Talking Shop with... Jim Sterbenz

Jim Sterbenz, vice president, U.S. retail sales at Campbell Soup Co. , says the new Campbell’s Organic soup line is bringing organic credentials to center store with a trusted brand name. Talk about the Campbell’s Organic soup line. Jim Sterbenz: Campbell’s Organic is a new line of premium ready-to-serve soups available in six varieties including Organic Chicken Noodle and Chicken Tortilla, along with four vegetarian offerings: Creamy Butternut Squash; Garden Vegetable with Herbs; Lentil; and Sun-Ripened Tomato and Basil. They are packaged in eye-catching green and white 17-ounce cartons that seal in the freshness and the quality. Our suggested retail price is $2.99. All of the ingredients in Campbell’s Organic soups are USDA certified organic, and the vegetable varieties are gluten-free. That is an important attribute for a growing number of shoppers. It has a “clean” label and contains no artificial ingredients, preservatives or chemicals. An added benefit to many shoppers is that we developed the cartons to be easily recyclable because we are very conscious of sustainability. Why did Campbell’s decide to develop a line of organic soups? The trend of organic eating is increasing steadily and rapidly. Sales of organic food have reached $6.7 billion in 2013 and will probably be well past $7 billion for 2014. The three-year compound growth rate has averaged 11.5%. We really recognize the consumer demand for organic offerings and that prompted us to develop the new line. We are very excited about it. It is going to be a great addition. We have a lot of channel and customer excitement from our retailers. We are very proud of our product, our company name and the quality of the Campbell’s Organic soup itself. The fact that it is organic, we think, is a multi-benefit based attribute for any consumer. We’re excited to bring retailers this exciting offering and the power of Campbell’s, with the organic credentials to the center of the store with a real trusted brand name and a great product experience. How do you recommend Campbell’s Organic soups be merchandised? We strongly advocate Campbell’s Organic soups be merchandised in with the traditional soups. With the growth of organics, many organic products are moving from standalone sets in a separate aisle to where the parent category is located. Campbell’s has helped create a premium section in the traditional soup aisle, and we feel Campbell’s Organics is a beautiful addition to that segment. Will Campbell’s be adding organic ingredients to some of its other existing lines and are other Campbell’s Organic products in the works? Clearly organic is an important part of our portfolio consideration as we move forward. Yes, we would envision potential line extensions under Campbell’s Organic and potentially other parts of our soup portfolio. How will Campbell’s be advertising Campbell’s Organic in 2015? We have customer-specific introductory promotions planned. We have display merchandising vehicles planned at off-shelf locations to create excitement as people shop different parts of the store. Consumer promotion couponing is also planned in our marketing mix. We anticipate public relations around this exciting news that our company is bringing to market. Will this line afford Campbell’s entry into new markets, like Whole Foods and other natural foods retailers? We are looking at those channels, but really focusing our efforts on making this a success with our existing customers.