New Product Update: Part 2 - Top 10 Non-Foods Pacesetters

As discussed in Part 1 of this series, the recession clearly dampened the enthusiasm for food & beverage new product introductions in the last couple of years. At over 900 launches in that sector in 2006, according to SymphonyIRI, that number fell below 650 in 2010.¹

During the same period, however, non-foods launches continued to climb, outpacing food & beverage for the first time in recent history. Non-food intros grew from just under 800 in 2006 to 957 in 2010.

From a dollar sales perspective, though, due most likely to a few phenomenal hits in 2010, new food & beverage launches outperformed their non-foods counterparts. At the same time, non-food innovation has become highly targeted, notably in beauty and personal care.

The Top 10
The most successful non-foods product launches of 2010 tell a story of consumers' quest for the fountain of youth and indulgence tempered by a difficult economy -- a "spa at home" trend, if you will, and seeking results traditionally achieved only in professional spas.

In 2010, beauty care products in the Olay Professional Pro-X line that came to market with this marketing story resonated powerfully enough with consumers to prompt spending at premium levels -- a grand achievement for marketers looking to drive purchase behavior and margin during a period of prolonged economic difficulty.

Similarly, Crest 3D White collection raises self-administered at-home care to a new level for the oral care department. The product line was created to bring consumers a single system that works together to whiten, clean and protect teeth, without the cost of a dental visit. And, the line was recently expanded to include an enamel renewal toothpaste and 2-hour whitening strips.²

Novartis armed consumers with a new, more powerful way to deal with painful heartburn with the Rx-to-OTC switch of Prevacid 24HR. Once again, the success of this product is the ability to achieve results normally reserved for professional care.

All-in-all, innovation across health, beauty and personal care as tracked by SymphonyIRI accounted for three-quarters of non-foods innovation dollars in 2010, a sharp increase versus historical trends. And, for the year, 29 percent of health, beauty and personal care innovation was wrapped in products that brought professional results without the professional price tag.

1 - SymphonyIRI New Product Profiler (tm) - Across Food, Drug & Mass Channels (excluding Walmart)
2 - Drug Store News, March 3, 2011

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