Diana: Here’s a quick disclaimer. The views, statements, and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers. The statements are not intended to be product claims or medical advice. Hi, Diana Fryc here. I’m the host of The Gooder podcast, where I get to talk with the powerhouse women in the food, beverage, and wellness categories about their journeys to success and insights into the industry. This episode is brought to you by retail Voodoo. Retail Voodoo is a brand development firm. Our clients include Starbucks Kind, Ripe, High Key, and many other market leaders. We provide strategic brand and design services for leading brands in these categories. So if your goal is to increase market share, drive growth, or disrupt the marketplace with new and innovative ideas, give us a call. Let’s talk or you can look us up on retail hyphen voodoo dot com. Okay. Well, today I’m excited to introduce Melissa Price, who is a CPG and sales leader with a passion for the consumer, the customer, and how it all comes together. She started her career in analytics and client service and has led teams and businesses across household products and food. Melissa spent most of her career at her current company, Campbell Soup Company, where she started out as an associate brand manager in marketing and has worked her way up to her current position as a customer vice president in sales. With stops along the way, leading beloved brands such as Campbell’s and Prego and working in both retail and food service business units. Well, hello, Melissa. How are you?
Melissa: I’m wonderful, Diana. How are you today?
Diana: I am great. Okay. Where are you today? Where in the world is Melissa?
Melissa: Yes, I am in a small town called Woolwich Township, New Jersey, which is about 30 minutes southeast of Philadelphia. So Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern Time is a big day for us as I’m waiting for our Philadelphia Eagles to go to the Super Bowl, hopefully. Yes. Yes. So.
Diana: Okay, who are you playing?
Melissa: We are playing the San Francisco 40 Niners. Okay.
Diana: Then you must win. I’m just telling you. 40 niners are the Seahawks arch enemies cannot have it. So go eagles.
Melissa: Thank you very much.
Diana: They are a good team this year.
Melissa: They are. It’s been a lot of fun to watch. It’s been a great time to be a Philadelphia fan. We had our Philadelphia Phillies give us quite the ride earlier this year. Yes. Which was amazing to watch. The Sixers are performing quite well as well in the conference. Look, we’ll leave the fliers to the side. They’ll find their way. And then look there. My beloved Penn State Nittany Lions as well, Rose Bowl champions. So I had to think.
Diana: Oh, my goodness, it’s been a great year for you.
Melissa: It has. Yes.
Diana: I love it. Well, and for those of you that are watching this or not watching this, I can say we have a YouTube channel as well. But those of you that are just listening, can see the back of Melissa’s wall. She’s a sports person in some ways and shapes and forms. So the love of sports is not just personal. It’s personal.
Melissa: Yeah, that is correct. Yes, I do have my runner wall behind me, which is a not-so-subtle reminder that I can do hard things.
Diana: Yes.
Melissa: Shout out to my husband for, you know, for that that I would know. I definitely wouldn’t have done that myself, but.
Diana: Oh, my gosh. Well, tell us a little bit about what Campbell’s is up to these days and maybe remind people we all know the suit, but maybe talk about some of the major brands that Cam Campbell’s kind of owns and manages at this time.
Melissa: Sure. So, yes, you mentioned, obviously our flagship condensed soup. We also have Prego Italian sauce, the number one Italian pasta sauce in the category, and we also have V8 beverages. And then that’s kind of what we refer to and specific foods excuse me, specific Are organic foods born up by you?
Diana: Yes, in Seattle. Bellingham, Right.
Melissa: Excuse me.
Diana: Were they in Bellingham or Everett?
Melissa: They were actually. They’re a little outside Tualatin, Oregon. So kind of the Portland area. Yes. So that’s on one side of the house, what we refer to as the Meals and Beverages portfolio. And then we have the Snacks portfolio, which has such beloved brands as Pepperidge Farm, Goldfish, and Milano cookies, and then recently added to the party in 2018 was the Snyder’s lance portfolio. So kettle chips, cod chips. Yeah. So it’s a wonderful business to be in with a lot of diverse brands, which makes it extremely interesting and a great company to be a part of.
