Products of the Year winners announced: signs that consumers are looking for healthier choices.
The most recent results from ‘Product of the Year (POY) indicate a shift towards dietary specific (especially gluten free) and health foods. For example Freedom Foods was amongst the winners, offering a range of ‘free from’ innovative food products, which are free from certain allergens.
Every year for almost 10 years, Neilson research has evaluated market trends in innovative products, measured using the following criteria:
1. Relevance – Is the product fulfilling a need or addressing a problem?
2. Uniqueness – Does is stand out and bring something new to the category?
3. Excitement – Does it excite them? Would they spread the word?
4. Likeability – Does it deliver what you want?
5. Value Perception – Do you think it provides value for money?
Over 14,000 Australian consumers took part in this research and voted for their favourite products of the year. POY aims to provide a time and money saving shortcut for shoppers, guiding them towards the very best products.
Product of the Year Director, Sarah Connelly said, “I’m thrilled at the increase in innovative healthy-option products that are being made available on shelf and being entered into the Awards. It’s a trend that we’ve not seen much of before in the history of the Awards and it signals increasing consumer demand for manufacturers to innovate in these areas. These options are becoming far more mainstream and more affordable than they have ever been before.”
“A category that we have seen consistent growth in each year is ‘convenience foods’ but this year we are seeing more vegetarian easy-option foods, which simply haven’t been available before. It’s wonderful to see these dietary requirements being met by brands, showcasing their leadership in this space.”
What it means to win Product of the Year
KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS:
- 2 in 5 consumers claimed they would definitely or probably purchase a product they hadn’t tried before if it won Product of the Year. This result is in line with last year’s result with the percentage increasing consistently from year to year.
- Consumers are generally open to trying new brands and do so on a regular basis.
- Over half of consumers have tried four or more new brands in the past year.
- Woolworths stands out against competitors for their range of organic, healthy and fresh products, while Coles is associated with having better deals/promotions than other supermarkets.
- When choosing a supermarket, the most important attributes to consumers are the range of available products, the location of the store and the deals/promotions available.
- Younger consumers are more likely be influenced by the Product of the Year logo than older consumers, with females slightly more likely to state that they would purchase a Product of the Year winner than males.
The Product of the Year cycle runs from February to winner announcement in November. All of the products awarded will have the opportunity to promote their win through the end of 2018 to the end of 2019. Enter here.
For more information, please contact: Rachel Stevenson at rachel@agent99pr.com or 02 9779 0999/ 0481 251 916
