This year's report highlights brands that have achieved stellar [image-nocss] 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 & 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 & Beverage Brands, $ Millions
(Total year-one dollar sales across food, drug, and mass channels, excluding Walmart)
Campbell's Select Harvest, $202. Bud Light Lime, $133. Arnold Select Sandwich Thins, $87. Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers, $85. Dreyer's/Edy's Fun Flavors, $72. Gatorade Tiger/Focus, $65. MGD 64, $53. Mountain Dew DEWmocracy, $52. Bush's Grillin' Beans, $45. Kellogg's 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, we've 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, they've 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 Nonfood Brands
As with the food and beverage categories, nonfood product introductions were largely extensions of well known and trusted brands in 2009. In fact, across both segments, more than 90% of 2009's 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 nonfood 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 Nonfood 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."
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.
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