Why Rao’s Soup Misses the Mark on This Packaging Design.

Rao’s is a pasta sauce powerhouse, but their soup packaging tells a different story.

Description

Brand extension can be a powerful growth strategy, but only if it’s executed with clarity. In this case, the transition from pasta sauce into soup creates confusion rather than differentiation.

The biggest issue is visual overlap. Using the same jar, color palette, and overall look as the pasta sauce line makes it difficult to immediately recognize this as soup. While that familiarity may help with brand recognition, it blurs product boundaries, especially in real-life usage moments like grabbing something from the pantry.

Structure plays a critical role here. A clear glass jar works well for pasta sauce, where the product typically looks smooth and appetizing. But with soups, especially chunkier varieties, the same transparency can work against appetite appeal. Visible separation, texture, and settling can make the product look less appealing, even if the quality is high.

This is where strong food packaging design and CPG packaging strategy come into play. Structure should reinforce both the category and the consumption experience. If it creates confusion or reduces the appeal of the product, it’s working against the sale.

Sometimes differentiation isn’t about standing out; it’s about being understood instantly.

Video Transcript

00:00:00 Look at that. That does not look
00:00:01 appetizing.
00:00:05 Hey guys, this is Shopping with
00:00:06 Christie. Today I'm at King Supers. Once
00:00:08 again, that's Kroger in Colorado. And I
00:00:10 want to talk to you today about brand
00:00:12 extension and also structure selection.
00:00:15 I am taking a look at soups. When I was
00:00:18 shopping this set, I happened to notice
00:00:19 this brand right here, a brand that's
00:00:21 been very on trend and a high growth
00:00:24 brand, which is Rouse. This is the soup
00:00:27 set. Here we've kind of got Campbell's
00:00:30 chunky progresso and then sort of a
00:00:32 random assortment here. This is where
00:00:34 Rouse is landing up. And you know Rouse
00:00:37 is so popular right now in the pasta
00:00:40 set. The first one I saw my eyes went to
00:00:43 cuz of the red was tomato basil. And at
00:00:45 first I honestly thought that this was
00:00:48 just like a pizza sauce. Like it wasn't
00:00:50 a soup. It looks so similar to their
00:00:53 pasta sauce line. Now, mind you, I might
00:00:55 buy this knowing it's soup because it's
00:00:57 in the soup set. However, when I get
00:00:59 home and it's in my pantry, if let's say
00:01:02 another family member was making pasta,
00:01:04 I could absolutely imagine my
00:01:06 11-year-old grabbing this thinking it's
00:01:08 pasta sauce, right? And doing that. Now,
00:01:11 mind you, it does say here slow simmered
00:01:13 soup, but that is so tiny. And tomato
00:01:16 basil is a standard pasta sauce flavor.
00:01:19 So, that would be an issue in my house.
00:01:21 I would be very worried about that. I
00:01:22 wish they had made this look a little
00:01:24 bit different. One of the ways they
00:01:25 could have made it look a little
00:01:26 different is by choosing a different
00:01:28 structure. I will point out they are the
00:01:30 only brand here in this set that has a
00:01:34 clear glass jar for their soups. Now, I
00:01:37 know that makes sense in the world of
00:01:39 pasta sauce cuz most pasta sauce looks
00:01:41 pretty good, but we got some issues
00:01:42 here. I do think it looks good when
00:01:44 something's fully blended like a
00:01:45 butternut squash or again it's made of
00:01:47 basil, but you start to get kind of
00:01:49 let's call it chunks. Here's Tuscan
00:01:51 style beef. I don't think most Americans
00:01:54 want to see like chunks of beef
00:01:57 floating. Look at that. Ew. [sighs]
00:02:00 [gasps] Looks almost gelatinous. Or I
00:02:02 would argue almost even worse, this
00:02:04 chicken orzo soup. Look at that. That
00:02:07 does not look appetizing. That's okay
00:02:08 with the vegetables, but seeing that
00:02:10 sort of orzo, I wouldn't say it's
00:02:12 disintegrating, but it's been sitting
00:02:14 there in this liquid. Now, of course,
00:02:15 conceptually, you know, that's what all
00:02:17 of these look like, too. But I don't
00:02:19 think consumers deeply think about that,
00:02:20 right? They see an image, let's say,
00:02:23 like this, and it looks delicious. So,
00:02:25 if I were Rouse, I would have maybe gone
00:02:27 for a more innovative, authentic jar,
00:02:29 but maybe not clear like that. I think
00:02:32 there's other structures I would have
00:02:33 considered before doing that if I were
00:02:35 them. Number one, for confusion with
00:02:37 their pasta sauce items, not only at
00:02:40 store, but even more so at home in the
00:02:41 pantry. And then number two, appetite
00:02:43 appeal. I don't think your average
00:02:45 consumer is going to notice that
00:02:46 necessarily. That's something that
00:02:48 really only weirdos like me would
00:02:50 notice. But still, I'm watching you
00:02:51 arrows.

Packaging design case studies: Tree Top boosted parent trust and kid appeal with new packaging.

Mary Marnell Director of Content & Marketing

25 Articles

A seasoned veteran in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) industry, Jason Vaught brings a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience as the director of content and marketing for SmashBrand. His comprehensive role at the forefront of brand communication ensures that CPG brands remain well-informed about the suite of services SmashBrand offers. Furthermore, his insights derived from the company's strategy, design, and testing services are invaluable to brand owners and managers seeking expert guidance.

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