Death of a Food Product Icon

      Campbell Soup has announced it is reformulating one of its' longstanding brand franchises...... tomato soup! Why would they take this step when their traditional product consistently ranks in the top ten of grocery items purchased in the U.S. every week?  Don't they remember what happened to New Coke?

      After extensive consumer testing across the U.S. they have decided this "low sodium" version will maintain the taste and flavor profile that the American consumer has loved for generations, while allowing them to take advantage of the marketing power of a "low sodium" message. Ultimately, I suppose they are hoping to keep their traditional customers while attracting a new, younger, and more health involved audience and grow the brand franchise to even greater heights.

         For their sake, I hope they are right. After all, sodium reduction is one of the hottest trends we have identified for 2009 as evidenced by salt reduction/elimination and related subjects appearing no fewer than five items on our 2009 Editorial Calendar.

         If they are wrong, might we see a repeat of the New Coke retreat with Campbell Soup reintroducing the old formula as perhaps Campbell's "Classic" Tomato Soup?