Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, has named 14 Breakthrough Innovation Winners for 2013. Several key winners within the functional food and beverage market included Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt, Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies, Magnum Ice Cream, Milo’s Kitchen Home-Style Dog Treats, MiO Liquid Water Enhancer, Monster Rehab, Reese’s Minis, Skinny Cow Candy, Sparkling ICE and Special K Cracker Chips. The winners were presented their awards at Nielsen’s Consumer 360 event in Phoenix, AZ, on June 4^th.
 
 “What’s fascinating about this year’s Breakthrough Innovation Award winners is their diversity,” says Rob Wengel, senior vice president, Innovation, at Nielsen. “No matter the industry or category, Breakthrough Innovation is possible where there is a vision for innovation, pervasive leadership to drive support, and alignment throughout the organization to make it happen.”
 
This is the second year that Nielsen has presented the awards. Nielsen conducted an extended analysis of more than 3,400 new consumer product introductions in the U.S. during 2011 to determine which products demonstrated truly breakthrough results. That analysis, combined with prior research on more than 14,000 new launches from 2009 to 2013, led to the conclusions and recommendations found in the Breakthrough Innovation Report. To earn the title of Breakthrough Innovation Winner, a product needed to satisfy three requirements:
 
Distinctiveness– Does it deliver a new value proposition to the market?
Relevance– Did this product generate year-one U.S. sales of $50 million or greater in Nielsen-measured channels (food, drug, convenience, dollar, club, and mass merchandise)?
Endurance– Will this product achieve at least 90 percent of year one sales in year two? This measure confirms a sustained level of consumer demand while allowing for some revenue consolidation during the transition from trial to repeat.
 
“Breakthrough Innovation companies achieve uncommon results because of their ability to pursue, shape, develop, and activate insights that deliver what consumers demand,” says Taddy Hall, senior vice president, Nielsen. “These winners challenged convention and triumphed by expanding or transforming categories. It is through their unencumbered, demand-driven development that Breakthrough Winners create visible separation from the pack.”