On the Job

Campbell Soup continued its solid performance throughout the 1990s by matching products to local and regional tastes and by carefully choosing acquisitions. For example, Germany and France are two of the largest soup-consuming markets in the world (the French consume four times as much soup per capita as people in the United States do), and Campbell made major acquisitions in both countries. The company barely turned a profit in 1990 but earned more than $800 million in 1996 (on sales of $7.7 billion).

With growth come more customers, of course, and more customers mean more questions for consumer response supervisor Karen Donohue. Whenever people write, phone, or send e-mail, she's in charge of making sure their questions and complaints are answered satisfactorily. Many of these questions are routine and repetitive ("What are the more popular flavors of Campbell's Soup?"), but many others require special, personalized replies.

Like so many other companies these days, Campbell uses the World Wide Web as a two-way communication vehicle between the company and its customers. The company's homepage provides links to recipes, financial and investment news, educational support programs, and an online store, as well as to Donohue's consumer response center. Donohue answers some of the most frequently asked questions (for example: How many Os are in a 15-ounce can of Spaghetti-Os? Answer: 1,750) and invites consumers to e-mail other questions and comments. Consumers who wish to speak with a Campbell representative instead of sending e-mail can call a toll-free number listed on-screen.

Not surprisingly, Karen Donohue plays a major role in Campbell's efforts to better meet the needs of its millions of customers worldwide. Whether she's responding to dissatisfied customers or answering simple requests for information, Donohue is in a position to help satisfy consumers while gaining important insights into their needs and purchase behaviors. As Campbell moves into the next century, Donohue will be communicating with consumers and employees to make sure the giant food producer keeps sales and profits cooking.

You have joined Campbell's consumer marketing staff. As an assistant to Karen Donohue, you are responsible for handling correspondence with consumers and with Campbell employees. Your objective is to improve the flow of communication between the public and the company so that Campbell can respond quickly and knowledgeably to changing consumer needs. Choose the best alternatives for responding to the situations described below and be prepared to explain why your choice is best:

1.

Donohue has received a letter from a Mrs. Felton who is pleased that Campbell offers a line of Healthy Request reduced-sodium soups but would like to see more flavors added. Which of the following is the best opening paragraph for your reply? The Campbell Soup Company was founded in 1869 in Camden, New Jersey. The Dorrance family took control from the founders in 1894. At the turn of the century, John Dorrance invented the soup condensation process, which enabled the company to sell a 10-ounce can for a dime. He was a conservative man and a stickler for quality. His only son, the late Jack Dorrance, followed his father into the business and had a similar management philosophy. As chairman of the company, he used to pinch the tomatoes and taste the carrots occasionally to be sure that the folks in the factory were maintaining high standards. Mr. Dorrance took personal interest in the development of the low-salt line and would be pleased to know that it appeals to you. Thank you for your enthusiastic letter about Campbell's Healthy Request soups. We are delighted that you enjoy the flavors currently available, and we are working hard to add new varieties to the line. Good news! Our world-renowned staff of food technologists is busy in the test kitchen at this very moment, experimenting with additional low-sodium recipes for Healthy Request soups. Hang on to your bowl, Mrs. Felton, more flavors are on the way!

2.

Which of the following versions is preferable for the body of the letter to Mrs. Felton? You can expect to see several exciting new Healthy Request soups on your supermarket shelf within the next year. Before the new flavors make their debut, however, they must undergo further testing in our kitchens and in selected markets across the country. We want to be sure our soups satisfy consumer expectations. While you're waiting for the new flavors of Healthy Request, you might like to try some of Campbell's other products designed especially for people like you who are concerned about health and nutrition. I'm enclosing coupons that entitle you to sample both Pepperidge Farm Five-Star Fibre bread and Pace picante sauce "on the house." We hope you enjoy them. We are sorry that the number of Healthy Request flavors is limited at this time. Because of the complexities of testing flavors both in the Campbell kitchens and in test markets around the country, we are a bit behind schedule in releasing new varieties. But several new flavors should be available by the end of the year, if all goes according to plan. In the meantime, please accept these coupons; they can be redeemed for two other fine Campbell products designed for the health-conscious consumer. Additional flavors of Healthy Request reduced-sodium soups are currently in formulation. They will arrive on supermarket shelves soon. In the meantime, why not enjoy some of Campbell's other fine products designed for the health-conscious consumer? The enclosed coupons will allow you to sample Pace picante sauce and Pepperidge Farm Five-Star Fibre bread at our expense.

