Nielsen announced the 2016 U.S. Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Award winners. Nielsen’s annual Breakthrough Innovation Awards recognize America’s unsung household heroes. In conjunction with announcing the winners, Nielsen also issued the fifth edition of the U.S. Breakthrough Innovation Report at Nielsen’s U.S. Consumer 360 event in Las Vegas.

In today’s tech-obsessed consumer landscape, it’s important to recognize the impact that everyday household staples have on the quality of consumers’ daily lives and rituals. These new products come from an innovation force with a little less fanfare: consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers. Meeting the challenge of continuously finding new ways to help improve America’s daily routines of eating, cleaning and grooming is a feat that should be recognized.

“Celebration of innovation should not be limited to just the technology space,” said Rob Wengel, Principal at The Cambridge Group, Leader of Strategic Innovation at Nielsen and co-author of the U.S. Breakthrough Innovation Report. “Consumer goods innovations bring improvements to our essential day-to-day experiences and rituals, from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep.”

This year’s Breakthrough Innovation Award process reviewed close to 3,500 consumer products that were introduced to the market in 2014. Through this objective analysis, 18 brands met Nielsen’s requirements for distinctiveness, relevance and endurance to earn the award. Breaking the mold, this year’s roster of winners differs from years past by recognizing the largest class of winners to date and including two “start-up” companies—a Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation award first.

THE 2016 NIELSEN BREAKTHROUGH INNOVATION WINNERS:

· Arm & Hammer™ Clump & Seal™, Church & Dwight Co., Inc.
· Bai, Bai Brands
· Ben & Jerry’s Cores®, Unilever
· Breyers® Gelato Indulgences™, Unilever
· Butterfinger® Peanut Butter Cups, Nestlé
· Cheez-It® Grooves™, Kellogg’s
· Chilli’s® At Home, Bellisio Foods®
· Chobani Flip™, Chobani®
· Chopped Salad Kits, Dole®
· Gain® Flings®, Proctor & Gamble
· Giovanni Rana, Rana Meals Solutions, LLC
· Glade® Wax Melts and Warmers, SC Johnson
· Milk-Bone® Brushing Chews®, Big Heart Pet Brands®
· Nasacort® Allergy 24 HR, Chattem
· Nexium® 24 HR, Pfizer
· P3, Oscar Mayer
· Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, Coty Inc.
· Skinny Pop Popcorn, Amplify Snack Brands

Over the past eight years of the Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Study, the presence of strong leadership has been a consistent factor and has played a decisive role in the successes the Breakthrough Innovation winners have achieved. Within the 2016 U.S. Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Report, the theme of “Breakthrough Leadership” frames this year’s narrative. Through insightful case studies, winners share details of their extraordinary accomplishments, showcasing Breakthrough Innovation in action. The 2016 Breakthrough Winner Spotlights provide real-world case studies of what transformational innovation looks like and how to achieve it.

Champions featured in Nielsen’s fifth U.S. Breakthrough Innovation Report satisfied three requirements to qualify for the award: Each product was distinctive and delivered a new value proposition to the market; each generated a minimum of $50 million in year one U.S. sales; and finally, the winners demonstrated the ability to endure the market by achieving in year two at least 90% of year one sales. Discover more about the report.

www.nielsen.com/breakthrough