And the Winner Is...

Every year, consumers come across innovative products that we didn't even know we needed! Yet, they are such a fantastic addition to the marketplace that they not only thrive, but are also recognized for their contribution to society.

Just weeks ago, the 2011 Product of the Year Awards were announced in New York City, where the Product of the Year committee honored the year's best consumer packaged goods products in a variety of categories.

How are the winners chosen? The Product of the Year committee accepts entries every year from consumer packaged goods that were launched within the previous 12 months and demonstrate extreme originality. Entered products are placed into specific categories such as food, beverages, personal care, household care, and so on, with an item then chosen as a winner in its category through a nationally representative online study of 60,000 consumers conducted by global market research company TNS. Products are judged on elements of innovation such as ingredients, form, function and design.

Without further ado, say hello to the 2011 Product of the Year Award winners in the food and beverage categories!

Candy & Snacks: M&M'S Pretzel Chocolate Candies, Mars Chocolate North America

Frozen Food: Lean Cuisine Market Creations, Nestlé USA

Specialty Foods: Buitoni Riserva Frozen Complete Meals for Two, Nestlé USA

Cooking Spices: Recipe Inspirations, McCormick & Co. Inc.

Beverage: Lipton Brisk, Pepsi-Lipton Partnership

Breakfast: Jimmy Dean Hearty Sausage Crumbles, Sara Lee

Cooking: Olivari Mediterranean Olive Oil, Sovena USA

Established 25 years ago in France and now present in 28 countries, Product of the Year is the world's largest consumer-voted award for product innovation in consumer packaged goods. 2011 marks the third annual round of the program in the United States.

The Product of the Year seal serves as a shortcut for shoppers, helping them find the best of the best in the supermarket. Winning products are announced in February of each year and receive the right to use the Product of the Year seal in marketing communications for one year.

Tell me, have you tried any of these winning products? Leave a message with your thoughts, or share what products you’ve already seen that you hope thrive at next year's awards!

Nibble on This: It's National Snack Food Month!

If you've been in the mood for a bite to eat in between meals lately, take full advantage this month! February is National Snack Food Month, a chance to celebrate potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, nuts, fruit snacks, cookies, and everything in between for a full 28 days.

In February 1989, the Snack Food Association joined forces with the National Potato Promotion Board to increase snack food consumption and build awareness of snacks during a month when snack food consumption was traditionally low.

According to The Food Channel, chips and dip topped the top ten snack trends of 2010. From Frito-Lay to all-natural popchips, named one of America's hottest brands by Advertising Age, potato chips are always the perfect way to snack.

Of course, nuts are also a popular salty choice as consumers look for healthier ways to snack. Emerald Nuts offers a line of breakfast pouches to enjoy on the go, while Planters introduced its Flavor Grove varieties last year in taste sensations like Chili Lime and Cracked Pepper with Onion and Garlic.

For sweet eaters, yogurt has gained in popularity as Greek yogurts like Chobani, FAGE, and Yoplait have become more prominent in stores. Probiotic yogurts for those seeking to improve their digestive health have also become more prevalent with brands like Activia and Yo-Plus lining grocery shelves.

And finally, no discussion of snack foods would be complete without paying homage to snack cake legends like Hostess (now with Strawberry CupCakes!), Little Debbie, and Tastykake.

Every year, the Snack Food Association hosts SNAXPO, the world's largest, most comprehensive trade show devoted exclusively to the international snack food industry. This year's event will take place March 20-23. Be on the lookout next month for articles and information regarding new snacks and innovative flavors that will hit grocery stores in the coming year.

How will you honor National Snack Food Month? Drop me a line and tell me about your favorite snack!

Super Ads Dominate Super Bowl

Super Bowl XLV is now in the record books. The February 6 game drew in an average of 111 million viewers and now holds the title as the most-watched show in TV history, making a $3 million 30-second ad buy seem worth the hefty price tag. While audiences tuned in to watch the Green Bay Packers battle the Pittsburgh Steelers, many were more interested in seeing the innovative commercials companies created for the big game. Of course, several food and beverage consumer packaged goods companies were represented throughout Sunday's game.

