CAMDEN, N.J. — Denise Morrison, president and chief executive officer of Campbell Soup Co., has identified the increasing prominence of Latino, single-sex and single parent households as examples of how the portrait of the consumer has changed in important ways for consumer packaged foods companies.
A new advertising campaign launched last month by the company seeks to connect with this new consumer mosaic, she said.
Ms. Morrison commented on the new campaign Nov. 24 during a conference call with investment analysts.
“In early October, we began airing our new ‘Made for Real, Real-Life’ advertising,” Ms. Morrison said. “Built around the strategic insights we’ve shared with you about the changing mosaic of the American family, this campaign represents a major departure for Campbell, and depicts how our real food fits into real peoples’ lives in an authentic and relatable way. Digital media is playing a larger role in this campaign than in previous efforts. Looking ahead, we expect improved sales performance in the second quarter as our marketing spending increases and the campaign gains momentum.”
About a dozen different commercials have been loaded to You Tube in connection with the effort.
In a presentation earlier this year at the IRI Summit in Austin, Texas, Ms. Morrison said millennials are challenging how the American family is defined.
“A baby boomer like myself thinks of a family as mom, dad and a couple of kids,” she said. “That is wrong. Today, only one-fifth of households have married parents with children. More than half of households don’t have kids.”
Within the new mosaic of households, Campbell Soup is focusing on six in its marketing, Ms. Morrison said:
• Multicultural homes that are predominantly Latino, African American and Asian consumers (see below).
• Single parent households (see below).
• Modern male households that consist of 70 million men trying to carve out a new definition for themselves.
• Adult-only households that are populated with consumers enjoying life on their own terms (see below).
• Multigenerational households that represent approximately 50 million people.
• And L.G.B.T., same-sex households that represent approximately 17 million people (see below).
“This is a new world of consumers, a world of increasing diversity,” Ms. Morrison said. “On any given street across the country you will find a modern mix of family composition, and they are shopping and eating differently. They demand different product sizes and price points. They want innovative features. To succeed, our industry must drive innovation and marketing to fit in their lives and in their pantries.”