Diana: Yes. Well, that brings us to your title. I think it’s officially the customer Vice president. Yeah. Tell us what that role means and how it delivers on that. Campbell’s promise to customers and consumers.
Melissa: So it is within our sales function. So my team is responsible for it. We’re split up by division. So my team is responsible for the meals and beverages portfolio. So those were some of the brands we mentioned earlier, like Campbell’s and Prego. And then we have that we’re responsible for a set of customers in the club and natural channels. So yes, it’s a super exciting place to be in and one that I found my way into through other roles in marketing as well.
Diana: Yeah, and pretty dynamic. I don’t know how to even describe it. Business unit. Set of responsibilities. Because it’s kind of ever-changing. I think the sooner the Lance Snider Snider Lance acquisition probably did a little bit of a ballooning there for a moment when you guys brought them on a couple of years back.
Melissa: Yes, that is correct. And so I would say, you know, to your point on it being dynamic, certainly, our organization is incredibly dynamic. And look, the food, the CPG industry, and the food industry, there are a lot of things that are very different than there are a lot of things that are the same. So navigating, evolving consumer tastes, what consumers expect, how they expect to be spoken to, and then how that translates as well to the customer angle that my team takes care of and the proliferation of the customer landscape. Yeah, it is all a part of it. It’s what gets me energized, among many other things.
Diana: Yes. And I suspect based on the products in the brands that you mentioned here just a moment ago, COVID probably. Expanded you for, at least for a moment there, if you haven’t already continued to retain some of that growth. Maybe I’m not thinking through that correctly, but I know that our consumption of goldfish alone probably added a year to year to your top line.
Melissa: You’re thinking of its spot on. And it was pretty interesting, you know, to just see. I think we really saw consumer habits change both on a temporary level and then moving forward. You know, one of the largest things that we saw the difference in is just the rise of the at-home lunch occasion, which works quite well, you know, for the meals and beverages portfolio and for the snacks portfolio for that matter. But the rise of the in-home lunches was one of the bigger things for us that had a more substantial impact. And look, you know, at the beginning of COVID for the better part of a year, year and a half, it was five days at launch. Right. And then as hybrid work models came to come in right, as children went back to school, you know, we saw that change just a little bit. But then you also counteract that with more at-home dinner occasions, Right? You know, driven by inflation and some other macro factors. So it’s been quite interesting to watch the consumers change their habits and for us to be a part of that, quite honestly.
Diana: Yeah, So interesting in our home, specifically with the kids, we’ve been focusing on making meals and having them participate in it. And so some of those products that we’re talking about here where they can make a meal feel really confident about what it is that they’re doing. And it’s yummy but simple, kind of like that step one or step two in making meals for the family as part of the global contribution is a big deal.
Melissa: Oh, totally. And we felt it as well. You thought it was interesting, right? Your home. And so I went from having a 30-minute one-way commute right. Going home. But still, you know, you’re kind of logging some more hours on either end. So your time constraint is still there. Yes. The need for comfort and emotional appeal actually heightened. So we found ourselves also kind of together needing to walk away from the screens, making casseroles, making some things, using our Campbell products. And I guess a lot of that has stayed. I mean, yeah, fortunately, or unfortunately, most, unfortunately, Kogan and all of the things stayed around for a very long time.
Diana: So yeah.
Melissa: It forced those habits to start to stick. And then for these meals to be a part of the consumer’s repertoire and that’s okay. Some consumers needed a reminder of that, I think.
Diana: So I think that we got to a point that felt like there was so much going on, even as. For kids’ school activities, post-COVID, we’ve cut them down. Just because it was bananas beforehand. But it was that hard stop that made us realize how banana it actually was. So I think it’s a good thing. And in some ways.
