Campbell's Soup Company Plans To Change Its Name After 155 Years

Campbell's Soup may always be "Mm! Mm! Good," but it might not be known by its current name for much longer. On September 10, the company declared its plans to drop the word "soup" out of its title in an investor meeting in New York City, noting that it intends to switch its name to The Campbell's Company. The brand, which has been around since 1869 and was dubbed the Campbell Soup Company in 1922, is making the change in an effort to be known for its other offerings.

In a statement issued via CNN, Campbell's CEO Mark Clouse explained, "This subtle yet important change retains the company's iconic name recognition, reputation and equity built over 155 years while better reflecting the full breadth of the company's portfolio." But if you're a loyal Campbell's soup lover (and a fan of its spicy recent releases), you don't need to worry, as it likely won't be getting rid of its beloved cans and microwaveable bowls any time soon. The name change is also pending, as it must be approved by shareholders at a company meeting in November before it can go into full effect.

So what products exactly is Campbell's seeking to pivot toward? According to the brand's president of Meals and Beverages, Mick Beekhuizen, popular pasta sauce company Rao's is part of the plan. "We intend to set the standard for performance in the center store through our compelling consumer engagement and exciting flavor forward innovation, with Rao's strengthening and solidifying our potential and elevating our overall portfolio," Beekhulzen explained to WDTN.

And yet, this isn't the only direction in which the company wants to expand. Campbell's owns a number of snack brands, having acquired Snyder's-Lance in 2017 to add to a list of subsidiaries that also includes Kettle, Goldfish, Milano, Pepperidge Farm, and Pretzel Crisps. Considering 2017 was the last year that soup generated the largest portion of Campbell's sales, but snacks made up a little less than half of overall sales in the company's 2023 fiscal year, it's safe to say that's where the company is headed. As Clouse said last year, "Within Snacks, we continue to expect accelerated growth and to build on the margin trajectory from this year" (via Food Dive).

While this move is revolutionary for Campbell's, it's not exactly the first time it's been done. From Starbucks to Domino's (which makes dishes like pasta along with its pizza), certain major chains over the years have dropped the words from their name that have pigeonholed them in consumers' eyes. We may one day come to associate Campbell's with snacks as well as soup, but only time will tell.