Product of the Year winners revealed and celebrated
Twenty-nine new products were recognized as “Product of the Year,” at a gala event in New York recently, but earning that distinction comes at a hefty price and leveraging it as part of a marketing effort costs even more.
Product of the Year USA, now in its 29th year, bills itself as the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Winning products are chosen from entries submitted by consumer packaged goods companies that are voted on by 40,000 consumers who participate in a nationally representative survey conducted by TNS. The purpose of Product of the Year USA is to guide consumers to the best products in their market and reward manufacturers for quality and innovation, according to the organization. The award is touted as a powerful merchandising program for marketers to increase product sales, distribution and awareness because winning receive the right to use the Product of the Year seal in marketing communications for two years.
"Consumers are looking for quick, in-and-out experiences in stores when making their everyday household purchases," said Rich Fryling, managing director of Product of the Year USA. "The red Product of the Year Award seal lets shoppers know that over 40,000 fellow consumers prefer the winning products over the competition."
Earning that distinction isn’t cheap. While it is free to enter the contest, finalists are charged a $7,000 fee and those who are identified as winners pay an additional $63,000 fee. Leveraging the award in marketing materials and on product packaging requires payment of a licensing fee. Despite the cost, winners are set to have an edge for success in store, according to Product of the Year USA, because winners outperform category sales performance by 38.1% based on Nielsen data.
The winners of the 2016 Product of the Year Award include the following:
Snacks: Gold Emblem abound Unsalted Pistachio & Almond Blend
Feminine Care: Playtex Sport Collection
Sustainability: Energizer EcoAdvanced
OTC: FLONASE Allergy Relief
Paper Products: Kleenex Perfect Fit Facial Tissues
Pet Food: Beyond Purées
Sugar Confections: SweeTARTS Soft & Chewy Ropes
Liquid Laundry: Tide HE Turbo Clean Liquid Detergent
Laundry Pacs: Tide PODS Plus Febreze
Vitamins & Supplements: Emergen-Zzzz
Beauty Tools: Amopé Pedi Perfect Extra Coarse Electronic Foot File with Diamond Crystals
Kitchen & Home: Finish Powerball Max in 1
Condiment: FRENCH'S Tomato Ketchup
Shower & Bath: Lysol Click Gel
Condoms: Durex RealFeel Condoms
Eye Care: CLEAR CARE PLUS
Specialty Laundry: Downy Fresh Protect
Frozen Foods: Ore-Ida Bold & Crispy Steakhouse Fries
Better For You: Weight Watchers Smart Ones Smoothies
Chocolate: M&M's Crispy Chocolate Candies
Pet Health: Milk-Bone Good Morning Daily Vitamin Treats
Hair Styling: göt2b mind blowing fast dry HAIRSPRAY
Men's Hygiene: Right Guard Xtreme Heat Shield Deodorant
Hair Care: Schwarzkopf essence Ultime Omega Repair 11-IN-1 Leave-In
Lip Care: Softlips Cube
Coffee Beverage: Skinny Cow Creamy Iced Coffee
Ice Cream: Skinny Cow Dipped Ice Cream Bars
Car Care: Turtle Wax DASH & GLASS