?Innovations are becoming a promotional plank?
At a time when questions have been raised about the credibility of the research sector in India, POY has completed its third successful inning in the country. The event has seen continuous participation from leading consumer products companies such as Hindustan Unilver, Proctor & Gamble, L’Oreal, Garnier, Coca Cola, GlaxoSmithKline, Godrej and many others. In India, research agency Nielsen does the survey on behalf of PoY. The organisers say the biggest reason why these companies keep coming back to PoY is the sample size (30,000 consumers) of its survey and the final voting process in which consumers vote directly. The tag of PoY, however, comes for a price. Each brand pays Rs 4 lakh per for participation. However, the money is refunded if it gets eliminated in the first round. Companies that reach the final stage pay Rs 15 lakh per product. In a conversation with FE’s Pritha Mitra Dasgupta, the three forces behind PoY, Christian LeBret, founder, PoY, Mike Nolan, global CEO, PoY Management UK and Charulata Ravi Kumar, CEO, PoY India, share their views on the journey so far and future plans.
What led to the launch of Product of the Year?
Chritian LeBret: I started PoY in France about 25 years ago. And in the beginning the idea was just to organise a party and celebrate some success. However, soon after that I stopped my professional activity to manage the concept of PoY. The primary reason was to give voice to the consumers. The existing awards were judged by experts. But I feel for FMCG products it is the consumers who can give the right insight and opinion. Initially, we gave awards to FMCG products and soon we elevated to innovative FMCG products. Innovation is the right way for entrepreneurs to grow. If the manufacturer doesnt innovate then I think it is a mistake by the company.
What were the challenges when you started PoY?
Christian LeBret: The biggest problem was that I was completely unknown. Three-four years after the launch of PoY, its logo became quite popular amongst the manufacturers. And that’s why I stopped my professional activity to add strength to PoY.
After 25 years how seriously it is taken internationally?
Mike Nolan: It’s taken extremely seriously. One of reasons we know that is certain manufacturers win, more importantly companies that lose get very upset. And we say it is the consumers who voted. That is the biggest strength. It is voted by the people. There are lots of awards around but we are the only award genuinely of the people. So manufacturers like Hindustan Unilever, or GlaxoSmithkline or others always say we listen to our shoppers. In one occasion, Reckitt Benckiser mentioned the number of awards it has won in PoY in it’s annual report because they were highlighting how successful were their innovations.
Tell us about the quality of innovation you saw this year?
Mike Nolan: Innovation comes in so many different sizes. So that’s one of the great things about PoY. Globally, we have seen, though not surprisingly, a lot of line extensions because I think players are nervous and so they have done less big things. But what is interesting is that while they may be doing less new things but they are doing them more consistently.
Charulata Ravi Kumar: The level of innovation that we saw in India this year has probably not changed much. But this is not a bad news. Because I think brands have constantly been innovating but the effort in promoting the innovation was a bit muted. That could be because of the crunch in the market. It is, however, changing now and innovations are becoming a promotional plank .
What are the future plans – both in India and globally?
Mike Nolan: We are planning to go further outside of FMCG into wider things and we are discussing all different kinds of services. In which case we might need to change the methodology. We could be looking at banking, insurance, and similar sector. We are also looking to enter newer markets but I cant reveal the names right now.
OTHERS WINNERS
v Product: Tata Photon TV
v Category: Wireless Broadband
v Product: Vivel Active Fair
v Category: Women’s Fairness Cream
v Product: Spice View D (M-67 3D)
v Category: Value Mobiles
v Product: Vivel Deo Spirit Soap
v Category: Soaps
v Product: P3 Office and Stationery Supplies Solutions
v Category: Retail Stores
v Product: Lifebuoy Hand Wash Range
v Category: Hand Wash
v Product: New Enchanteur Moisture
Silk and Hand Lotion
v Category: Body Lotion
v Product: Mr Muscle Visible Action
v Category: Home Care
v Innovation: Mr Muscle Toilet Cleaner produces visible proof of its cleaning. It changes colour from green to blue as it cleans. The formula fizzes when the cleaner comes in contact with limescale. The formulation removes 100% limescale. It also kills 99.99% germs when used undiluted.
