Dive Brief:
- Campbell Soup Company named Diego Palmieri as VP and CMO of U.S. meals and beverages, a news release announced. His role will be effective July 18, and he will report to Roberto Leopardi, Campbell Soup's president of meals and beverages.
- Palmieri will be responsible for all aspects of marketing and consumer connection in the U.S. for the division's brands, including Campbell's, Chunky, Well Yes!, Slow Kettle, Swanson, V8, Plum, Pace and Prego.
- Most recently, Palmieri was general manager of SC Johnson's Greater China arm, where he built the company's e-commerce business. He spent more than two decades with SC Johnson in various roles. He also previously managed the Glad Home Fragrance business for international markets and led marketing for brands, including Off! Repellents and the Pledge Grab-It.
Dive Insight:
Campbell Soup has its eye on beefing up its e-commerce business and digital offerings by tapping Palmieri, who helped SC Johnson grow its online shopping business in China. Investing in e-commerce is an important move for traditional packaged foods brands like Campbell Soup, as key consumer segments like millennials do more of their shopping online and more frequently opt for fresher, healthier alternatives in stores.
"Diego has spent his career marketing and selling consumer products in the United States and abroad," Leopardi said in a statement. “He is an accomplished marketer and experienced business leader with a track record of growing businesses through a deep understanding of brand value and success in building e-commerce into the marketing and sales mix.”
Consumers are overall showing a strong interest in online grocery shopping, which is projected to be a $100 billion industry by 2022, according to Nielsen and Food Marketing Institute data reported in ABC News. Seventy percent of consumers currently do at least part of their grocery shopping online, the research found. However, individual CPG brands will need to focus their e-commerce platforms on customer experience and personalization if they want to compete with current market leaders like Amazon and Walmart.
Campbell has been working to diversify its offerings, including by acquiring snack maker Snyder's-Lance in December for $4.87 billion — the largest deal in the company's history. The hiring of Palmieri follows Campbell Soup's efforts to restructure its C-suite earlier this year to better focus on its core soup and snack divisions and boost its presence in the health-foods segment, per Food Dive. The brand also saw its former CEO, Denise Morrison, abruptly depart in May.