Condensed Soup

28 years after being founded, Campbell's finally solved the condensed soup problem (1897). The solution was simple, there was no need to ship the water contained in the soup. This advancement propelled Campbell's forward and is the sole reason the company exists today. Efficiency was the key to their success.

In the early '90s canned ready-to-eat soup, the kind that doesn't require additional water, began to infiltrate the market. Ready-to-eat soup is much more expensive to make and is why condensed soup was developed in the first place. Most of the cost comes from the larger can, water, shipping and cost of more preservatives ( mostly sodium).

Efficiency has given way to convenience  and thus shrinking profit margins. The consumer wants to microwave their soup at work or home without fuss of adding water. They also don't want to pay more for ultimately the same yeild (one can of condensed soup + water = one can of ready-to-eat soup).

So what does this dry analysis mean? It explains why soup sales are so weak and why the iconic Warhol can is in trouble.