This year, PepsiCo's Doritos and Pepsi MAX put out a call for consumer-created ads in a Crash the Super Bowl contest that attracted more than 5,600 submissions. Fans voted online from among the top 10 finalist spots chosen by the company, and the top the vote getters for each brand aired during the Super Bowl.

PepsiCo's formula worked; the Doritos ad "Pug Attack" tied for the number one spot on the USA TODAY Ad Meter, with three others earning a spot on the newspaper’s list – a first in Super Bowl advertising history!









Other CPG companies also scored big with consumers. The Brand Bowl, presented by public relations firm Mullen and social media monitoring platform Radian6, kept tabs on what the public thought about the Super Bowl ads through Twitter tweets and sentiment. While Doritos and Pepsi MAX received high marks here as well, Lipton Brisk Iced Tea and Coca-Cola also earned accolades for their spots.





Finally, this year's Snickers commercial was apparently one to watch over and over again! The ad featuring comedians Richard Lewis and Roseanne Barr was the most popular Super Bowl ad this Sunday, based on the number of TiVo users who rewound it and viewed it multiple times.


What did you think? What were the best Super Bowl ads this year?

Love is in the Air

February is here, which means Valentine's Day is just around the corner! On February 14, what gifts will you give to the ones that you love? The National Confectioners Association says that more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine's Day. Manufacturers are ramping up production and introducing new candies for this year's holiday. Take a look at the new sweets you can give to your sweet this Valentine's Day.

The Hershey Company hopes your family and friends enjoy chocolate, dressing up its classic favorites in festive red and pink foils and decorated Valentine's Day-themed heart boxes. In addition to original, almond, and caramel Kisses you'll also find special dark mildly sweet and cherry cordial crème Kisses this season.

If your significant other prefers pure sugary goodness over chocolate, Just Born rolled out two new products in time for February 14. Look for Mike and Ike Passion Mix and new Hot Tamales Untamed Love Mix in the candy aisle.

For students and teachers looking for an alternative to the tried and true Valentine's cards, retailers are stocking Kellogg's Pop-Tarts Mini Crisps bags, perfect for classroom exchanges.

New research holds good news for stores selling Valentine's Day goods: Industry research firm IBISWorld forecasts spending for the holiday will top $18.6 billion, a 5.8 percent jump over last year's sales.

Time will tell if these projections will hold true. In the meantime, take a moment to vote and tell me what you plan to buy for your Valentine this year!

Best of the Best

The 2011 list of best places to work is here! Again this year, Fortune Magazine put together its ranking of the best companies for which to work. From robust paychecks to unexpected benefits, this year's winners span a number of industries, including retail businesses, manufacturers, and food and beverage consumer packaged goods companies.

Making the list were five grocers, all recognized for things like outstanding health benefits and wellness programs. Wegmans Food Markets, with stores in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, landed at number 3. Nugget Markets, serving the greater Sacramento, California, area, came in at number 8. At number 18, Connecticut-based Stew Leonard's made the list for the tenth year in a row. Whole Foods Market earned the number 24 spot, while Florida's Publix Super Markets entered the 2011 list at number 67.

Among food manufacturers, both General Mills and The J. M. Smucker Company found their way onto the annual list, securing the number 58 and 93 spots on the list, respectively.

Retailers were also scattered throughout the rankings. Outdoor and sports equipment giant Recreation Equipment, or REI, came in at number 9, and toy factory Build-A-Bear Workshop earned the number 48 spot.

Clothiers were also quite successful in regards to this year's list. Nordstrom landed at number 74; Men's Warehouse came in at number 87; and Aéropostale claimed the number 94 spot.

Finally, casual dining operator Darden Restaurants, which runs the Olive Garden and Red Lobster brands, attained the 97th place on the list, while coffee conglomerate Starbucks rounded out the industry list at number 98.

Congratulations to all of the fine organizations gracing the 2011 Best Places To Work list! If you work for one of these companies, I'd love to hear about what you enjoy about your workplace. Do you think any deserving companies were omitted from the list? Leave a message and tell me more.