Melissa: Yes, Yeah, I agree. I think what COVID has done, and I have certainly taken this both in the workplace as well as at home, is that it’s okay to be focused. It’s okay to be clear on your priorities and understand where things fall and be very clear about the trade-offs that you’re making and have that inner confidence to be alright with that and forge forward.
Diana: Yeah. Now you’ve been with Campbells for just over 12 years, is that correct? Yeah. And risen quickly through the company, taking kind of envious conventional roles along the way. Can you share a little bit about that path?
Melissa: Yeah. Yeah. So I think I would categorize my career path at Campbell and Joan in general, quite honestly, on values of passion, understanding where my passion is, understanding where I draw my energy from and where my and honing in on what my value is to either teams or the organization. And then overlaying that with optimism, which is just a core value of mine, and a little bit of risk-taking, but calculated risk-taking with the end in mind. So I’ve been one of those folks who’s been fortunate enough that from a pretty early age, call it early college, I knew the industry that I wanted to be in and I knew what I wanted to do. And so I was very laser-focused on getting there. And then as my career has evolved, I’ve been able to be a bit more open-minded when opportunities presented themselves. That might have been a little bit outside of the path that I thought I had to choose. And so I would say that it was openness and leaning on advocates and sponsors and mentors of mine to understand why I was approached for the position, what it could do for me, and then just going for it, going for it and making the most of every single opportunity, because usually those then opened up other doors for me.
Diana: Got it. I have found in the last couple of years saying yes to opportunities that are scary has opened up some opportunities for me. It’s created a little exhaustion, but I’m learning how to filter through it. And I think a lot of women are not taught to be we’re taught to be risk averse, could be cultural norms or I’m not sure what that is. It could just learn to be a little bit more risk-taker. I just made that word up.
Melissa: I mean it landed for me makes perfect sense.
Diana: Yes now and you said something to me and I wanted to ask this because. I want to make sure I’m getting this correct. You said, Campbell. I’ve said Campbell’s my whole life. Is that? It’s Campbell. When people talk about your company, is that supposed to be pronounced?
Melissa: Campbell It is. It’s Campbell Soup Company, which throws people off because it sounds. Is it that Campbell Apostrophe S or. But Campbell would be the way.
Diana: Well, we have wrestling matches out here. Nordstrom is based here in Seattle, and some people say it’s Nordstrom.
Melissa: Oh, right. No, it’s.
Diana: Drum. So it’s probably a similar vein.
Melissa: Yeah. Yeah. I don’t know. There’s a certain cachet about it. You just stop it at that, right?
Diana: Yeah, of course. Okay. Just wanted to ask that. So. Campbell: Great. So as we’re talking about your journey through, Campbell, I’m certain that you noticed that your ship’s lu your leadership style changed and evolved. I don’t know if it was department mobile or if it was just kind of incremental because of what you were doing. Can you say what you or can you identify what you may have learned about leadership or the way you do leadership along the way and maybe some of those elements that you lean on every day?
Melissa: Sure. So I see there are probably a couple of things. I think the first one is management and leadership are two different things. Those were words that I early on in my career thought were synonymous and then quickly realized that they are not. Management to me is the what and leadership is the how. So for me, it’s just been honing in on back to what makes me me and what feedback and experiences have I gathered along the way to help me understand how to check my self-awareness and to make sure that I am drawing on things that other people see to be true. For me, that makes sense. I think the other part too, is always remaining authentic and then always making sure that situational leadership is big and that that does not conflict with my desire to be authentic. So, yeah, you know, it’s been an evolution there. And look you know you look at I’ve looked at leaders I’ve had the distinct pleasure of having many managers and many leaders in my life across different levels of the organization. And you look at those that you would want to emulate and those that you could identify with and then others where, oh, okay, I might have a different approach than them and that’s okay. And then you just kind of hold it in from there. But you always have to learn and you always have to be humble enough to listen to your team. That’s been a really big, really, really big learning for me. Be vulnerable and don’t be afraid to let your team know when you don’t have the answer or where you don’t have the answer, because that’s okay.
