a helping of mashed potatoes. Unexpectedly, they were glowing bright green The fluorescent spuds might have been a harbinger for Campbell back in 1992, as the soup company pursued its most ambitious and secretive product in a century: a regimen of nutrient-fortified meals promising therapeutic benefits and called Intelligent Quisine. IQ would go beyond the increasingly popular low-fat products of the time, and Campbell backed its therapeutic claims with clinical trials at eight universities. Several medical
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Campbell’s own postmortem suggests the company may have bitten off more than it could chew. Spokesman Michael Kilpatric says, “Business results in Ohio didn’t meet expectations and would have required more health-care resources. and that is not a core competency of Campbell.” After its bold plunge into innovation, the big conservative company, built on one main product, went back to its breadwinner. Mr. Kilpatric says Campbell ma& a decision to exit the frozen-food business and “put our resources behind soup.”
Did Campbell quit too soon.7 Other companies continue to regard so-called functional foods - snacks and meals with medical benefits - as the next blockbuster to snap stagnant sales in the $650 billion food industry, which has been suffering from a 0 shortage of innovative hits. Kellog,, Co., which spent $75 million to open a functionalfood lab, is expected to launch new products nearly next year. ConAgra Inc. and Nestle SA are also developing what the industry has dubbed “nutraceuticals.” By some estimates, sales of functional foods could reach $24 billion a year by 2001, as the
Campbell’s own postmortem suggests the company may have bitten off more than it could chew. Spokesman Michael Kilpatric says, “Business results in Ohio didn’t meet expectations and would have required more health-care resources. and that is not a core competency of Campbell.” After its bold plunge into innovation, the big conservative company, built on one main product, went back to its breadwinner. Mr. Kilpatric says Campbell ma& a decision to exit the frozen-food business and “put our resources behind soup.”
Did Campbell quit too soon.7 Other companies continue to regard so-called functional foods - snacks and meals with medical benefits - as the next blockbuster to snap stagnant sales in the $650 billion food industry, which has been suffering from a 0 shortage of innovative hits. Kellog,, Co., which spent $75 million to open a functionalfood lab, is expected to launch new products nearly next year. ConAgra Inc. and Nestle SA are also developing what the industry has dubbed “nutraceuticals.” By some estimates, sales of functional foods could reach $24 billion a year by 2001, as the