Product Of The Year USA Builds Executive Team

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Product of the Year USA, a product innovation award with a proven track record to lift sales, today announced two executive appointments geared to bolster its relationships with brand decision makers.

Rich Fryling was named Managing Director of Product of the Year USA, bringing more than 20 years of experience driving growth from both the client and advertising agency side for brands such as Procter & Gamble, Glaxo SmithKline, Walmart, and Johnson & Johnson. Also, Peter Drakoulias, a seasoned and respected Madison Avenue insider, has joined the North American board of Product of the Year. These two veterans bring a wealth of knowledge, credibility, and experience to the organization.

In announcing their appointments, Mike Nolan, Global CEO of Product of the Year, said "Investing in accomplished executives like Rich and Peter is part of our effort to turbocharge Product of the Year USA. They each posses both the business acumen and grit to build upon our strong base of the past 6 years and take Product of the Year to the next level."

Product of the Year is both an awards program and a marketing platform. Marketers such as Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Coca-Cola, and Microsoft enter new products and through research conducted by TNS, a global leader in consumer research, 40,000 consumers ultimately decide which are voted Product of the Year in their respective categories. 

"With more than 50,000 new products introduced in the U.S. each year, Product of the Year celebrates the most exciting, unique, and relevant as voted on by everyday shoppers," says Fryling. "On average, our winners outpace category sales growth by 38.1%." 

Program winners use the distinctive red "Voted Product of the Year" logo in advertising, on packaging, in-store, and on social media outlets. "This 'seal of approval' is an effective way to both underscore new product innovation by and for consumers, as well as help continue sales growth long after a winning product's launch," said Drakoulias.

The award also generates considerable media interest, earning 350 million media impressions every year.

Product of the Year USA is currently accepting entries for its 2015 award. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in New York City in February 2015.

More information on Product of the Year USA can be found at www.productoftheyearusa.com

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SOURCE Product of the Year USA