Nielsen unveils winners of Breakthrough Innovation Awards

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. — Nielsen announced the winners of an award that honors new products that succeed on multiple dimensions over a three-year period.

The Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Awards, which were presented at the company's Consumer 360 event in Hollywood, Fla., honored products for exhibiting the following attributes:

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  Distinctiveness: a new value proposition. Brand re-stages, ingredient reformulations, re-packaging, size changes, and close-in line extensions were excluded;

  
  


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  Relevance: One-year sales of $25 million or greater in the channels Nielsen historically measures;

  
  


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  Category impact: Outperformance of the average product in its category on sales velocity, as measured by sales per distribution point; and

  
  


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  Endurance: True success is measured over time. Winners were required to at least maintain or grow sales in year two, achieving at least 90% of year-one sales in year two.

  
  

Nielsen analyzed more than 11,000 new products in the United States between 2008 and 2010. Of the products evaluated, only 34 products met award criteria. These products included:

Platinum Winners



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  2008: Zyrtec, Bud Light Lime, Arnold Select Sandwich Thins

  
  


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  2009: Chobani, Prevacid24HR

  
  


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  2010: Glaceau Vitaminwater Zero

  
  

Gold Winners



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  2008: Nature Sweet Cherubs, Powerade ION4 Zero, Wonderful Pistachios, Tide Total Care

  
  


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  2009: SoBe zero-calorie Lifewater, Trop 50, Trident Layers, Plan B One-Step, Budweiser Select 55, Next Choice, Dove Men+Care

  
  


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  2010: Silk PureAlmond milk, Thomas’ bagel thins, U by Kotex, PF Chang’s Home Menu, Schick Hydro

  
  

Silver Winners



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  2008: Keebler Town House Flipsides, Miller Genuine Draft 64, Always Infinity, K-Y Yours+Mine

  
  


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  2009: Nature Pride Variety Bread, Olay Professional Pro-X, Align Probiotic, Tide Stain Release, Fancy Feast appetizers

  
  


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  2010: Special K fruit crisps, Oscar Mayer Selects, Lean Cuisine market collection

  
  

This is the first year Nielsen has presented the award.

"To successfully launch a new product in any economy is beating the odds, but to launch and sustain success during a recession is remarkable," Nielsen SVP product innovation Vicki Gardner saod. "Breakthrough Innovation Award winners have unique bragging rights among CPG innovators."