v Product: Surf Excel Quick Wash &
Surf Excel Blue
v Category: Detergents
v Innovation: This product claims that it can remove a stain in just a minute! Well, it doesn’t even take a minute to soil the clothes but takes hours to remove it. This product has a ?stain expert formula? which has been specially developed to remove tough stains like ? mud, ink, and shoe polish in just 1 minute and that too without causing
damage which is the usual outcome when one uses a brush.
v Product: Garnier Fresh Deep Clean
v Category: Face Wash
v Innovation: Garnier Fresh Deep Clean
Face Wash has a soap free formula that doesn?t dry skin like soap . It also contains mint extract that moisturises the skin. It can purify the pores for deep down cleansing and removing sebum, traces of makeup and impurities.
v Product: Junior Horlicks Biscuits
v Category: Biscuits
v Innovation: Junior Horlicks Biscuits are specially designed for children between
2-6 years of age. And therefore, while the product is fortified with power vitamins
like B1, B2 and Niacin that helps replenish the toddler’s energy, it also comes in fun animal shapes – lion, elephant, rabbit, tortoise and sheep. The biscuits contain
no added preservatives or artificial colours and are designed in an easy to hold
and chew format.
v Product: Lifebuoy
Hand Sanitizer
v Category: Hand Sanitizer
v Innovation: In Indian cities, millions of people consume food out-of-home, without access to soap and water. Lifebuoy?s hand sanitizer claims to kill 99.99% germs without water, making hand hygiene accessible to consumers anytime, anywhere. Adopted as a public-utility service by Airports authority of India, Lifebuoy hand sanitizer is omnipresent in a free to use dispenser format. The product protects Indians everyday from disease and illness.
v Product: Garnier Fructis Shampoo+Oil 2 in 1
v Category: Hair Care
v Innovation: This product is an unusual combination of shampoo and hair oil.
Both work together to ensure healthy hair. It includes 3 nutritive oils – olive oil, avocado oil and shea oil that penetrate each layer of hair and nourish it from within.
v Product: GoodKnight Naturals Mosquito Repellent Cream
v Category: Insect Repellents
v Innovation: Existing solutions to mosquito infestation are not effective out of home. Available options in mosquito repellent creams suffer from poor consumer perceptions of safety on skin. Goodknight Naturals Mosquito Repellent Cream is a unique blend of active and exotic natural ingredients, which not only provides complete protection from mosquitoes but is also safe on skin.
v Product: Maaza Milky Delite
v Category: Juices
v Innovation: Maaza Milky Delite is a new variant of Maaza. It is a blend of milk, alphonso and other mangoes. This special combination gives it a refreshing
taste which you?ll love at the first instance. Coca-Cola entered the dairy product category with this brand.
v Product: Videocon Satellite LCD TV
v Category: LCD/LED TV
v Innovation: It is widely advised that if you buy a LCD/LED television then you must ditch your existing cable connection and switch to direct-to-home facility to exploit the best features of your newly acquired television set. This means double investment. To beat this, through extensive effort and research, Videocon launched a unique product – satellite LCD TVs. The television set comes with an inbuilt DTH connection.
v Product: Clear Men Cool Sport Anti
Dandruff Shampoo
v Category: Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
v Innovation: Clear, the erstwhile Clinic All Clear, launched a new anti-dandruff shampoo ? Clear Men – Cool Sport. It offers male consumers a customised solution for scalp/ dandruff problems. Where other anti-dandruff shampoos talk about removing dandruff with regular usage, this product claims to eliminate dandruff with every wash.
v Product: Philips Energy Savers CFLs
v Category: Lighting
v Innovation: The CFLs are designed to deliver the same amount of light as a regular light-bulb by consuming 80% less electricity. The new range is upto 40% smaller and 20% brighter than regular CFLs. With a built-in power stabilizer and VWV (very wide voltage) resistance, Philips CFLs have been designed to deliver superior performance.
