The UK’s largest consumer survey of its kind is now in its 13th year
**DEADLINE FOR ENTRY – July 31, 2016**
In 2016 #productoftheyear trended on Twitter, reaching 1.3m people – a record engagement with the public
- More than 100,000 people entered competitions to win a Product of the Year goody bag
- Survey of Brand Managers 2015-2016: 95% had a positive experience
2016 was something of a record-breaker for the Product of the Year awards: #productoftheyear trended on Twitter, reaching 1.3m people, while nearly a fifth of participants used the hashtag in just over 5,000 tweets – making for unprecedented consumer engagement. More than 100,000 people entered competitions to win a Product of the Year goody bag and, based on the results of a recent survey, 86% of people say they are more likely to buy a product that has won an award and 62% of consumers recognise the Product of the Year logo[1].
The prestigious awards, open to all FMCG retailer and branded products, shine a spotlight on the most innovative entries in a number of categories each year including food & drink, beauty, healthcare, household, DIY and Pet. Brands and own labels which receive the coveted Product of the Year seal of approval are able to use it as their key promotional platform throughout the year, including all consumer and trade advertising, digital marketing, social media, TV, plus in-store and packaging. This in combination with resulting media coverage worth over £650,000 for winners provides exceptional media opportunities, with the benefits shown by brands reporting significant sales increases after winning Product of the Year and the 12-month period enabling companies to optimise the resulting sales uplift for a significant amount of time.
Typically, this results in sales increases of between 10-15% as a minimum and previous winners have reported a sales uplift of 135%[2] as a direct result of their win. And 58% of last year’s category winners have already seen, or expect to see, sales rise on the back of scooping a Product of the Year title[3].
In 2014 ASDA saw sales of its pulled pork leap by 50% in less than four weeks[4] after its Product of the Year win, while Weetabix reported a 42% increase in Twitter engagement[5] following its 2013 success. showcasing the benefits when used as part of a social media strategy. Use of the stamp on Ryvita winning products on Sainsburys.co.uk resulted in a 21% increase in sales in just three weeks[6].
Mike Nolan, Product of the Year CEO, said: “It is increasingly difficult for new products to achieve effective cut-through in what is a crowded and noisy marketplace – for instance 180,000 new products launched globally in 2014 alone[7]. The Product of the Year logo on all communications offers shoppers an easy-to-spot signal that a brand is not only innovative, but also has the seal of approval from thousands of other consumers.”
The awards are open to all FMCG products launched in the UK over the past 18 months. Entries must be submitted by 31st July 2016. The overall winners will be invited to celebrate together at a glittering awards ceremony held in late January.
Enter your product directly at: https://productoftheyear.co.uk/
Final entry deadline: 31st July 2016
Jury Day: 14th September 2016
Finalists announced: November 2016
Awards night: 19th January 2017
[1] TNS Omnibus May 2016
[2] P&G Sales Leaflet, 2009
[3] TNS, 2015
[4] ASDA Pulled Pork, 2014
[5] Weetabix Twitter, 2013
[6] Ryvita, March 2012
[7] TNS, 2015