Question

Appendix 1: Company Cases 527 a 5.1 pero 8 to 10 perce s, broth is Company. the label les gains so inter- ins a 5.1 percent increase the year before. Net profits are steady at 8 to 10 percent. Campbell's stock price has also increased by nearly 50 percent in the past few years. As the company Web site states, "For generations, people have trusted Campbell to pro- vide authentie, flavorful, and readily available foods and bever- ages that connect them to each other, to warm memories, and to what's important today." With the help of Campbell's marketing research program, it looks like consumers will continue to trust Campbell for generations to come. erience. foodies. th time bring them Camp- un and bell's Thai onut, ious Questions for Discussion 1. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Campbell Soup Company's marketing information system? 2. What objectives does Campbell have for the marketing research efforts described in this case? 3. Compare the effectiveness of Campbell's biometric research with its deep dive research. 4. Describe how traditional marketing research could be inte grated with Campbell's research efforts from this case. wp- eu- pys la- Sources: Mark Garrison, "How Food Companies Watch What You Eat," Marketplace, December 2, 2013, www.marketplace.org/topics/ business/how-food-companies-watch-what-you-eat; Ilan Brat, "The Emotional Quotient of Soup Shopping," Wall Street Journal, February 17,2010,p.B1; Bonnie Marcus, "Campbell Soup CEO Denise Morrison Stirs the Pot to Create Cultural Change," Forbes, April 25, 2015, www.forbes.com/sites/bonniemarcus/2014/04/25/campbell-soup- ceo-denise-morrison-stirs-the-pot-to-create-cultural-changel; and infor- mation from www.campbellsoupcompany.com/about-campbell, accessed September 2015.

Answer 1

(1): One of the primary strengths of Campbell Soup Company’s marketing information system (MIS) was its ability to transform traditional marketing research. Campbell’s MIS enabled the company to look at the emotions of the customers associated with Campbell. Another strength of the company’s MIS was that it allowed the management to look at the quantum of time that buyers spent looking and then buying cans of Campbell soup. Both these allowed Campbell to leverage the findings to ensure that their sales volume increased.

In terms of weakness there was no internal data base system and since the cans were identical the company could not correct the situation in which buyers were not getting a high level of emotional gratification from consuming the soup.

(2): The main objectives of Campbell for the marketing research efforts that have been described in the case were to explore and analyze behaviors of the consumers. This allowed Campbell to position itself and its product in a manner that led to value addition for the consumers. The company used its marketing research efforts to gain the attention of the new set of buyers and to influence their tastes and preferences for the company’s advantage.

(3): Campbell’s biometric research was highly effective and it involved collecting biometric responses to its soup. This supported the company’s deep dive research and ensured its effectiveness. The company’s deep dive research involved employees of Campbell living the life of the company’s customers, among them and with them. The company’s biometric research with its deep dive research enabled the company to identify six different consumer groups and this in turn helped Campbell to discover and understand developing trends in each group as well as the general market.

(4): Traditional marketing research can systematically be integrated with Campbell’s research efforts as provided in the case. The company conducts neuroscience, deep dive, along with, traditional surveys and interviews. This enables the company to have better success with accuracy and covering larger sample sizes in its marketing research.