SAN ANTONIO — The most successful new consumer packaged goods (CPG) food and
beverage brands and non-food brands of 2009 were released today by Information
Resources, Inc. (IRI) at its Summit 2010: Reinventing CPG & Retail Conference.
This year, IRI celebrates the fifteenth annual publication of New Product
Pacesettersan industry-recognized benchmark analysis of exceptional first year
CPG sales success for newly launched products. This years report highlights
brands that have achieved stellar results, featuring innovations designed to
cater to consumers needs and desires in a recessionary environment
characterized by frugal habits and overall hesitance to try new products.
These brands represent true attention to detail when it comes to delivering
what consumers want and need in a difficult economy, said IRI Business Insights
Practice Executive Vice President Anne Berlack. In 2009, New Product
Pacesetters scored big despite the challenges of launching new products in an
era of conservative and rapidly transforming consumer shopping behaviors.
The annual New Product Pacesetters research distinguishes the best of the
best in terms of new product innovation and high performance sales execution,
said IRI Senior Vice President of Marketing John McIndoe. In 2009,
manufacturers continued investing in research and development, and listened to
their shoppers evolving needs to deliver superior products. These companies are
a shining example of the power true shopper-centric innovation produces, and we
salute their efforts and performance.
Top 10 Food and Beverage Brands
For most of 2009, the economy remained mired in recession, with signs of
recovery emerging in the last quarter of the year. Many shoppers retained the
frugal habits they learned at the depths of the downturn, while others started
returning to their more free-spending ways. The powerful trend of cooking and
entertaining at home continues and has been heavily influenced by an enhanced
eagerness for fresh and healthy food choices at affordable price points. The top
10 food and beverage brands of 2009 are reflective of consumers looking for fun,
interesting products for at-home and from-home dining with a greater focus on
wellness.
2009 New Product Pacesetters: Top 10 Food and Beverage Brands ($ Millions)
(Total Year-One Dollar Sales Across Food, Drug, and Mass Channels,
excluding Walmart)
- Campbells Select Harvest $202
- Bud Light Lime $133
- Arnold Select Sandwich Thins $87
- Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers $85
- Dreyers/Edys Fun Flavors $72
- Gatorade Tiger/Focus $65
- MGD 64 $53
- Mountain Dew DEWmocracy $52
- Bushs Grillin Beans $45
- Kelloggs FiberPlus Bars $45
Source: IRI New Product Profiler
Many consumers feel hesitant about trying new brands during tough economic
times, added Berlack. As a result, weve seen tremendous growth from brand
extensions, bringing to market a new product by leveraging a pre-existing,
trusted brand. These brand extensions have historically not outsold
newly-developed brands, but, this year, theyve succeeded by providing a fun
twist on a traditional product and/or by delivering against consumer values of
maintaining high-quality and health-wise meals and snacks that can be enjoyed at
home or on the run. Among these products are low-calorie, low-sodium soup and
high-fiber whole grain bread.
Top 10 Non-Food Brands
As with the food and beverage categories, non-food product introductions were
largely extensions of well known and trusted brands in 2009. In fact, across
both segments, more than 90 percent of 2009s New Product Pacesetters are brand
extensions, highlighting manufacturers focus on offering new products with
trusted brand equity behind them to attract skittish shoppers.
In the non-food segment, the top products showcase the same self-reliance and
do-it-at-home strategies as the most popular food and beverage brands. From
health care to beauty care, shoppers are saving money by giving themselves
treatments at home and relying on over-the-counter health products. People also
snapped up products that made their daily routines more efficient or pleasant.
2009 New Product Pacesetters: Top 10 Non-Food Brands ($ Millions)
(Total Year-One Dollar Sales Across Food, Drug, and Mass Channels, excluding
Walmart)
- Quilted Northern Ultra Plush $135
- Tide Total Care $79
- Sundown Naturals $57
- Gillette Venus Embrace $51
- Smooth Away $51
- PediPaws $50
- Bounty ExtraSoft $49
- Always Infinity $46
- Secret Flawless $41
- K-Y Yours + Mine $35
Source: IRI New Product Profiler
The self-reliant trend in home care, self care and beauty care is driving
innovation in the non-food CPG arena, said Berlack. These new habits will
likely remain strong for several years to come even as the economy improves.
Innovative CPG marketers will continue to help consumers look their best and
feel their best, recognizing most shoppers will remain on tight budgets.
About the Report
The IRI Times & Trends Report, 2009 New Product Pacesetters is available from
IRI, the leading global provider of consumer, shopper, and retail market
intelligence and insights for the consumer packaged goods (CPG), retail, and
healthcare industries. The findings of this report were compiled based on IRI
New Product Profiler, IRI Consumer Network and IRI InfoScan Reviews. To
download the full report,
visit here.
About Information Resources, Inc.
IRI is the worlds leading provider of consumer, shopper, and retail market
information, insights and decision solutions to 95 percent of the FORTUNE Global
500 consumer packaged goods (CPG), healthcare and retail companies. Only IRI
offers the unique combination of integrated market and shopper information,
automated analytics and predictive insights, innovative technology, and domain
expertise. With IRI, leading manufacturers and retailers are able to drive their
growth by quickly discovering breakthrough insights, making smarter decisions,
taking faster actions across the enterprise, and achieving breakthrough results.
Companies around the world depend on IRI for technology and solutions that
enable brand building, successful new product launches, consumer-driven
merchandising/retail execution and consumer and shopper relationship management.
For more information, visit
http://us.infores.com.
Source:
Information Resources, Inc.