New Product Pacesetters - Information Resources, Inc. (IRI)

Innovative New CPG Brand Leaders

For 13 consecutive years, the annual IRI New Product Pacesetters report showcases the year’s most successful new CPG brands. These brands truly beat the odds: less than one-quarter of new brands exceed the $7.5 million hurdle for yeafir-one sales that is required to earn Pacesetter status.

Further, with a record number of new products introduced, competition for consumer attention and spending has become even more intense during the past few years.

These reports detail the most successful new CPG brands and the consumer benefits that have made them a success. IRI New Product Pacesetters are best practice case studies in how to beat the new product launch odds.

3/15/2008
2007 New Product Pacesetters

New brands must rapidly become “must-have” products through the delivery of unique, high-demand benefits. The brands showcased in this report have achieved just that.
Several new Pacesetters accomplished this goal by creating new markets, leveraging advanced consumer insights and new technologies. Tide Simple Pleasures, for instance, establishes mood-altering scent as a selection criterion in laundry detergent. Birds Eye Steamfresh offers a transformational new microwave steaming cooking technology that provides a quick and easy way to cook frozen vegetables while preserving taste, texture and nutrition.
Read More

3/15/2007
2006 New Product Pacesetters

While down slightly from last year’s record number of new product introductions, this past year was still one of the most active in recent history.Yet, despite the high numbers, success rates remained consistent with rates over the past decade. Less than one-quarter of introductions met the New Product Pacesetters hurdle of $7.5 million or greater in year-one sales. In fact, only 3% of food and beverage introductions and 1% of non-foods exceeded $50 million in their first year.

This report provides a detailed assessment of this year’s winners to reveal the product benefits that resonated with consumers, the trends to watch for future new product opportunity and sales benchmarks to consider when evaluating new product introductions.

Read More

3/16/2006
2005 New Product Pacesetters

2004-2005 was one of the most active years for new CPG product activity in recent history. A record number of both food & beverage and non-food brands was introduced this past year.The success rate, however, remained roughly the same as we have seen over the past decade.

A review of how they won in the marketplace by delivering against specific, emerging consumer needs provides critical insights that can be leveraged to improve the industry success rate going forward.
Read More

3/15/2005
New Product Pacesetters: Food & Beverage and Non-Food Ranking and Benefits

With the highest number of new CPG product introductions (at thebrand level) in the past eight years, 2003-2004 was marked by strong new product activity. Manufacturers placed a heavy focus on innovation this past year --primarily in the form of brand extensions --to capture growth in an otherwise slow growth environment: U.S.

The most successful new food and beverage products delivered against consumers’desire to experience new tastes and varieties, manage weight, improve overall health,and simplify life through added convenience.
Read More