Diana: I agree. I think people trust a leader that is open about what they’re nervous about or fearful about as long as what they’re excited about. But then also knowing where their boundary of knowledge is, that’s pretty great.
Melissa: Yeah. And it’s a tricky balance and one that I’m still on the journey on. Diana on making sure that you are instilling confidence in your team because that is crucial. That’s what they need from leader confidence that we can get their set direction and, also be okay. You have to strike that balance between confidence, but then also humbleness so that if your team is like, wait, hang on a second. Wrong way or not this way. No, you have to be okay with hearing that. So it’s a tricky balance. But it’s that’s what that’s another thing that wakes me up every single day is just tackling that challenge.
Diana: Yeah. Do you have a mentor or somebody within Campbell that you rely on for some of those trickier situations, or do you get coaching or how do you learn outside of just being in the moment and figuring it out?
Melissa: All of the above. Oh my gosh, I have such a network inside Campbell’s, outside of Campbell’s ex, Campbell’s folks, my family, and my husband. Oh my God. My poor husband. Just he gets the brunt of everything to be like, Oh, did I do this or do not do that? Do you know? So, yes, all And what I’ve also learned is that you know, you have them for different situations, right? There are some mentors where it is, okay, this is unbridled, Melissa. I’m going to shut the door. I just have to vent. And then there are other mentors and sponsors that you have to be a bit more strategic with, right, where it’s, hey, let me can you help me navigate this? Or you have a different point of view on it. It just depends. But they all have roles and I lean on them heavily. Heavily, yes.
Diana: Oh, that says a lot that you have a partner at home that you can come home well, that you can come home to and just talk about business. And help you pull it apart. You don’t have to keep working at work.
Melissa: Yeah. And, you know, you have to like we have to obviously selectively choose when to do that, as you know. Right. You know, the kids, as much as they probably would love to hear about, oh, should we drive velocity here or drive distribution? Right. Like they’re like, no, mommy, we just want to tell you about how I got a ticket for today, right? Or talk about my basketball game. So, yeah, and you also just have to, I think, not. Look, that’s also that approach is not for everybody. Right. For me, it helps me just work through things, and get a different point of view. And then it’s another kind of data for me as I work through something. But that’s not for everybody and that’s okay as well, you know, But that works for my husband and me. So we’re just going to keep rocking and ask.
Diana: Well, congrats on that. That’s great. Melissa, you’ve been with Campbell during some big transitions. We talked about this. Snyder Lance, there’s been a few other ones. As a high performer, how do you manage these transitions to that balance of life in a way that feels good to you and lets you be great at what you do?
Melissa: Yeah. So I think what I’ve done throughout those is an understanding that I’m big on metaphor. So for me, you know, it’s okay. This is just, this is a big change and I’ve gone through big changes myself, right? I’m a mother. I’ve gotten married to all kinds of things, right? That has been a big transition for me. So what I usually do is I just hearken back to what I did during those transitions and how I see my way through. So first and foremost, especially when it’s your company involved, a lot of times these transitions tangentially affected me, right? So the first thing is that you have to just make sure that you sort of put your head down in some cases or know when to put your head down and get the work done. There have been big, you know, kind of restructures and things like that where that’s been my go, and that has helped me just stay focused on the issue at hand and work on learning, which is another big motivator for me. And then there were some other transitions, too, where, you know, I actually had to bring the team along or make sure that the team knew that our job to be done was still what needed to be done. And I had to lean in a little more on the side there and bring folks along to make sure that they were staying engaged. So it’s situational. But I harken back to I go with my gut on a lot of things if needed. I go to my mentors and then I also just work back on situations where I’ve been in this kind of position, maybe not literally, but figuratively, and just take the lessons from there.
