How do you break through crowded social platforms and authentically connect with specific audiences? This was the question that fueled the creation of the Meal Culture Engine–a first-of-its-kind social content incubator and partnership between The Campbell's Company (Campbell’s) and Dotdash Meredith (DDM).
Campbell’s wanted to forge a deeper connection with Millennial and Gen Z audiences, to modernize and to connect with younger fans by showcasing its market-leading brands—Campbell’s Condensed, Pace, Pacific Foods, Prego, and V8—as innovative, modern-day solutions.
By partnering with DDM’s portfolio of lifestyle media brands, which included Allrecipes, EatingWell, Food & Wine, Parents, PEOPLE, Serious Eats, Simply Recipes, and Southern Living, Campbell’s had one primary goal: to meet fans where they are consuming content, and to organically insert Campbell’s into that content.
Our always-on Meal Culture Engine delivered social content in response to real-time trends and insights. We created quick-turn videos for Instagram and TikTok (a total of 80 videos throughout the course of this year’s campaign), organically weaving Campbell’s brands into social conversations. Videos focused on both seasonal and ephemeral trends, as informed by audience insights; predictive data; social listening/trend spotting tools; and editorial expertise. The program hinged on agile, responsive content creation, with a dedicated video production team.
Because we leveraged diverse DDM brands, we were able to ensure that emerging social trends were paired with the appropriate Campbell’s brands and relevant editorial voices. We tested and leveraged different voices to connect with and meet key audiences where they were, ultimately engaging in conversations that were authentic and on trend.
Our portfolio of quick-turn videos included:
DDM’s partnership with Campbell’s is currently in its third year, and our multi-year approach has allowed for constant iteration. Social content has proven immensely successful, creating deeper connections with target Gen Z and Millennial consumers looking for new tips, hacks, and meal inspiration to make their lives easier and more interesting.
Since September 2024, our campaign has delivered scale, with nearly 13 million total video impressions on TikTok and Instagram featuring key Campbell’s brands—Campbell’s Condensed, Pace, Pacific Foods, Prego, and V8—as innovative and modern-day mealtime solutions.
A Latitude Research Study showed how we increased relevance and connected with key consumers. After viewing the campaign, consumers were more likely to believe Campbell’s brands are innovative and offer creative recipe solutions. We’ve seen:
