Product of the Year, the UK’s largest survey of food and drink product innovation, is open for entries for its 2022 awards.
According to a new survey carried out by Product of the Year, nearly a third of consumers voted ‘convenience/ready meals’ as the most important product innovation over the last 5-10 years. Consumers are increasingly turning to the ease and simplicity of takeaways, ready meals and on-the-go products, helping to reduce some of the stresses of daily life.
For some, the greatest innovations were more to do with cutting down on plastics, with a third citing ‘eco’ products like bamboo straws as their top pick, while others voted for innovation within the way in which they received their products, with nearly 30% voting in ‘subscription boxes’. The rise of brands like Naked Wines, Hello Fresh and Gousto, has sparked a revolution in the food and drinks sector, transforming the way we shop for these products. Gluten/dairy-free and no/low alcohol were among the other products voted in by consumers.
Last year, coffee pods (Starbucks by Nespresso Capsules Range, Nestlé UK), non-alcoholic beer (SMASHED Pale Ale, Drynks Unlimited) and dairy alternatives (Lactofree Organic Semi Skimmed Milk Drink, Arla Foods), were just a handful of the food and drink winners to take home awards in their categories, voted for by 10,000 consumers.
Product of the Year is now searching for the best of the best among the new wave of products launched over the last year. The awards celebrate innovation across the board, from the products that make an impact on the supermarket shelves to those incremental tweaks made to established products and services that make consumer’s lives that bit easier.
Winners earn the right to display the red Product of the Year logo, which has been found to make shoppers more likely to buy a product. Product of the Year brands with the logo record an average sales increase of 10-15% with some uplifts as high as 135%.
Winning a Product of the Year Award can also boost exposure to industry figures, press and marketing. Benefits include a Blogger Panel, as well as influencer activation and PR – ensuring stand out social media and national coverage for the winning brands.
Christina Lecky, Brand Manager Fuze Tea, remarking on the positive impact that winning a Product of the Year award has had, said: “At Coca-Cola, we’re constantly striving to be at the forefront of innovation in the drinks market, we’re delighted that our hard work has paid off in winning Product of the Year for Fuze Tea. The famous logo is voted for by over 10,000 shoppers, making it truly indicative of consumers’ preferences.”
Helga Slater, MD of Product of the Year, added: “We’ve been impressed by the sheer ingenuity of brands over the last year in spite of the challenges they’ve faced. New product launches, services and established brands making changes that help keep up with the changing demands of the modern consumer. We are thrilled to once again start the search for these brilliant new products to give them the recognition they deserve and to announce the new categories.”
Product of the Year is now open for entries (closing date: 31st July). Brands can enter the awards here