Diana: Yeah, like the fluidity that you have when you’re approaching the scenarios. Kind of more of a toolbox. Behavior is a toolbox of ways of being that you can pull out and use when you need as appropriate rather than like, okay, every time this happens, I’m this way and every time this happens, I’m this way. I think fluidity probably speaks to your success and your growth.
Melissa: I appreciate that. Thank you. Yeah.
Diana: Well, when we’re thinking about kind of this path and this growth that you have, is there any particular one moment or maybe even two that were. Critical in. Bringing you to where you are right now or maybe something you’re proud of. And I know there are many, but there’s usually one or two that are like, No, the reason why I’m here is that this element right here happened at this specific time.
Melissa: Yeah, yeah. I can think back to when I was earlier in my career. Then we had gone through a restructure and I was in a kind of a transition turning point in my career from a level perspective. And I remember that the structure did not work out the way that I thought it was going to. I had a couple of additional levels in between a mentor of mine who was going to be overseeing the business, and we were going to finally be able to work together and the structure to go the way that I exactly wanted it to. And that was a really good opportunity for me to sit down and think about what values I bring in or excuse me, what are my values, I should say, what’s the impact that I can have? And also what are maybe some other spots within the organization that I can get? The experiences or the skills that I was hoping would happen through this structure might not be happening yet. So it taught me patience. It taught me the importance of honing in on the job to be done. I know I’ve mentioned that a couple of times, but the job to be done and what I can do to do that, and then it also opened up my eyes to, Hey, there are other ways that you can channel this energy if you’re not getting it from your specific job. And that was when I became the lead for the Women of Campbell Network. So yeah, so, so I had had somebody who I didn’t even know was out there who had put my name forward. Really? Yeah. Like, it was an amazing opportunity and it gave me skills that I was able to use. As I said, I was hoping I was going to get more immediately from that structure that didn’t come. And then what ended up happening was I got to expand my network. That opened up another opportunity that I ended up taking within the food service division at Campbell. And it also gave and then the other part of it ended up working out on the structure side. So it was a little yeah, it was a little bit of a time there where I had to learn it’s not always going to go your way. That’s okay. Have patience. But then you are also in control in some ways of your own destiny and you can drive. And if nobody is telling you to go and do this, you can. And that’s okay.
Diana: Yeah, that’s fantastic. It’s a. A little bit of knowing who you are. There’s a little bit of trusting that the path that’s been presented to you is the one that is the one that you should take a little bit of both. Not every opportunity that you’re presented with is the right one. But I think that we can follow our gut when we know it’s the right thing. We overanalyze. Sometimes I think we miss opportunities by putting everything into charts and format, you know.
Melissa: 100%. Yeah. I mean, that’s been something I, you know, probably folks who know me the best would say that I certainly have an appreciation for the data. I started my career as an analyst. However, you cannot walk away from that. Right. And that’s important in marketing and sales as well. Right. I mean, if anything in the pandemic taught us anything, consumers operate with emotion, right? Like there’s no data out there that says if this terrible thing is happening, I should go up and stock up on four years worth of toilet paper. No graph would have told you that that was going to happen. So since it’s actually so, you know, sometimes I do have to remind myself of those things, and certainly, with myself, it’s a little easier to go with my gut. But then sometimes in business situations, right, We could it’s sometimes it comes to a point where it’s like, okay, yes, got it. Here’s what the data is telling us then. What’s the emotional part of it or what’s the part that the data is not telling us that we have to lean in a little?
Diana: So I love that you brought that up because of our firm. We do brand development for those who’ve spent a lot of time in brand positioning, go-to-market strategies, channel strategies, looking for the white space, blue ocean, and all of that kind of strategy development. And the biggest thing that we have found in the area of success is the data that is non-existent, isn’t reported, isn’t captured because. The opportunity is there, but nobody is neat and nobody’s going after it. And. So and you probably saw that a lot of times, too. I mean, from an analytical standpoint, you look for the data that’s showing you what’s missing. Instead of validating that everybody I think everybody’s doing and I don’t know, a Nutcracker or something like that. So that means that we should do a nutcracker, you know, What are those adjacencies? This nobody’s touching at all. And then what are the brands that are? A touch of that could possibly play in that space. So glad that you brought that up because we as consumers and as employees, as much as we want to say we’re data and analytics-driven. We are emotional beings as well. So anything that we’re looking at, we’re laying some emotion. Cover there and make decisions from there.
