• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, January 30, 2012

Which new 2011 products were considered best by the consumers who use them?

Each year, Better Homes and Gardens and market research firm Spark International ask U.S. consumers (women and men) to vote on the year’s crop of new products.

In the just-released 2012 Best New Product Awards (BNPAs), Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Bath Scrubber with Febreze won best overall product launch, as well as its category, household products. Sargento Natural Blends Cheddar-Mozzarella Cheese Snacks won for best launch within food and beverages, and Natural Johnson’s Natural Kids 3-in-1 Shampoo, Conditioner & Body Wash won best within the health and beauty category.

The rest of the winners can be viewed by category on a page on BH&G’s site.

The awards are part of the annual American Shopper Study conducted by BrandSpark and BH&G. This year, more than 66,000 consumers were surveyed online between Nov. 4 and Dec. 23.

For the awards, they were asked about 225 products spanning 67 categories from 60 CPG companies that registered/submitted their products to participate. Consumers have to have used the product in order to vote or comment on it.  

The study also probed consumers’ behaviors and attitudes relating to the product categories.

Food/beverage insights:

• Five in 10 -- in other words, half -- of adult shoppers consider themselves to be overweight. The same proportion say they are trying to reduce carbs in their diet, while seven in 10 are trying to reduce the amount of fat they consume.

• 86% continue to believe there’s a lot they can do with food and nutrition to prevent illness, and 65% say they are trying to reduce the risk of major health issues with their food choices (up from 62% a year ago).

• Seven in 10 are increasingly concerned about chemicals in their food, but only three in 10 are willing to pay more for organics. Many are looking for "natural" products, with six in 10 trying to buy products that are "as natural as possible."

Health/beauty:

• Only 25% of shoppers have been under the care of a dermatologist in the past five years.

• However, five in 10 feel that they have sensitive skin and look for appropriate products. The ingredients shoppers avoid most in skin care products are ammonia, peroxides and alcohol.

• Other key considerations include safety, ease of use and trust in the brand.

• Trust in the product can be built through dermatologists' recommendations, brand-name equity and consumer research that backs up product claims. 81% consider it extremely important than their beauty/grooming products are from a trusted brand, and 60% consider it extremely important that products are tested by dermatologists. Consumer research is trusted by 70% to 80% of shoppers, depending on the medium.

Private- label:

• More than nine in 10 shoppers have purchased private-label products in the past year.

• Seven in 10 shoppers have purchased private-label over-the-counter health products, up from just under six in 10 last year, making it the strongest category for private-label brands outside of food.

• National beverage brands are faring better than food brands. While nine in 10 shoppers have purchased private-label food products, less than half recall purchasing private-label beverages.

• 63% believe that the same manufacturers often make national-brand and private-label products. However, shoppers still see value in the most trusted brands, and 70% prefer to find national- brand products on sale than buy private-label.

Environment:

• Just four in 10 shoppers are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products, but more than eight in 10 appreciate it when the manufacturer bears the burden of producing environmentally friendly packaging.