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NEW YORK — Campbell is ready to drop the soup — at least from its official name. Campbell Soup Co. has announced its intention to change its name.
The 155-year-old food seller, which is most famous for its namesake canned soups, says it would now like to be known as Campbell's Co. CEO Mark Clouse said this "subtle yet important change" will retain the company's iconic name "while better reflecting the full breadth" of its portfolio today. Campbell hasn't been exclusive to the soup business for some time.
The company also owns brands like Prego sauce and Goldfish crackers — and completed a $2.7 billion acquisition of Sovos Brands, the maker of Rao's pasta sauces, this year. Campbell's roots date back to 1869, as a modest operation out of New Jersey that later grew.
The current Campbell Soup name was adopted in 1922, according to the company's website. People are also reading..
. The new name isn't final yet, as it's still subject to a shareholder approval vote in November. The New Jersey company is far from the first to attempt such as makeover.
A handful of other food companies also rebranded themselves over the years — often shedding mention of specific items for which they were known and opting for a shorter corporate title, or even an updated logo, in hopes of emphasizing other business. Manoj Thomas, a marketing professor at Cornell University's SC Johnson College of Business, says it's important to consider whether a new name will disrupt product recognition or stray from a brand's identity. He doesn't see such risks with Campbell — noting the move is "unlikely to affect consumer perception" and may instead signal a "drive for expansion and growth.
" Here are some other past examples. Back in 2018, Dunkin' Donuts decided to shorten its name to just Dunkin' — which officially took effect in January 2019. The Massachusetts-based chain toyed with the idea for some time.
While doughnuts are still very much on the menu, it eventually decided to rename itself to reflect its increasing emphasis on coffee and other drinks. Krispy Kreme dropped "doughnuts" from its corporate name ahead of the Charlotte, North Carolina-based company's second time going public in 2021. According to a securities filing, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts changed its name to Krispy Kreme Inc.
in May 2021. The word doughnuts still prominently accompanies the Krispy Kreme name on the chain's logo and boxes of treats. Domino's Pizza took the word pizza out of its logo and off storefronts in 2012, with leadership of the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based chain at the time citing menu expansions and other in-store updates.
Its parent company is still named Domino's Pizza Inc., which is what the brand trades as on the New York Stock Exchange. Starbucks saw logo changes over the years — which included the shortening, and then dropping, of the Seattle coffee giant's name over the years.
Back in 1971, Starbucks' original logo depicted a siren surrounded by its then-name "Starbucks Coffee, Tea, and Spices," the company notes on its website. In 1987, that siren got a makeover and the name encircling her was shortened to Starbucks Coffee. By 2011, Starbucks introduced its latest logo, which doesn't feature the company's name at all.
While absent from the logo, Starbucks still operates as "Starbucks Coffee Co.," or similar names that include the word "coffee" in many countries around the world, as subsidiaries of the larger Starbucks Corp. KFC hasn't been using the longer Kentucky Fried Chicken name for decades.
The Yum brands-owned fast food chain shortened its name in 1991, according to Snopes. Still, messing with iconic brands can have consequences — and potentially cause false rumors speculating on reasons for the change. Long after shortening its name, Louisville-based KFC, for example, issued a news release a few years ago to combat an online rumor that it was forced to change its name because it doesn't serve real chicken.
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