Melissa: Agreed. And you know and it’s tough and you hit on something to the right. I’ve talked before that I’m an optimist and we are for whatever reason I think preconditioned weathering works or not to look for the holes or to bring it down or to what’s the negative spin. And I think that’s just kind of like our way as human beings to try to protect ourselves, which exactly serves a purpose. I’m not downplaying that. I just yeah, I think, though, that there does come a point and it’s tough because we have data all over the place and then it’s collecting and then it’s, you know, it tells me to do this, but this one also tells me to do this. And that’s actually sometimes where I just have to stop and walk away and actually bring a couple of different points of view in and talk about it. Like, Right, let’s just talk about it. And there does come a point in time where now we have to make a decision and go, Yes, and if everybody’s aware of the pros, the cons, the risks, the opportunities, what this set of data is telling us, what this is telling us, then we all go.
Diana: Exactly. Yeah. Well, so what advice do you find yourself giving people who might want to follow in your footsteps?
Melissa: Oh, man. Giddy up. Because it’s an amazing ride. And yeah, I think I should be open. You know, one of the things about working for an amazing company like Campbell is the reality. We’ve been around for 153 years. And so we’re in categories that are pretty well-developed, very well-developed. Right. So sometimes you can find yourself in a position where, okay, I can take a road that’s incrementally risky or it’s not right or it’s very risky. So I think having comfort with being open to taking some career risks and surrounding yourself with a support network who can help you with that and trusting your gut. I mean, look, I talked about this before. I have a vast network of mentors and sponsors. There were some mentors that at points in my career said, Don’t go do that, don’t because of X, Y, Z. And I didn’t listen. And it’s been okay, you know, because you have to get out of your head of like, oh my God, then they’re not going to be my mentor because why would I ask them for advice if I don’t take You to have to get out of your head. Any of my mentors who are listening or watching this right now will laugh hysterically because they’re always the ones telling me to get out of my head. So I’ve heard you all. But that is what I would say to anybody, woman or man, who wants to follow in my footsteps, and then just continue to be clear on your priority, your priorities, understand what fills your cup, understand that what fills your cup is not going to be the same as what Fill somebody else’s cup. And that’s also okay. But make sure your cup is full and make sure you’re taking the time to fill it so that you can go and be the badass that you are.
Diana: I love it. Oh, right. Well, what’s new for or I wouldn’t say what’s new. What is next for Campbell? Is there anything that we can be paying attention to in 2023?
Melissa: Oh, man. You know, we talked about it, that consumers are continuing to eat lunch at home, eat dinner at home. Snacking continues to be on the rise and is a huge part of consumers’ days. So take a look for some really fine products that’ll be coming from us to help add some spice, if you will know to do some of those occasions and may. Yeah. Yeah. I would keep an eye out for that because I think as consumers have gotten into a new routine, if you will, they’re still always looking. You have the framework there of the routine. Right. But they need some things to keep it interesting and keep with that routine. So we plan on being there for your lunch, your dinner, and all of your in-between snacking occasions.
Diana: I love it. You got all the dayparts. All of you. I love it. My gosh, Melissa, I’m enjoying our conversation. Our time is almost up. But I have a couple of questions that I like to ask everybody that are a little step away from what we’ve been covering. The first one is, are there any women leaders who are rising stars out there right now that you would like to elevate or just give a shout-out to for the work that they’re doing right now?
