Yesterday, as I found myself confined to my bed for the 3rd day in a row due to a bad virus, the last thing on my mind was my Consumer Behavior class. In between frequent naps and watching old episodes of Breaking Bad, I received a text from my mom with that age-old advice "Eat some chicken noodle soup". It made me think for a second--why chicken noodle soup? Why not Tylenol? Just to clarify, my mother is an infectious disease doctor, so her advice was not due to a lack of medical knowledge. As a doctor, it would be more likely for her to suggest an antibiotic or a cold medicine, but as a mother, chicken soup is the obvious answer. Obviously she was never taught in medical school that chicken noodle soup is the cure, but for some reason she recommended it anyway, just like most mothers do. Does she really think chicken noodle soup is going to get rid of my fever? Doubtful. So then why would she suggest it?
It got me thinking (but not for long, I did sleep for over half the day) how and why have we created this culture which believes that chicken noodle soup is the best cure? This lead me to do some online research (mainly because I ran out of TV shows to watch) and I found that while chicken noodle soup does have some cold-healing qualities, it is no more healing than a glass of vitamin-C filled orange juice. In fact, most of the healthy aspects come from the vegetables in the soup, but nobody ever says to eat a big bowl of vegetables if you're sick! So again, I ask...why soup? For that matter, why chicken noodle? Why not beef and rice?
Since this wonder food doesn't actually hold incredible healing powers, this left one other answer--soup is easy to digest when you're sick, and chicken noodle in particular has a great comforting quality that you just don't get from a bowl of noodles and a side of chicken. OK, that's great and all, but this is where the big questions lies. Why is it that people still consume chicken noodle soup when they're healthy?? Maybe this is just my personal opinion, but I would assume that if a product goes hand in hand with sickness, that consumers would be reminded of being sick when consuming the product on a regular basis. Aka, goodbye chicken noodle soup sales. In the mind of the consumers, how can chicken noodle soup be great when you're sick and when you're not sick? For example, I only drink ginger ale when I'm sick. I once tried to drink it when I was healthy, and I couldn't stand the taste because I've always associated those flavors with being sick. I will never buy ginger ale when I'm healthy--I just can't get past that association in my mind.
Associating a product with a feeling or emotion is extremely powerful, and can change how consumers act. Have you ever heard a song on the radio and it reminded you of a very specific time or event? If it was the song playing during your first dance on your wedding day, you're going to buy the CD. However, if it was playing in the background when your first boyfriend/girlfriend dumped you, chances are you're going to hate that song forever, no matter how much you liked it beforehand, because it wil always remind you of those horrible feelings. I, as a marketing major, would think that because I always associate chicken noodle soup with being sick, that it would bring back those icky feelings whenever I ate it. However, this phenomenon doesn't seem to exist in the chicken noodle soup world. I can't be the only one who finds this fascinating....right? Right.
The only deduction I can reach, besides the very scientific and knowledgeable conclusion that chicken noodle soup is magic and doesn't succumb to the rules, is that chicken noodle soup was marketed very carefully. While I couldn't trace the canned food back to its first ever ads, I don't think that the soup was first marketed as a cure for sickness. That is the key. If chicken noodle soup was invented and marketed solely as a medicine of sorts, then nobody would be eating it on a regular basis. Instead, it was created to be a healthy, comfort food that reminds us of childhood and family. Now what's the one thing we all want when we're sick? To be comforted by our moms. It's true, even if you won't admit it. The smell, taste, and feeling that chicken noodle soup creates gives us that artificial comfort that we can't always get as adults. Campbell's and Progresso, if you're reading this (yes, if you're reading the blog for my Consumer Behavior class....just go with it), I'd like to personally thank you for selling this wonder food, which will trick my mind into believing I'm not sick anymore right now, and next week will just be a great delicious dinner.
I love chicken noodle soup when I'm sick, and I love it when I'm not sick. But maybe that's just me. Then again, maybe not.
*Since I can't seem to get an actual poll to work, comment with your answer to this question:
When do you eat chicken noodle soup?
a. only when I'm sick
b. only when I'm NOT sick
C. anytime, sick or not!
--Raquel Scharyj
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