3.

Campbell has received a letter from the American Heart Association asking for information on the fat and sodium content of Campbell's products. Your department has developed a brochure that provides the necessary data, and you plan to send it to the association. Which of the following cover letters should you send along with the brochure? Please consult the enclosed brochure for answers to your questions regarding the composition of Campbell's products. The brochure provides detailed information on sodium and fat content of all Campbell's products, which include known brands such as V-8, Pepperidge Farm, and Franco-American, as well as Campbell's Soups. Thanks for your interest in Campbell's products. We are concerned about nutrition and health issues and are trying to reduce the salts and fats in our products. At the same time, we are striving to retain the taste that consumers have come to expect from Campbell. In general, we feel very good about the nutritional value of our products and think that after you read the enclosed brochure, you will too. Thank you for your interest in Campbell's Soup. The enclosed brochure provides the information you requested about the fat and sodium content of our products. Over the past 10 years, we have introduced a number of reduced-sodium and low-fat products designed specifically for consumers on restricted diets. In addition, we've reformulated many of our regular products to reduce the salt and fat content. We have also revised our product labels so that information on sodium and fat content is readily apparent to health-conscious consumers. If you have any questions about our products, please contact our consumer information specialists at 1-800-227-9876.

4.

Campbell has received a letter from a disgruntled consumer, Mr. Max Edwards, who was disappointed with his last can of Golden Classic beef soup with potatoes and mushrooms. It appears that the can contained an abundance of potatoes, little beef, and few mushrooms. You have been asked to reply to Mr. Edwards. Which of the following drafts is best? We are extremely sorry that you did not like your last can of Golden Classic beef soup with potatoes and mushrooms. Although we do our very best to ensure that all our products are of the highest quality, occasionally our quality-control department slips up and a can of soup comes out a bit short on one ingredient or another. Apparently you happened to buy just such a can—one with relatively few mushrooms, not much beef, and too many potatoes. The odds against that ever happening to you again are probably a million to one. And to prove it, here's a coupon that entitles you to a free can of Golden Classic soup. You may pick any flavor you like, but why not give the beef with potatoes and mushrooms another try? We bet it will meet your standards this time around. You are right, Mr. Edwards, to expect the highest quality from Campbell's Golden Classic soups. And you are right to complain when your expectations are not met. Our goal is to provide the best, and when we fall short of that goal, we want to know about it so that we can correct the problem. And that is exactly what we have done. In response to your complaint, our quality-control department is reexamining its testing procedures to ensure that all future cans of Golden Classic soup have an even blend of ingredients. Why not see for yourself by taking the enclosed coupon to your supermarket and redeeming it for a free can of Golden Classic soup? If you choose beef with potatoes and mushrooms, you can count on getting plenty of beef and mushrooms this time. Campbell's Golden Classic soups are a premium product at a premium price. Our quality-control procedures for this line have been carefully devised to ensure that every can of soup has a uniform distribution of ingredients. As you can imagine, your complaint came as quite a surprise to us, given the care that we take with our products. We suspect that the uneven distribution of ingredients was just a fluke, but our quality-control department is looking into the matter to ensure that the alleged problem does not recur. We would like you to give our Golden Classic soup another try. We are confident that you will be satisfied, so we are enclosing a coupon that entitles you to a free can. If you are not completely happy with it, please call me at 1-800-227-9876.8