Melissa: Yes. So I mentioned this I think I mentioned, as I took to say, that I am allowed to mention other brands. Okay. So to say that I’m a Peloton enthusiast would be putting it lightly. And so I love the work that Robin Pozen is doing. You know, she’s one of my favorites. She was the first Peloton instructor I ever took when I got my bike. And I just love what she’s doing in the leadership space and the confident space. Love, love, love that. And I still love her classes. And the same with Rebecca Kennedy, who’s one of my favorite tread and strength instructors. So huge fans of them. And then I continue to just always listen to any podcasts that Brittany Brown has or bikes. I mean, just love burning. Yeah, burning. Excuse me. And yeah, so, so those would be the three that I just love. I love all of their work for different reasons, but they’re super inspiring to me.
Diana: Yes. And I’m going to ask you to answer this question from your personal, not your professional perspective. Are there any brands or trends that you have your eye on right now that just have you a little bit excited? Oh.
Melissa: It’s a tough one. I do. Do you know what I love? So we mentioned I’m a runner, right? I’m training for my first marathon. Oh, hey. Yeah. Week 11 of 18. Yes, March 19th. So I’m over the halfway hump here.
Diana: Okay. Which one?
Melissa: The Shamrock Marathon in. Yeah, in Virginia Beach. So. Okay. Yeah. So I’ve been actually following a lot in the space of performance, nutrition, and sports nutrition, and the openness of or maybe the resistance to diet culture and the openness to carbs are your friend and they serve a very specific purpose. And that’s been super interesting to me. Just maybe the mindset changes and where we’re going there. So. So that’s been kind of cool. So maybe not a brand, maybe more just like a little bit of a movement combined with what I see as rising momentum as well on activity and, and activity of all kinds. So I’ll be interested to keep an eye on that one.
Diana: Yes. So my biggest thing with activity right now is that I’m going to challenge somebody to figure it out. I don’t. Not me, because I have no spare time. One of the things that I have been noticing with anything around health and wellness, whether it was health and wellness, food and better-for-you brands, and off and on with activities is that there’s typically a very high expense for participation. And I’m wondering who is that brand or who are those brands that are going to be able to. Create something for the person that’s going from the couch to the five K and that will never be a marathoner or will never be a skydiver, or insert your extreme version of the activity. Yeah. Who’s that brand that’s going to move people from no activity to? A little activity and that person might be there for the rest of their life. And that’s where I feel like there’s some opportunity.
Melissa: Agreed. Yeah, I agree. And it’s tricky, right? Because you have to strike the balance between aspiration where all, you know, you want to aspire to get there, which has a premium cachet about it. Yes. But you also need to make it approachable enough for folks. Yeah. So I agree with you. I think that that’ll be. I think that’s interesting.
Diana: Yeah, I think that’s an opportunity we saw the better for you. Food and beverage started to move into that space. You can’t have somebody move from Mountain Dew and Doritos to kale chips and kombucha overnight. There’s a thousand steps in between, and we’re finally starting to create enough products in steps one and two that are moving people incrementally away from nothing wrong with Mountain Dew and Doritos, just not every day. And by the pound.
Melissa: I completely agree. And yeah, the kombucha and kale chips. I’m still I’m always there for you.
Diana: You may never be there and that is okay we still love you.
Melissa: Thanks. Oh.
Diana: My goodness. Well, we’ve been talking with Melissa Price, Customer, Vice president of Campbell Soup Company. Melissa, where can people learn more about what you’re up to?
Melissa: Yeah. So LinkedIn’s the easiest, the easiest spot, so you’ll find me there. I have a fairly common last name, but my maiden name is between there. So you’ll. You’ll be able to see. I’m Melissa of Jersey Price. So, yeah, please reach out at any time. I’d love to catch up.
Diana: Excellent. Well, thank you so much for your time, Melissa. I am so happy that we finally connected voice to voice, and I look forward to seeing what you do next or where you go next is probably the real observation. And I want to thank all of you, listeners, for your time today. If you like this episode, please share it with a friend. Otherwise, have a great rest of your day and we’ll catch you next time on The Good, Her podcast.
