Product of the Year 2013 winners announced
Ultima Foods' Iögo yogurt and L’Oreal’s Maybelline cosmetics brands were the big winners Wednesday night at the Product of the Year Canada awards.
Iögo and Maybelline each took home four awards at a gala ceremony held in Toronto where award winners were announced.
Iögo, the yogurt brand launched last year by Longueuil. Que.-based Ultima, won in the Children’s Treat category (Iögo Zip); Healthy Drinks category (Iögo Nomad); Greek Yogurt category (Iögo Greko); and Single-Serve Yogurt category (Iögo 0%).
Maybelline took top honours in the Mascara category (New York Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara); Eye Makeup category (New York Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner); Beauty Balm category (New York Dream Fresh BB Cream); and Lip Colour category (New York Baby Lips).
Both big and small food manufacturers picked up hardware: Canada Bread won in the Best Bread category for its Dempster’s Bakery Bagels, while High Liner won for High Liner Flame Savours in the Frozen Entrees category.
In the hot beverage category, Alokozay’s Wooden Tea Chest picked up top honours; Janes Family Foods won for its Boneless Bites product in the Frozen Finger Food Category; and A. Lassonde won in the Fruit Juice category for Oasis Smoothies. (See complete list of winners below.)
The Product of the Year awards have been given out in Canada for the past four years and are part of a global Product of the Year program that recognizes product innovation in 34 countries.
The program, which is based in the U.K., was launched 26 years ago and uses a two-step process to select winners.
First, a jury of industry experts selects finalists from products entered; then consumers vote to choose the ultimate winners.
In Canada this year, 6,500 consumers were involved in the voting process.
Mike Nolan, the British CEO of Product of the Year, says having consumers pick winners is “kind of like asking all your best friends what the best products are.”
Award winners can use the red and white Product of the Year logo in their marketing efforts.
Nolan said some winning products have seen a 10 to 15 per cent sales lift. In one case, he said, a Pantene product in the U.K., saw a 132 per cent sales lift, though Nolan cautioned that the gain a product gets also depends on how much marketing backing it receives from its manufacturer.
Nolan added that winning New Product of the Year can give brand managers extra clout within their organization to have additional marketing dollars put behind the brand, since shoppers have clearly indicated through voting they like the product.
Alan Middleton, executive director of York University’s Schulich Executive Education Centre, who chaired this year’s Product of the Year jury, said it is important to recognize innovative products in Canada.
“We need these innovative products to keep consumers interested and retailers interested,” he said.
In Canada, Product of the Year’s media partner is Rogers Media, which owns Canadian Grocer.
Here is a complete list of the 2013 Product of the Year winners.
• Barbecue Sauces: CattleBoyZ Original BBQ Sauce
• Cooking Sauces: Olivieri Fresh Cooking Sauces (Maple Leaf)
• Body Moisturizers: Vaseline Total Moisture (Unilever)
• Bread Products: Dempster’s Bakery Bagels (Canada Bread)
• Lip Colour: Maybelline New York Baby Lips (L’Oreal)
• Beverage Preparation: Tassimo T55 (Bosch)
• Dips: Summer Fresh Greek Yogurt Dips
• Fruit Juices: Oasis Smoothie (A. Lassonde)
• Dry Snacks: Pepperidge Farms Cracker Chips (Campbell Company)
• Greek Yogurt: Iögo Greko (Ultima Foods)
• Single-Serve Yogurt: Iögo 0% (Ultima Foods)
• Mascara: Maybelline New York Volum' Express The Falsies Mascara (L’Oreal)
• Health & Fitness: Greens+ O (Genuine Health)
• Beauty Technology: Diamond Strength Diamond Flash Fast Dry Top Coat (Sally Hansen)
• Eye Makeup: Maybelline New York Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner (L’Oreal)
• Personal Care: Dove Nourishing Oil Care Anti-Frizz Serum (Unilever)
• Facial Care: Cetaphil Dermacontrol - Oil Control Foam Wash and Moisturizer SPF 30 (Galderma)
• Eye care: Promed VisioMist
• Frozen entrees: High Liner Flame Savours
• Frozen Finger Foods: James Boneless Bites
• Eco Friendly Products: Silk'n Soft Bathroom Tissue (True Earth Paper Corporation)
• Hot Beverages: Alokozay Wooden Tea Chest (JFAZ Corporation)
• Beauty Balm: Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream (L’Oreal)
• Children's Treats: Iögo Zip (Ultima Foods)
• Weight Loss Products: Abrexin (Winning Combination Inc.)
• Fresh Packaged Meats: Maple Leaf Bacon Portions
• Organic Basics: Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (Organika Health Products)
• Healthy Snacks: Dole Live Right Bites
• Healthy Drinks: Iögo Nomad (Ultima Foods)
• Anti-Aging: Silk 'n FaceFX (Home Skinovations)
• General Health: Off! Clip-on (S. C. Johnson and Son)
• Meal Preparation: Ziploc brand Perfect Portions Bags (S. C. Johnson and Son)