USA Today featured results from the 2011 Most Memorable New Product Launch survey in a front page Money section snapshot. The graphic showed the influence of “Made in the USA” products is growing each year with an increase of 12% over the last four years in respondents who feel country of origin is an important product feature (48% in 2008 versus 60% in 2011).  The survey was conducted by Schneider Associates and research partner Sentient Decision Science.

A snapshot of the 2011 MMNPL survey results was featured in the January 18 edition of USA Today. The USA Today Snapshot, titled “Most Memorable Product Launches of 2011,” displays the top product launches of last year. The survey conducted by research partner Sentient Decision Science polled a national sampling of consumers who named the Kinect for Xbox 360 as the most memorable product launch of 2011, with Nintendo 3DS and the Chevy Volt (tied), and Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries rounding out the top three spots.

To read more about the 2011 MMNPL survey, Click Here.

]]> http://mmnpl.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/mmnpl-2011-survey-featured-in-a-usa-today-snapshot/feed/ 0 mmnpl usa today clip usa today logo http://mmnpl.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/mmnpl-product-preview-wendys-natural-cut-fries-with-sea-salt/ http://mmnpl.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/mmnpl-product-preview-wendys-natural-cut-fries-with-sea-salt/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:02:39 +0000 mmnpl http://mmnpl.wordpress.com/?p=1912 ]]> Wendy’s made headlines this year when they launched their first fry redesign in the company’s 41-year history. Check out our video to see why Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries with Sea Salt launch campaign just might be spudtacular enough to be one of 2011′s Most Memorable New Product Launches.

Check out our video on why we found the Kinect’s launch campaign truly memorable.

General Motor’s Chevrolet Volt may be one of the top contenders in this year’s MMNPL survey. The electric car with a gasoline engine not only stands out for its clever marketing campaign, but for its innovation as well. Check out our LaunchTV video below for more details on what makes the Chevy Volt’s campaign stand out.

Food marketing expert Phil Lempert, the force behind SupermarketGuru.com, is a pioneer in news information media, specializing in consumer behavior. Here, he offers up his top five nominations for the 2011 MMNPL survey.

Aunt Jemima Frozen Breakfast

With five new microwavable breakfast foods (pancakes, waffles, entrées, sandwiches and French toast), Aunt Jemima is providing consumers with simple solutions for busy weekday mornings from a brand they already know and associate with a tasty breakfast. Calling on the slogan “Just Add Warmth,” these homemade tasting items can be prepared in just minutes using a toaster or microwave.

David’s Jumbo Sunflower Seeds

America’s favorite in-shell sunflower seeds are delicious and fun to eat anytime, anywhere, but the launch of their Jumbo Seeds is accompanied by a variety of new flavors, including Bar-B-Q, Ranch, and Chili Lime. It also exhibits new, portable packaging for convenient on-the-go enjoyment!

Dole Mixed Fruit Bowls

While most other fruit bowls contain fruit in syrup or other artificial sweeteners, Dole’s Mixed Fruit Bowls offer a healthier option, with all-natural fruit in 100% fruit juice. Awarded the 2011 Chefs Best Award for Best Taste, Dole’s Fruit Bowls are the perfect choice for a quick, healthy snack at home, in the office, or on-the-go.

Orville Redenbacher Pop up Bowl

The unique design of Orville Redenbacher’s Pop up Bowl demonstrates innovation at its finest: a microwave popcorn bag that opens on the side and morphs into a perfect popcorn bowl. By cutting out a buttery bag that only causes a greasy mess, this product has addressed the strong consumer need for convenience and simplification, ultimately revolutionizing your typical popcorn-eating experience.

Velveeta Cheesy Skillets

To address hectic family schedules during the back-to-school season, Kraft launched a new line of just-add-meat dinner kits that grant parents convenience and ease in the kitchen, allowing them to whip up a non-microwavable meal in no time. It solves the problem of wanting a home cooked meal, but not having a lot of time to prepare it. A pouch of Velveeta to mix in the meal is easier than mixing in powder, milk and butter, making this a quicker and easier option over other boxed meal kits.

Baby Carrots

In the Fall of 2010, Bolthouse launched a new marketing campaign for their Baby Carrots snack. The campaign, “Eat ‘Em Like Junk Food,” used brand packaging resembling that of “junk food” you usually find in a vending machine. With a crinkly plastic bag, bright colored labels, and characters on the packaging geared toward children, Baby Carrots caught the attention of many. This new packaging dispels some of the stigma surrounding healthy snacks, and allows it to compete with chips and candy. 

Starbucks Logo Redesign

With its debut this past January, Starbucks redesigned the look of their logo for the third time in their 40 year history. Keeping the green iconic Siren, the company has dropped the circle around her that read “Starbucks Coffee.” Although the change has spawned some backlash from loyal Starbucks consumers, the company sees it as a marking of a milestone in their history. The Siren has stayed with the company since they first started out as a small coffee shop in Portland, Oregon, but as the company grew, it was time to update the logo with a more clean and modern look.

 Diet Coke Limited Edition Can

Marking the 125^th anniversary of Coca-Cola, it was a no brainer that the company was going to come out with a redesigned can. This September, Coca-Cola launched a new limited edition Diet Coke can. Although the temporary design keeps the traditional bare aluminum background, the letters D and K are blown-up so the lettering bleeds off the can, which has a sleek, clean, and modern look. Although they are a limited edition, it is unknown how long they will be available in stores. 