New Year, New Food

If you've stepped foot in a grocery store so far this year, you'll notice that 2011 has started out with bang! Many new products are lining store shelves. Will they manage to stick around as the year continues or will they be a bust? Only time will tell which of these new items will be a success.

Edy's Slow Churned Shakes and Smoothies are your newest ice cream options. The ads claim that these cold, creamy creations require no blender, no scooping, no cleanup, and no mess! Just add milk and in just 30 seconds, enjoy a cookies n' cream, strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla milkshake, or a strawberry banana, mixed berry, sunrise blend, or tropical fruit smoothie.

In the candy aisle, shoppers will notice all kinds of new sweets. Last week at the Consumer Electronics Show, Reese's debuted Reese's Minis. These tiny, unwrapped peanut butter cups are the perfect treat for the snacker looking for a just a bite of chocolate to satisfy their sweet tooth.

Be on the lookout for the Hershey's Drops as well. Available in both milk chocolate and cookies 'n' crème flavors, the hard-shelled candy pieces pack Hershey's happiness into a little drop.

Mars has also introduced a new candy bar – Snickers Peanut Butter Squared. The squared, smaller sized confection is composed of peanut butter, nougat, peanuts, and caramel coated in milk chocolate.

If you're not in the mood for chocolate, check out Mentos Rainbow. Each roll contains a mix of grape, strawberry, orange, watermelon, pineapple, raspberry, and apple flavored chewy candies made with real fruit juice.

Breakfast and lunch are covered, too. General Mills started the year with a new Cheerios selection: Cinnamon Burst. The low fat, low calorie cereal is packed with cinnamon zest and contains 20 percent of the daily value of fiber per serving.

For dinner, try Tyson Any'tizers, which now come in two quesadilla varieties – Fajita Chicken with Cilantro Lime Salsa and Taco Seasoned Chicken with Zesty Garden Salsa QuesaDippers. Find both in your grocer's freezer.

Please, leave a message and tell me which of these products you're most excited to taste! Or, let me know what other new items you have seen in your local supermarket.

Spot of Tea

Hot tea is a winter necessity, which is why it makes perfect sense that January is Hot Tea Month. Whether you’re enduring winter’s freezing temperatures or warding off a cold, hot tea provides soothing relief.

In 2009, total U.S. tea sales topped $7.3 billion, up from $6.9 billion in 2007. More than 25 countries produce 2,000-plus types of tea. Black, white, red, green, oolong, chai, organic, herbal, loose-leaf, and flavored teas have all grown in popularity, and specialty teas are now a staple on supermarket shelves. So what's latest in the world of hot tea and how are tea manufacturers embracing Hot Tea Month? Let's take a closer look.

Recently, Lipton launched a line of Pyramid Tea Bags in nine different flavors. The unusual packaging allows the tea space to flow freely with real pieces of fruit, herbs, or spices for truly authentic infusion. The company also introduced three new Superfruit green tea flavors. Additionally, as the largest buyer of tea in the world, Lipton has committed to sustainability by agreeing to source all of its products from Rainforest Alliance Certified tea estates by 2015.

In honor of Hot Tea Month, both Bigelow and Twinings are offering loyal fans a chance to win a year's supply of tea. Visit Facebook to enter Bigelow's sweepstakes for the opportunity to win one case of tea per month for a year. For a limited time, new "tea-mail" subscribers to the Twinings newsletter will also be entered to win a year's worth of tea.

If you're looking for additional ways to enjoy tea this month, visit Good Earth Tea and uncover tips to brew a perfect cup. Or, cozy up with a steaming mug of Celestial Seasonings and take a virtual tour of the company's Boulder, Colorado-based factory, the world's most advanced tea production facility. Try your hand at building your own tea concoction with loose-leaf options from Mighty Leaf. Want to feel more Zen? Find out which TAZO Tea is right for you. Finally, round out your collection of Wade miniature figurines from Red Rose.

For more information on the state of the tea industry, look to Tea USA, a collaboration of the Tea Association of the USA, Inc., the Tea Council of the USA, and the Specialty Tea Institute. Also, be sure to stay tuned for news from the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas, June 24-26 – the peak of National Iced Tea Month!

How will you celebrate Hot Tea Month? Comment below and enjoy your time indoors this January!