London: Product of the Year is back and on a mission to discover and celebrate the UK’s most innovative new products and packaging for 2021. 

Over the past few months, the consumer landscape has changed dramatically. Home baking; ambitious fitness goals; healthier eating and a willingness to try new things has characterized life in lockdown for many. And amid grappling with a ‘new normal’ and negotiating the prevailing uncertainty, it is the true innovators that have shone brightest. Consumer products that continue to provide us with comfort, reassurance and positivity — the products we rely on. And with organizations like Procter and Gamble and Unilever recognizing the need to innovate and investing in new product development, the future is looking more optimistic.  

Product of the Year is now on the hunt for the next wave of shining stars — the products that served us well in the hard times and will remain in our shopping baskets well into 2021 and beyond.  

Now in its 17th year, Product of the Year continues to partner with Kantar, the world’s largest research company, to conduct an independent and robust survey of more than 10,000 UK consumers (200,000 globally) to vote for their favorite new product innovations with the winners earning the right to display the iconic red Product of the Year logo.  Voted for by the consumer for the consumer Product of the Year is the world’s biggest survey of product innovation and an emphatic indicator of product excellence. 

Last year, 45 products from food & beverage to household, pet and DIY to technology walked away with the title, indicative of the depth in product innovation in the U.K. and the quality of the entries. And unlike many awards, Product of the Year celebrates the quiet heroes of the everyday. Nescafe Coffee bags; the innovative Lurpak Butterbox; Cif ecorefill and the biodegradable vegan certified baby wipes created by Cheeky Panda just a handful of recent winners.  

Judged for their level of innovation across a number of criteria including: function, recipe, design and packaging, the winning products benefit hugely. 86% of shoppers have revealed that they are more likely to buy a product that carries the covered Product of the Year logo with brands recording an average sales increase of 10-15% with some uplifts as high as 135%. 

Other benefits include the Blogger Panel, as well as extensive influencer activation and PR, ensuring stand-out social media and national coverage for the winning brands. 

“Now, more than ever, we need to come together and celebrate and support product innovation. And rather than sit back and ride the wave many brands are getting on the front foot and investing in NPD to meet the changing needs of today’s consumer," said Mike Nolan, CEO, Product of the Year. "We have seen examples of brands demonstrate extraordinary agility amidst the crisis – pivoting effectively and responding to a changing landscape that few could have predicted. Tough as this year has been, what we know historically, is that the brands that mobilize to counter a crisis with confidence and forward momentum are the ones that will prosper and flourish. We are looking forward to celebrating and supporting these brilliant new products.”

Only products launched between January 2019 and October 2020 that show innovation in one or more areas are eligible for entry. Product of the Year 2021 is now open for entries until September 30, 2020. Brands can enter the award at https://www.productoftheyear.co.uk/enter/.