2011 Results

Contact:
Noël Fisher, Integrated Marketing Coordinator

Schneider Associates

617-646-3336, nfisher@schneiderpr.com

NOT PLAYING AROUND: KINECT FOR XBOX 360 and NINTENDO TOP MOST MEMORABLE NEW PRODUCT LAUNCH LISTS FOR YEAR AND DECADE

Technology that changes the way we live, lives on in the memories of consumers- Kinect, Chevy Volt, and Nintendo 3DS round out the top three with a side of Wendy’s new fries.

BOSTON – December 31, 2011 – This year’s Most Memorable New Product Launch survey results show that tech products never fall far from the Apple tree. The ability for these innovative devices to improve and alter the way we do the things we love is a big part of what makes them so memorable. Three cutting-edge products, Microsoft’s Kinect for Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS and the Chevrolet Volt, took the top two spots, with the Volt and 3DS tying for second place. The rest of the top ten also includes: Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries with Sea Salt (#3), Reese’s Minis (#4), Orville Redenbacher’s Pop Up Bowl (#5), HP TouchPad (#6), Samsung Galaxy Tab 4G (#7), Kraft Philidelphia Cooking Crème and the Ford Fiesta (tie #8), Baileys Coffee Creamers (#9), and DiGiorno Pizza & Cookies (#10).

Three of the top ten products, Nintendo 3DS, HP TouchPad, and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4G, were named by PC World as three of the biggest tech fails of 2011. The HP TouchPad, though supported by an expensive advertising blitz that stood out in consumers minds, was discontinued just months are hitting the shelves. The Nintendo 3DS and Samsung’s Galaxy Tab have had slow sales, in spite of their splashy marketing campaigns.

New product launch awareness continues to improve. In 2011 only 43% could not remember a new product launch.  This is down considerably from the all-time high in 2008 when a whopping 69% could not remember a new product launch (an election year).  In 2010 45% could not, in 2009 51% could not. The number is increasing because there are so many new ways to learn about a new product launch like Facebook, Twitter, and You Tube.

This theory is supported by the survey results on information sources and influence: Facebook was cited by 40 percent of respondents. A huge jump from 2010 at 17 percent and 2009 at less than ten percent. Television remained in the lead (77%), but has been declining over the decade.  In store displays/POP is right behind television and has been for three years (43 percent cited in store displays/POP).  As QR Codes and AR Codes continue to become a part of marketers’ tool kits, we expect to see in store displays and POP rise as an influence in 2012.

When it comes to influence, no source beats out family and friends. A recommendation from family or friends according to 85 percent (an increase over 2010 and 2009 – 82 percent), sampling and coupons are still a factor (79% and 77%), but less influential than years past.  However, with much of people’s interactions moving onto Facebook and Twitter, the line between real life and social media is beginning to blur.

Of The Most Memorable New Product Launch of the Decade, the top seven are technology products (Nintendo Wii, iphone, windows 7, ipad, ipod touch, Windows Vista).  This decade was certainly the decade of technology.  The ramifications of this technology adoption are impacting everything we buy and how we do it.

A “trusted brand name” was always important as a new product launch purchase influence but is not as important in 2011 (64 percent versus 65 percent in 2010, versus 70 percent in 2009) but “Made in the USA (60%/57%/50%)”, “Made Locally” (48%/47%/45%) and “Country of Origin”(41%/36%/35%) are all growing in importance for consumers.

Being “environmentally friendly,”(39%, 40%, 44%) having “no trans fats”,(39%/54%/54%) “low sodium” (37%/44%/34%) and “no high fructose corn syrup” (36%/41%/42%) and “low fat” (34%/46%) decreased in importance, something Mintel recently cited as well.  Signaling that consumers may be growing weary of the food police.

Involving consumers with brands, or “crowd-sourcing,” to create new products and help develop new products to launch has gone up in popularity as a product feature. Big brands such as Mountain Dew, Pizza Hut and Baskin-Robbins have been capitalizing on this trend, and we expect to see many other brands follow suit.

“Integrating feedback from customers is something more brands should be doing.” Says Julie Hall, a product launch expert and EVP at Schneider Associates, “It’s no longer enough to conduct focus groups when your product is ready to hit shelves. Customers can give valuable input during the development and launch planning process that can really make the difference when it comes to introducing a successful new product.”

The online MMNPL survey, conducted by Schneider Associates and Sentient Decision Science during November of 2011, polled a national, census-balanced sample of consumers age 18 and up, and uncovered data related to awareness of new consumer product launches, influential trends, media usage, and purchasing behavior. This is the tenth consecutive year that the Most Memorable New Product Launch survey has been conducted.

For more information on the survey, or to learn more about the results, visit www.mmnpl.com

About Schneider Associates

Schneider Associates is an integrated marketing communications and public relations agency that launches and sustains products, services, companies and communities. www.schneiderpr.com

Sentient Decision Science, LLC is a full service market research and consulting firm. The firm was founded by Aaron Reid, Ph.D. in 2007 in response to a need for more advanced, practical and precise research methods in the market research industry. www.sentientdecisionscience.com

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