Campbell’s Strengths, Weaknesses and Technological Impact

Strengths:

• Fast introduction of new products

• Powerful performance in non-soup product lines

• Increased revenue from strong performance in international sectors

• A leader in many brand categories

Weaknesses

• Declining performance in the core domestic soup category

• Increasing expenditures on marketing / promotions

• Heavy dependence on United States market

Technological Impact

Technological advances in the canning industry accelerated after the Civil War. The invention of the pressure cooker in 1874 made it possible to control cooking temperatures for the sealed cans. The invention of the so-called sanitary can in 1900 was a cylindrical can that had an open top, enabling canners to deposit larger food pieces without the damage that occurred when filling the old hole-and-cap can. The lid for the new can could be attached mechanically, without the solder seal coming into contact with the food.

Near the end of the twentieth century, when