Fourteen brands will be entitled to place the ‘whatsnew? Product of the Year’ label on their products after coming out on top in a survey of Australian consumers.

In its second year in Australia, 5,000 consumers were queried as to the best new products in 14 different categories. The consumer decision was made after an expert panel of judges from marketing, advertising and design, agreed on a short list of finalists. Consumers were then asked in an online survey conducted by Roy Morgan, on behalf of branding segment What’s New?, to judge the best products based on a set of criteria.

A similar ‘Product of the Year’ award has really taken off in the US, with 100,000 shoppers lodging votes to judge the 2008 winners.

Senior Researcher at Roy Morgan Research, Steven Braddon, said that the awards offered brand managers the opportunity to gain further insight into the consumer mindset.

“Products that make it into the shops are the result of enormous series of consumer studies that try to find out what people’s needs are, and how they behave in the real world,” he explained. “Marketers want to help make people’s lives simpler, easier, faster, and healthier. It’s much more about addressing unmet needs than convincing people to buy what they don’t really need.”

Mr Braddon advised that the leading trend implied by the consumer selections was, not surprisingly, one toward convenience.

2009 Winners

* Breakfast: Uncle Tobys Oat Crisp Cereal
* Meal kits: Greenseas Chunky Tuna Plus
* Dairy: Dairy Farmers, Rise Fresh Start
* Simmer sauces and recipes: McCormick Slow Cookers
* Sauces and marinades: MasterFoods Homestyle Marinades
* Herbs and spices: McCormick Herbs and Spices
* Hot drinks: Nescafe Greenblend
* Personal care: Dettol Instant Hand Sanitizer
* Dog food: Purina Lucky Dog 2 in 1 Beef and Marrowbone Dog
* Household cleaning: GreenWorks
* Cat food: Purina Supercoat for Cats
* Laundry: Omo Small & Mighty
* Insect control: Raid Automatic Insect Control System
* Household fragrances: Glade Scented Oil Candles

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