Eighteen New Products Win 2016 Breakthrough Innovation Awards
NEW YORK — Nielsen recognized America's unsung household heroes and provided a comprehensive understanding of what consumers watch and buy with the announcement of the 2016 U.S. Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Award winners.
In conjunction with the list of winners, Nielsen also issued the fifth edition of the U.S. Breakthrough Innovation Report at Nielsen's U.S. Consumer 360 event in Las Vegas.
"Celebration of innovation should not be limited to just the technology space," stated Rob Wengel, principal at The Cambridge Group, leader of strategic innovation at Nielsen and co-author of the U.S. Breakthrough Innovation Report. "Consumer goods innovations bring improvements to our essential day-to-day experiences and rituals, from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep."
This year's Breakthrough Innovation Award process reviewed nearly 3,500 consumer products that were introduced to the market in 2014. Eighteen brands met Nielsen's requirements for distinctiveness, relevance and endurance to earn the award. Additionally, for the first time, this year's winning roster recognizes the largest class of winners to date and includes startup companies.
The 2016 winners are:
- Arm & Hammer Clump & Seal, Church & Dwight Co. Inc.
- Bai, Bai Brands
- Ben & Jerry's Cores, Unilever
- Breyers Gelato Indulgences, Unilever
- Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cups, Nestlé
- Cheez-It Grooves, Kellogg's
- Chilli's At Home, Bellisio Food
- Chobani Flip, Chobani
- Chopped Salad Kits, Dole
- Gain Flings, Procter & Gamble
- Giovanni Rana, Rana Meals Solutions LLC
- Glade Wax Melts and Warmers, SC Johnson
- Milk-Bone Brushing Chews, Big Heart Pet Brands
- Nasacort Allergy 24 HR, Chattem
- Nexium 24 HR, Pfizer
- P3, Oscar Mayer
- Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Coty Inc.
- Skinny Pop Popcorn, Amplify Snack Brands
The presence of strong leadership has been a consistent factor and has played a decisive role in the successes achieved by Breakthrough Innovation winners over the past eight years of the Breakthrough Innovation Study, according to Nielsen. The theme of "Breakthrough Leadership" frames this year's narrative, and the 2016 Breakthrough Winner Spotlights provide real-world case studies of what transformational innovation looks like and how to achieve it.
Champions featured in the report satisfied three requirements in order to qualify for the reward: each product was distinctive and delivered a new value proposition to the market; each generated a minimum of $50 million in year one U.S. sales; and the winners demonstrated the ability to endure the market by achieving in year two at least 90 percent of year one sales.
"Achieving innovation success in this highly competitive space is no easy task," Wengel said. "Breakthrough Innovation enriches people's lives and stimulates economic growth. Lessons from this year's winners show that with a deep understanding of people and their needs, and a lot of hard work, breakthrough success is available to any company of any size in any category."
A copy of the 2016 U.S. Nielsen Innovation Report is available at www.Nielsen.com/breakthrough.