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NEW YORK — Colgate-Palmolive, GlaxoSmithKline, Kimberly-Clark, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser and Johnson & Johnson earned top honors in health and beauty care at the 2011 Product of the Year USA awards ceremony.
Also at the Tuesday night event in New York City, executives from P&G, GSK, Nestle USA, Colgate-Palmolive, S.C. Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, Mars Petcare and other consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands shared their retail and consumer insights.
Product of the Year, hosted in 28 countries, is the world’s largest consumer-voted program that recognizes innovation in CPG. This year marks the third annual Product of the Year event in the United States, with more than 60,000 U.S. shoppers voting on products in a survey conducted by research firm TNS.
In the competition’s health and beauty care categories, the following products were voted Product of the Year:
Personal Care: Speed Stick and Lady Speed Stick Stainguard Antiperspirant Deodorant (Colgate-Palmolive Co.).
Toothpaste: Aquafresh iso-active Whitening (GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare).
Mouthwash: Listerine Zero (Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products Division of McNeil PPC Inc.).
Feminine Products: U by Kotex (Kimberly-Clark Corp.).
Hair Care: Pantene Pro-V Customized Solutions (Procter & Gamble Co.).
Hair Styling: Pantene Pro-V Customized Solutions Stylers & Treatments (Procter & Gamble Co.).
Baby Care: Pampers Cruisers & Swaddlers (Procter & Gamble Co.).
Male Grooming: Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor (Procter & Gamble Co.).
Personal Hygiene: Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System (Reckitt Benckiser).
Cosmetics: MD Lash Factor Eyelash Conditioner (La Canada Ventures Inc.).
At-Home Beauty Treatment: no!no! Hair 8800 (Radiancy Inc.)
Other 2011 Product of the Year winners included Mars Chocolate North America for M&M’S® Pretzel Chocolate Candies (Candy & Snacks); Nestle USA for Lean Cuisine Market Creations (Frozen Food) and Buitoni Riserva Frozen Complete Meals for Two (Specialty Food); Pepsi-Lipton Partnership for Lipton Brisk (Beverages); Reckitt Benckiser for Air Wick Air Freshener (Air Care); and S.C. Johnson & Son Inc. for Raid Max Bug Barrier (Insecticide).
Shoppers nationwide will be able to recognize the winners starting this month by looking for the red "Product of the Year" stamp on packaging, in advertising and on store displays. For manufacturers of the winning products, the award is proven to increase retail distribution and sales by an average of 10% to 15%, according to Product of the Year.
"Consumer packaged goods continue to demonstrate a need for the market to create products that enhance both consumer confidence and product loyalty," stated Colleen Kelly, managing director of Product of the Year. "Product of the Year is pleased to offer consumers the ability to easily sift through and distinguish those brands that stand apart in the consumer packaged goods sector."
As part of the TNS poll of 60,000 shoppers in choosing the most innovative products, Product of the Year winners receive a research study providing the insights into today’s consumer. According to this survey, 80% of shoppers are willing to try new products, and 68% said a consumer-voted award means more for a new product than an expert’s opinion. Recommendations from friends or family positively impact purchase interest among close to half the population, the survey found.
"Even though modern-day consumers are tasked with deciding which products to use on a regular basis, shoppers are willing to trust their peers when it comes to trying new products that provide great value," noted Herb Sorensen, TNS scientific adviser for Global Retail & Shopper Practice. "The Product of the Year seal is a giant recommendation to consumers, by consumers."
"Consumers are smarter than ever and watching what they spend more intelligently," commented "The Supermarket Guru" Phil Lempert, who along with Sorensen hosted the event. "Even though mobile devices and social networks offer just about every product review possible, it is still the ‘human’ social network that is the most powerful. With over 60,000 shoppers voting on the most innovative for a Product of the Year award, there is not a better recommendation."
Winners at last year’s Product of the Year event, which featured insights from Walgreens chief innovation officer Colin Watts, included products from Coca-Cola, S.C. Johnson, Tide, Clairol, Sprite, Schering-Plough Consumer HealthCare, P&G, Reckitt Benckiser and Colgate-Palmolive, among others.