Kraft Mac & Cheese Redesign 

Kraft Macaroni & Cheese has come out with a new, happier packaging and marketing strategy with the “noodle smile.” At the beginning of this year, Kraft rolled out the new boxes that feature the smile along with updated typography, shapes, colors, and patterns. Although the redesign is a drastic change from their previous box, Kraft still retained the key elements that consumers associate with the brand, which research showed to be happiness, smiles, and joy.  Kraft also wanted to create packaging that unified the different macaroni and cheese products.  As a result, the noodle smile was born.  

Puma’s Clever Little Bag

Puma is out to change the world with its revolutionary “clever little bag.” Puma has created a way to package their shoes without using any boxes at all.  It’s a known fact that shoeboxes account for millions of tons of waste each year.  Puma’s goal was to find a way to create a shoe package that was environmentally friendly.  Twenty-one months and 40 prototypes later, Puma unveiled the new clever little bag – recycled paperboard box-like inserts, which are held in place by a 20 percent polypropylene bag.  According to the Puma website, the reusable bag contains 65 percent less paper and reduces water, energy, and diesel consumption during manufacturing by over 60 percent a year. Puma claims the design will save 8,500 tons of paper per year, millions of liters of water and fuel, and 275 tons of plastic a year. Smart move, Puma.  

Sharpie Redesign and Rebranding

Last summer, Sharpie announced their decision to rebrand itself with a new campaign that promotes self-expression. New commercials and ads feature Sharpie fans using the markers to make their own artistic creations. Sharpie has also redesigned their website and their packaging, showcasing funky artwork created with Sharpies, unlike the previous packaging that looked very utilitarian and clean cut. With 15 types of markers in an assortment of colors, Sharpie’s new campaign strategy is an effective way to reach an audience of creative people looking for a way to express themselves.

*Not all products chosen by the MMNPL expert panelists are guaranteed to be included in the MMNPL survey due to our rigorous criteria for selecting new products.

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Sandwich Bread

This past year, Pepperidge Farm introduced the bread that smiles back. Available in three varieties, this bread does not contain high fructose corn syrup and boasts 3 grams of fiber per serving for only 120 calories. The bread is completely crust-free, ensuring that the pickiest eaters will have no reason to dislike it. This product created a lot of buzz through word of mouth marketing.
Kids loved the fun shape of the bread while busy mothers loved that their kids were eating healthy.  

Frito Lay All Natural Chips

Frito Lay introduced more than six dozen products made with all natural ingredients. The transition from processed to wholesome snack options is a result of rising health-consciousness among consumers. Promoting the “real ingredients” made by “real people” were key messages in this successful launch. Instead of using paid actors in their commercials, Frito Lay made a smart decision to use their employees, allowing consumers to get to know the real people behind the brand.

Triple Double Oreo

Oreo has literally taken this iconic brand to the next level.  With the introduction of the Triple Double Oreo, fans of the original cookie can now indulge in the new product, which includes one layer of original crème stuffing and one layer of chocolate stuffing sandwiched between three cookie wafers.  Oreo was smart to cash in on two important food trends– flavor layering and affordable indulgence. Consumers created a buzz online months before the Triple Double Oreo was released, proving once again that word of mouth is a powerful boost to marketing programs and sales. 

Bertolli^® Premium Meal Soups for Two

Bertolli is bringing restaurant-style food home to you.  In partnership with Fabio Viviani, acclaimed Italian chef, restaurant owner and Top Chef contestant, Bertolli has released a line of soups based on Italian restaurant cooking.  Bertolli Premium Meal Soups for Two are available in four different varieties. The traditional, hearty Italian soups are used for the main course rather than a side dish or appetizer.   Bertolli also positioned this new soup meal as a healthy, affordable option for dinner during the recession. 

Amazon Kindle Fire

Since the announcement from Amazon in September, consumers have been waiting for the release of this new tablet.  The Amazon Kindle Fire allows users to watch movies and TV shows, purchase apps, play games, and surf the internet, all while still reading the eBooks they love on their Kindle.  The color touch screen, features and lower price point are why the Kindle Fire is a new and potentially fierce competitor to the iPad and other tablets.

Ben & Jerry’s Introduces ‘Schweddy Balls’ Ice Cream

Fans of the popular late-night TV show Saturday Night Live are giddy over Ben and Jerry’s new limited time flavor, “Schweddy Balls.”
In celebration of the 37^th season of SNL, Ben and Jerry’s decided to create an ice cream flavor after one of the famous SNL skits starring Alec Baldwin.  The flavor consists of “vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum and is loaded with fudge covered rum balls and milk chocolate malt balls.” The release of this ice cream flavor in September created quite the buzz through both word of mouth and the media.  This ice cream was talked by main stream media for about a week shortly after it was released, and then again in October when parent groups called for it to be removed from store shelves. Schweddy Balls may not be on the market for long, but many people are sure to remember the launch of this delicious product, specifically because of the controversy that surrounded it.

McDonalds Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

McDonald’s Frozen Strawberry Lemonade – the perfect drink for summertime.  Released in May, the drink is made by blending together a lemonade base, strawberry syrup on the bottom, and ice.  Sales were strong and proved that McCafe, isn’t just for coffee and smoothies anymore. Backed by a huge integrated marketing campaign, no wonder this cool drink should be considered for the most memorable product launch. 

*Not all products chosen by the MMNPL expert panelists are guaranteed to be included in the MMNPL survey due to our rigorous criteria for selecting new products.