Whether it was Halo Top’s nutritionally better-for-you ice cream, Lifewtr’s commitment to advancing and showcasing sources of creativity, Core Hydration’s body-balancing benefits or the thinning of Oreo’s classic cookie sandwich—endurance, sales and product distinction were some of the catalysts that led to the success reflected in Nielsen’s 2018 Top 25 Breakthrough Innovations list for the U.S. market. This newly released list, which was powered by Bases, a new product innovation discipline within Nielsen, examines and celebrates what it takes to achieve consumer and retail success today.
Nielsen’s annual Breakthrough Innovation analysis has been highlighting the best in innovation over the last decade.
“The 25 brands that made this year’s list reflect a wide range of successful approaches that cut through the clutter of today’s crowded product marketplace,” says Nielsen. “The diversity of Nielsen’s Top 25 Breakthrough Innovations prove that success comes in many different forms and strategies, as marketers continue to find new ways to make a true impact with consumers through innovation.”
Beyond Nielsen’s requirements for distinctiveness, relevance and endurance, this year, the criteria for Breakthrough success was expanded to include a broader set of strategies that successful brands employed, honoring the best execution of each. The result is a list of products that reflect strong, distinct qualities such as mass potential, longevity, brand incrementality, category distinction and appeal toward a specific consumer target.
“In today’s climate, the marketplace is more crowded than ever, so the pressure to innovate is immense,” says Jenny Frazier, SVP of Nielsen Bases. “We know that successful innovation comes in many forms, from category-growing mega-successes to products that meet the needs of a specific type of consumer, and everything in between. This year, Nielsen Bases is awarding success across all the ways we know companies create it—these 25 launches represent the best of a variety of successful strategies all companies employ. They have broken through the noise, allowing them to utilize innovation as a means to feed customer demand and desire.”
The Breakthrough Innovation List
Nielsen reviewed close to 3,500 consumer products and named the following to this year’s list. These products are recognized for the innovation and growth they brought to their respective categories:
| Product | Company |
| Biofreeze | Performance Health |
| Core Hydration | Core Nutrition LLC |
| Dave’s Killer Bread | Flowers Foods Inc. |
| Dunkin’ Donuts K-Cup Pods | The J.M. Smucker Co. & Keurig Dr Pepper |
| Halo Top | Halo Top Creamery |
| Lifewtr | PepsiCo |
| siggi’s | siggi’s |
| Garnier Whole Blends | L’Oréal |
| Oreo Thins | Mondelēz International |
| Good Thins | Mondelēz International |
| Similac Pro-Advance, Similac Pro-Sensitive and Similac Pro-Total Comfort |
Abbott |
| Green Giant Riced Veggies | B&G Foods Inc. |
| Hillshire Snacking | Tyson Foods |
| Olly | Olly PBC |
| Stouffer’s Fit Kitchen | Nestlé USA |
| Charmin Essentials | Procter & Gamble |
| Gillette Fusion5 ProShield and ProShield Chill | Procter & Gamble |
| Hefty Ultra Strong Trash Bags | Reynolds Consumer Products LLC |
| Sara Lee Artesano Original & Golden Wheat Bakery Bread |
Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. |
| Tide Pods Plus Febreze Sport Odor Defense | Procter & Gamble |
| Crystal Pepsi | PepsiCo |
| Mtn Dew Pitch Black | PepsiCo |
| Carol’s Daughter | L’Oréal |
| L’Oréal Paris Root Cover Up | L’Oréal |
| Stōk Cold Brew Coffee | Danone North America |
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