“With an increasingly competitive market, manufacturers have significantly upped their game as they battle to capture consumer’s imaginations. They are striving to get the best, eye-catching products into the market, which is great news for shoppers,” Sarah Connelly, director of the world’s largest consumer-voted product award, Product of the Year Awards, said.
“Consumers are attracted to creativity that is relevant to their needs and the results reveal they are not averse to paying a little extra for this. The foodie trend is also evident in this year’s winners, showing that people are still more than willing to indulge themselves,” Ms Connelly added.
Ms Connelly said that gourmet food lovers were “suitably impressed” by healthier versions of favourite items such as Macro Gourmet Dips, which are now also gluten and dairy-free or the Birch & Waite Stir Fry Sauces range, a preservative-free, chilled blend of premium ingredients that offer a perfect complement to stir-fries.
In the sweets category Streets New Blue Ribbon 3 in 1 range took a “Product of the Year” award for combining three ice-cream flavours into one tub – a case of a reinvention of the old now being considered innovation.
Product of the Year is Australia’s largest independent consumer survey of new products designed to reward innovation in products across a range of categories. The ultimate purpose is to provide shoppers with a symbol that guides them to the best products in category.
| Product of the Year Category Winners 2013 Category : | Winning Product: |
| SPECIALTY BISCUITS | Belvita Breakfast Biscuits |
| BEVERAGES | Berri – Be By Berri |
| BODY LOTION | Vaseline – Aloe Fresh SPF Hydrating Lotion |
| CHOCOLATE CONFECTIONARY | Cadbury – Dairy Milk Marvellous Creations |
| COOKING & BAKING | Queen – Chocolate Mill |
| DENTAL CARE | Sensodyne – Repair & Protect Toothpaste |
| DENTAL HYGIENE | Philips Sonicare – AirFloss |
| DIPS & DRESSING | Macro Wholefoods Market – Free From Dairy Dips |
| DISHWASHING | Finish – Quantum 20s |
| FEMALE GROOMING | BIC – Soleil Savvy |
| FRESH BAKERY | Helga’s – Sandwich Thins |
| FROZEN DESSERTS | Streets – Blue Ribbon 3in1 |
| GENERAL GROCERY | Safcol – Responsibly Fished Tuna |
| GENERAL HOUSEHOLD | Mortein – Automatic Indoor Control System Odourless |
| HAIR CARE | Schwarzkopf Extra Care – Daily Oil Elixir |
| HAIR COLOUR | Schwarzkopf Permanent Colour – Shake It Up Colour Foam |
| HAIR STYLING | Schwarzkopf Extra Care – Instant Volume Powder |
| HEALTH AND WELLBEING | Panadol – Optizorb |
| HOUSEHOLD CLEANING | Vanish Preen – PowerPowder |
| KIDS SNACKS | SPC – Fruit Crush-ups |
| LAUNDRY | Vanish Napisan – PowerShots Gel Caps |
| MALE GROOMING | BIC – Hybrid 4 Advance |
| MALE SKINCARE | Nivea for Men – Q10 Skin Energy Face Wash |
| MILK & DAIRY | Kraft – Cheese Blends |
| PET CARE | VIP Petfoods – Fussy Cat Grain Free+ |
| PREPARED MEALS | Woolworths – Ready To… Range |
| SAUCE & CONDIMENTS | Birch & Waite – Stir Fry Sauce Range |
| SAVOURY SNACKS | ALDI Blackstone – Tortilla Corn Chips |
| SEXUAL HEALTH | Durex – Play Perfect Glide Lubricant |
| SKINCARE | Garnier – Dark Spot Corrector |
| SMALL APPLIANCE | Breville – Fast Slow Cooker (BPR200) |
| SMALL GOODS & MEATS | Berg – Ham Value Pack (4x100g) |
| SOUPS | Continental – Cup-a-Soup Sensations |
| SWEET SNACKS | Macro Wholefoods Market – Gluten Free Cookie Bars |
