BrandSpark International's 2021 Best New Product Award Winners Announced

NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BrandSpark International has just announced the winners of the 2021 Best New Product Awards, America's most credible new product awards, and new research on American shopping habits for consumer products. More than 14,500 Americans participated in the national survey to pick the 81 winning products for the latest Food & Beverage, Beauty, Health & Personal Care, and Household products. The winners were determined based on a national survey of real shoppers.

Best New Product Awards has partnered with premier news magazine brand Newsweek to help drive awareness of these award-winning products. The partnership will include features of the winners in Newsweek's print and digital publications, targeted communications to readers, and unique high-value advertising opportunities for brands anchored by editorial content. Winners will also be featured on ShopperArmy.com – a site dedicated to helping shoppers discover New & Noteworthy consumer products.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the 13th year of the Best New Product Awards," said Robert Levy, President of BrandSpark International and Founder of the Best New Product Awards. "With so many new products launched each year, it is hard for consumers to know what to buy and challenging for brands to break through the clutter. This is where the Best New Product Awards comes in."

"The BNPA seal and claim drive strong ROI for the winners by helping products stand out from the competition. Year after year, we see brands boost sales by leveraging their win across traditional and digital media channels."

The winning products were determined solely by the votes and opinions of American consumers. Voters participated in an extensive nationwide survey conducted by marketing research firm BrandSpark International. Companies with the most wins were ALDI, P&G, and L'Oréal.

For more information about the Best New Product Award winners, visit: www.shopperarmy.com/bnpa-usa-2021

2021 BEST NEW PRODUCT AWARDS LIST OF WINNERS BY CATEGORY

FOOD & BEVERAGE

HEALTH, BEAUTY & PERSONAL CARE

HOUSEHOLD

Some takeaways from the 2021 BrandSpark American Shopper Study:

American Shoppers Sought One-Stop Shopping During the Pandemic
51% say that the convenience of one-stop shopping is even more appealing than the lowest prices, up 12 percentage points from 39% in the past year.

Conversely, only 41% say they go to multiple stores to get the best deals, way down from 58% a year ago. As Americans look to reduce their trips to the store, they have been willing to pay a little more. This behavior has positively impacted brand loyalty: a year ago 45% said they were less loyal to brands than previously but that reduced to just 35% to start 2021.

New Products
7 in 10 American shoppers "like trying new products" as they search for new experiences and superior performance, even as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the range of their shopping trips.

50% say that "while shopping, I actively look through stores for products that are new and different," yet this decreased 7 percentage points in the past year as shoppers are less comfortable in-store during the pandemic. More than ever brands must ensure that they stand out in-store.

Shoppers have also moved to ecommerce, with 33% having ordered groceries online in the past year, up from 20% one year ago. New products should be supported online to reach these shoppers and open a new channel for product discovery.

On the positive side for brands, shoppers are now less price sensitive and more brand loyal. 7 in 10 say they try new products from the brands they trust.

Private label brands have strengthened their innovation credentials: While 46% believe the best new product innovations usually come from brand-name products: but this is down from 52% a year ago. We can see this reflected in ALDI's 18 winning products among this year's award winners.

Trusting Each Other to Determine What's Best
Shoppers are increasingly relying on the recommendations of other consumers to determine what to buy.

• 68% say they are likely to buy a product that is recommended by others
• 69% say they trust recommendations in the form of consumer-voted awards

American Shoppers Believe in Science Behind Product Innovation
Americans' belief that "research & development is constantly leading to better products" was maintained during 2020. At the high end, 71% believe that R&D is leading to better and better OTC health products.

Indulgence & Great Taste in Home Food Products
78% of shoppers agree that taste is the most important factor when buying food, up 5 percentage points as Americans look to mix it up as they eat more meals at home.

Americans are Balancing Enjoyment and Health
Shoppers are looking to balance taste and health, with 70% agreeing they are making changes to be live healthier.

• 78% believe there is a lot they can do with food and nutrition to prevent illness.
• 73% agree that indulgent foods that aren't the healthiest are still worth it sometimes, up 5 percentage points

About BrandSpark International
Founded in 2001, BrandSpark International is a boutique research and consulting firm that provides leading organizations with the clear direction they need to optimize brand positioning, ignite brand strategy, understand the evolving omni-channel shopper and prioritize growth initiatives. Best New Product Awards Inc. runs major awards programs Best New Product Awards and BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, and consumer shopper site, www.ShopperArmy.com which is a community who test products and provide quality ratings and reviews, and shopper actions including shopping feedback surveys. Shopper Army also offers cash back at several online stores.

For more information or interview requests, please contact:
Victoria Kucera, Spotlight Media Relations, 212.489.8774, [email protected] 
Kim Diamond, Best New Product Awards, [email protected]
Sales: Brian Kolb, Chief Brand Officer, ENVeritas, [email protected]

SOURCE BrandSpark International