The Campbell’s name is best known for soups, but the company is hoping the iconic brand will soon be synonymous with sauces, too.
The Campbell’s Company is launching a line of sauces this June that, similar to its soups, are packaged in cans and adorned with Campbell's signature red and white lettering. The sauces will be available in four flavors: butter chicken; Thai curry; creamy lemon, garlic; and smothered chicken.
Consumers have long been using Campbell's soups, such as cream of mushroom or cream of chicken, as an ingredient in the dishes they make at home, according to Risa Cretella, president of Campbell’s meals and beverages division. This behavior inspired Campbell's to launch its own sauces, which will be carried in the soup aisle to make it convenient and easily accessible.
“We're just building on what [consumers are] doing, which is always the best, the most successful innovation,” Cretella said. “It's very difficult and very expensive to get consumers to behave differently, but if they already have a behavior, you're just leaning into what they're doing. So I think it'll be a tremendous compliment to our existing cooking portfolio.”
At-home cooking, which surged during the pandemic, remains an attractive option for cash-strapped consumers looking to save money. A Wakefield Research survey conducted with HelloFresh found 93% of Americans expect to cook either as much as last year or more in the next 12 months.
Social media has provided younger individuals, in particular, with ideas for incorporating novel ingredients and foods into their meals and experimenting in their own kitchens. Close to half of consumers are interested in trying new recipes they see on social media, according to HelloFresh and Wakefield, with 52% of Americans relying on social media for meal inspiration.
Campbell's new sauces also lean heavily into global flavors and ingredients, another trend that has defined home cooking as consumers become more adventurous.
”For the consumer that's already going to the aisle and trusting Campbell's as an ingredient that will feel familiar, but hopefully a little exciting,” Cretella added. “We have strong taste credentials, so consumers are giving us permission, ‘Yes, go into these more global type of flavors.’ ”
Mick Beekhuizen, CEO of the 157-year-old Campbell’s, told analysts last week that soup as an ingredient has been a growing part of its portfolio, with the company seeing declines in consumers using soup as a meal. The strength in ingredients, he said, has given him confidence that sauces will resonate with shoppers.
Sauces “will be incremental to what we're currently providing. And I think we're going to learn a lot with that introduction,” Beekhuizen said. “And it's a great complement to our condensed cooking soups as well as broth.”
The launch comes as Nestlé USA announced its first foray earlier this month into the fast-growing, at-home condiment space, which is expected to top $41 billion in sales by 2030. The new sauce brand, called Minor’s Kitchen, will be available in Lemon Garlic Aioli, Creamy Korean BBQ, Spicy Chili Truffle and American Smokehouse.
The world’s largest food company also noted that nearly 80% of Americans use condiments, dips or sauces every week, with the highest use among Gen Z consumers and people in the South.