v Product: Garnier Men Deodorant
Absolute Dry
v Category: Men’s Deodorant &
Antiperspirants
v Innovation: This claims to be the first 48 hours (2 days) anti-perspirant which has 5 times the absorbing power of talc. Its alcohol free formula gives freedom from sweat and odour for up to 48 hours even under extreme conditions of heat and stress.
v Product: Foodles
v Category: Noodles
v Innovation: GlaxoSmithkline (GSK) developed Foodles from Horlicks as a nourishing snacking option for children. The four grain variant contains wheat, rice, ragi, and corn. It comes with a health maker,
9 power vitamins, iron and calcium which makes Foodles the more nourishing noodles. Foodles four grain noodles are available in four variants.
v Product: Spice S-1200
v Category: Premium Phones
v Innovation: Spice S-1200 is India?s first phone with a 12 megapixel camera and 3X optical zoom . It also has advanced features of a digital camera like CCD sensor and xenon flash. It supports advanced professional camera modes like smile shutter, multiple face detection, auto focus and anti-shake. One can also view the pictures big by connecting the phone to the television or even take prints of great quality. It has a capability to support a
32 GB memory card.
v Product: Minute Maid Nimbu Fresh
v Category: Refreshers
v Innovation: Minute Maid Nimbu Fresh is made from no preservatives and no added colour. It tastes just like homemade ‘Nimbu Paani’. The juice is imported from Israel, the concentrate is made at the company’s Pune plant, and then sent to Coca-Cola plants at Gangaikondan in Tamil Nadu and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh.
v Product: Nerolac Excel Total with HeatGuard Technology
v Category: Paints
v Innovation: This paint can keep your home up to 5 degrees cooler. It reflects 76% -82% of solar radiation (it has 250% higher reflectance than regular exterior paint and almost 100% than similar paints brands and absorbs very little, thus, reducing the room temperature up to 5 degrees . With a very low level of VOC?s (Volatile Organic Compunds)it is also an eco clean paint.
v Product: Videocon Frost Free Refrigerator
v Category: Refrigerators
v Innovation: This V61WFT15 refrigerator is equipped with digital variable compressor which optimises the cooling, corresponding to its load through continuous speed control ? all with minimal noise levels. It provides 25% faster cooling than ordinary refrigerators, thus saving overall power consumption by 20%. It?s equipped with an air flow that gives uniform cooling in the refrigerator compartments.
v Product: Cera Sanitaryware
v Category: Sanitaryware
v Innovation: Cera Sanitaryware has launched a new white colour for their sanitaryware, named Snow White. This has been developed by Cera?s R&D department, after long market research and laboratory trials. The extra whiteness has been achieved through usage of special raw materials. Fired in computer controlled, natural gas kilns, snow white is comparable to any white sanitaryware produced internationally with advanced technologies.
v Product: Fiama Di Wills Aqua Pulse
v Category: Shower Gels
v Innovation: New Fiama Di Wills Aqua Pulse Shower Gel is a blue transparent shower gel with suspended sparkling beads, targeted exclusively at men. It has a unique active defense Complex which protects the skin.
v Product: Nivea Pearl & Beauty Deodorant
v Category: Women’s Deodorant
v Innovation: It claims to be the first beauty deodorant to make the underarms smooth and beautiful. It combines highly effective deodorant protection and beauty care, making underarms smooth, beautiful and fragrant. Unlike any other deodorant, hydrolysed pearls, a beauty product ingredient is used in this product. This keeps the skin smooth.
v Product: Pureit Compact
v Category: Water Purifiers
v Innovation: The purifier claims to be the only storage water purifier that meets USEPA norms (Environmental Protection Agency-USA for removal of bacteria and virus) for microbiologically ready-to-consume safe drinking water at a revolutionary price point of Rs. 1000/-, enabling millions to have access to complete protection from water borne diseases.
v Product: Bilt Student Stationery
v Category: Students Stationery
v Innovation: The company offers a range of innovative quality products to students that include learning notebooks, student notebooks, drawing books, lead pencils, colour pencils, crayons, oil pastels and copier paper. High on functionality, the products not only cater to the specific needs of students but make them look good too. The company also exhibits popular cartoon characters like Dora, Mogli, Lion King, Winnie the Pooh on these products.