Nielsen’s top 25: The breakthrough bakery and snack innovations of 2019

By Gill Hyslop

- Last updated on GMT

Nielsen's top 15 product innovation for 2019. Pic: GettyImages
Nielsen's top 15 product innovation for 2019. Pic: GettyImages
Ritz Crisp & Thins, Dave’s Killer Bread and Lay’s Popppables have achieved golden status after breaking through the noise and redefining innovation in the past year, according to Nielsen.

A new product is launched in America every two minutes, which makes it an insanely busy market.

Nielsen Global Connect has released its anxiously anticipated annual Top 25 Breakthrough Innovation winners for 2019. For almost a decade, the list has been the​ gold standard in defining innovation and global success within the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space, according to the market researcher.

Powered by BASES, Nielsen’s Top 25 Breakthrough Innovation for 2019 again mirrors the shifting tides of today’s consumer landscape.

The company’s data has confirmed that this past year has been the busiest ever, with a new product being launched on the market every two minutes. On top of this, for the past three years, brick-and-mortar CPG unit volume has barely wavered above a 1% growth rate year-over-year on the continent – a clear indicator that some innovations aren’t earning their keep. 

Close on 45,000 products were launched this year – all eligible for Nielsen’s 2019 Breakthrough Innovation status. However, only those that made meaningful ​connections with consumers – an impressive feat within an increasingly crowded marketplace – made the grade.

Criteria included strong, distinct qualities such as mass potential, longevity, brand incrementality, category distinction and appeal toward a specific consumer target.

Snack standouts in the Top 25 included:

  • Ritz Crips & Thinks (Mondelez)
  • RXBar (RXBar)
  • Caulipower (Caulipower)
  • Dave’s Killer Bread, Bagels (Flower Foods)
  • Lay’s Poppables (Frito-Lay North America)
  • Just Crack an Egg (Kraft Heinz)

“Consumers encounter more than 30,000 new products every year, creating a fierce competition to capture the hearts and wallets of consumers,”​ said Jenny Frazier, SVP of Nielsen BASES.

“With this much new news in the marketplace, there’s never been a more important time for manufacturers to find breakthrough success.

“The Nielsen BASES Top 25 Breakthrough Innovation list celebrates the absolute best of what brand innovators do to drive growth, and show us all what is possible when we pair a great idea with a great product and great activation.”

Related topics Brands & manufacturers Bakery Snacks

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