All companies have a history, an entrepreneur started a business, came up with a better idea, did something to generate sales. If the company is successful, the entrepreneur has a choice to grow or stay focused on what the business is. If it grows, first it stays within the same sort of businesses or vertically integrated then it diversifies or horizontally integrated. At some point, management will change and then they will consider the name, does it reflect reality of what they do? The change can take years because the name is considered an icon and who wants to change an icon?

In an article by Jessica Dinapoli and Anja Bharbat Mistry of Reuters, Campbell Soup is dropping its name to become The Campbell Company.

CEO Mark Clouse said the company is much more than soup and has 16 very strong brands including Soup, Goldfish snacks, V8 beverages, Prego sauces, Pepperidge Farm.

Campbell expects its Goldfish snacks brand to be its largest brand by 2027.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, name changes are normal in the world of business and when it happens, there is a marketing cost to it, but the values of the company continue. It takes people a little while to adjust, but very shortly the changes will be accepted. It is surprising how quickly that happens. Hopefully, the change will continue to allow the company to grow and meet its demands of producing a profit to pay dividends.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.