NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Product of the Year USA (www.productoftheyearusa.com), the largest consumer product award that rewards innovation and is voted on by consumers, brought together executives from iconic consumer brands such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, PepsiCo, ConAgra Foods and Johnson & Johnson among many others last night at the 4th annual Product of the Year USA awards ceremony at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.  Chicago's top improv comedians Kate James & Greg Mills hosted the highly anticipated annual awards night and honored winners from Aquafresh®, SNICKERS®, Coffee-mate® and HUGGIES®, among many more while delivering hilarious anecdotes and colorful commentary throughout the evening. 

"Now more than ever, brands are focusing on implementing innovative solutions and creative strategies to stand out on shelves in a crowded consumer marketplace," said Colleen Kelly, Managing Director, Product of the Year USA. "Shoppers are more likely to buy a product that is recommended to them by their peers. Now in our fourth year in the United States and our 25th year worldwide, Product of the Year recognizes and honors groundbreaking products with an awards seal that is backed by real shoppers throughout the US."

According to the 2012 Product of the Year US Shoppers Survey conducted by TNS, the world's largest custom research agency, young consumers (under 35) are 33% more likely to try a product if it has won some kind of award.  Additionally, younger consumers have more of a desire for new products. 

"Innovation is the lifeblood for CPG companies," said Phil Lempert, The Supermarket Guru. "As shoppers spend more time comparing product features and prices, the path to success and their shopping cart is a combination of differentiation and delivering on consumer value. Product of the Year offers assurance that any merchandise that carries the POY seal is one of true innovation."

Hosted in 28 countries, Product of the Year is the world's largest consumer-voted program that recognizes innovation in consumer packaged goods. The following products were voted Product of the Year in their respective categories:

• Pet Treats - Milk-Bone® Mini's Dog Treats – Del Monte Foods
• Pet Health - Better Than® Bones Plus Dental – Ainsworth Pet Nutrition
• Laundry - Wisk® Deep Clean™  – The Sun Products Corporation
• Personal Hygiene - Softsoap® brand Coconut Scrub Bar Soap – Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Oral Care - LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE ZERO – Johnson & Johnson, Inc.
• Professional Oral Care - Philips Zoom NiteWhite & DayWhite – Philips Oral Healthcare
• Whitening - Colgate® Optic White – Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Beauty Care - Clairol® Nice 'n Easy Color Blend Foam – Procter & Gamble
• Baby Care - HUGGIES® Little Movers Slip-on Diapers – Kimberly-Clark Corporation
• Beverage - Sierra Mist® Natural™ – PepsiCo Inc.
• Candy - SNICKERS® Peanut Butter Squared – Mars Chocolate North America
• Snacks - Orville Redenbacher's® Pop Up Bowl – ConAgra Foods, Inc.
• Frozen Food - Healthy Choice® Top Chef inspired Café Steamers – ConAgra Foods, Inc.
• Specialty Foods - New York Brand® Garlic Knots – T. Marzetti Company
• Air Care - Air Wick® Flip & Fresh – Reckitt Benckiser Group
• Toddler Mealtime - mOmma® by Lansinoh® Straw Cup with Dual Handles – Lansinoh Laboratories, Inc.
• Toddler Oral Care - Aquafresh® Training Toothpaste – GlaxoSmithKline
• Paint - Valspar® Spray Paint – The Valspar Corporation
• Household Cleaning - Zero Odor® – Zero Odor, LLC
• Insect Repellent - OFF! Deep Woods® Dry Insect Repellent – S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.
• Skin Treatment - RetinoSyn-45 – Beauty Bioscience
• Creamer - Coffee-mate® Natural Bliss® – Nestle USA, Inc.

Starting in March of 2012, consumers nationwide will be able to shop through the overcrowded supermarket shelves and recognize the winners of innovation by looking for the honorary red "Product of the Year" seal, which will be on packaging, advertising and in-store displays.  Last year's winners included products from Sara Lee, Mars Chocolate North America, Colgate-Palmolive Company and Nestle USA among many others who promoted their wins by wearing the red seal.

For additional information / hi-res images of the Product of the Year USA winners for 2012, please visit www.productoftheyearusa.com

About Product of the Year:
Product of the Year is the only consumer product award that rewards innovation and is voted on by real consumers. Established 25 years ago in France, POY currently operates in 28 countries with the same purpose: Guide consumers to the best products in their market and reward manufacturers for quality and innovation.  Backed by the votes of 50,000 consumers, the distinct red POY logo serves as shortcut for shoppers in the supermarket, saving them time and money. For manufacturers of the winning products, the award is a powerful marketing message proven to increase retail distribution and sales by an average of 10-15%. Product of the Year accepts entries every year from consumer packaged goods that demonstrate innovation and were launched within the previous year. Entered products are then placed into specific categories such as food, beverages, personal care, household care, etc. with a product then being chosen as a winner in its category through a nationally representative online study. For more information visit www.productoftheyearusa.com.

About TNS:
TNS is the world's largest custom research agency, delivering actionable insights and research-based business advice to its clients so they can make more effective business decisions. TNS offers comprehensive industry knowledge within the Consumer, Technology, Finance, Automotive and Political & Social sectors, supported by a unique product offering that stretches across the entire range of marketing and business issues, specializing in product development & innovation, brand & communication, stakeholder management, retail & shopper, and qualitative research. Delivering best-in-class service across more than 70 countries, TNS is part of Kantar, the world's largest research, insight and consultancy network. Please visit www.tns-us.com for more information.

SOURCE Product of the Year USA