The Consumer Survey of Product Innovation Reveals the 2011 Award Winners

Feb 25th 2011 at 2:00PM by Veronica Harley

I recently saw a commercial for Aquafresh iso-active Whitening and discovered that it won the 2011 Consumer Survey of Product Innovation Award for the best toothpaste. I did a little digging and learned that the Product of the Year (POY) is a consumer-voted award for product innovation. It was established 25 years ago in France and operates in 28 countries. It's designed to help lead consumers to the best products and to reward manufacturers for innovation. The U.S. version is backed by 60,000 consumers.

How does the voting process work? According to their website, "Product of the Year accepts entries every year from consumer packaged goods that demonstrate innovation and were launched within the previous year. Entered products are then placed into specific categories such as food, beverages, personal care, household care, etc. with a product then being chosen as a winner in its category through a nationally representative online study conducted by TNS."

The winning products are announced in February and the manufacturers can proudly display the POY marketing seal for one year. Here's a review of some of the winning products. Do you agree or disagree with these product picks? Sound off in the comments section below.

Personal Care: Speed Stick and Lady Speed Stick® Stainguard® Antiperspirant Deodorant
I have Lady Speed Stick Stainguard and love it! It doesn't leave white residue on your clothes.

Toothpaste: Aquafresh iso-active Whitening
This award-winning toothpaste has a gel-to-foam formula that is designed to help get in between your soon to be pearly whites.
Mouthwash: Listerine Zero
Listerine has developed a winning mouthwash formula that fights bad breath without the harsh alcohol.

Candy & Snacks: M&M Pretzel

Beverage: Lipton Brisk
Lipton has one of the best formulas for sweet tea and Brisk hits the spot on a warm day.

Hair Care/Hair Styling: Pantene Pro-V Customized Solutions & Pantene Pro-V Customized Solutions Stylers & Treatments

Male Grooming: Gillette Fusion ProGlide Power Razor
Last year, I turned to our male readers to get their insight on the best electric razors and guess what? Gillette made the cut.

Personal Hygiene: Lysol Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap System
If you are a "germaphobe" like me, then you'll love Lysol's Healthy Touch No-Touch Hand Soap. This hands-free gadget will automatically dispense the right amount of soap every time you want to wash your hands.