Corporate giants dominate Product of the Year awards

The award covers the UK's fast moving consumer goods sector and include categories such as best hair treatment, best body care product, facial care product and deodorant. P&G claimed four awards in the personal care sector, including best hair treatment for Pantene Pro-V Restoratives Time Renewal Nourishing Mist and best hair styling product Pantene Pro-V Ice Shine Hairspray. P&G's Head and Shoulder's brand also won an award for the best Shampoo and Conditioner product, and Gillette Fusion HydraGel won the best male grooming category. Unilever was also well represented with its Dove brand taking away three awards for the best body care, facial tanning and female deodorant products. The remaining awards for personal care products were picked up by Boots for its No 7 Protect and Perfect Beauty Serum and L'Oreal for the best hair colouring product. The winners will be able to use the award scheme's red logo on packaging and communication materials throughout the year. According to event organisers the presence of the logo boosts product sales by an average of 10-15 per cent. They quote French research that suggests that over 90 per cent of consumers said they recognised the logo and over 64 per cent think of it as a positive incentive to buy the product. Entering and winning the award does not come cheap. If a product is selected by the jury to go through to the second level of consumer research the manufacturer is required to pay £4,750 (€6,350). Furthermore, if the products is voted by the consumer as product of the year a fee of £12,500 is required if the manufacturer wishes to use the logo. Winners are chosen from a list of finalists compiled by a jury panel, by consumers in surveys conducted by research agency TNS. According to organisers over 12,500 people responded to surveys in 2006, adding to the product recognition concept behind the awards. Winners of the 2007 Product of the Year awards included a similar selection of names, with the addition of a Beieresdorf win for its DNAge Cell Renewal Day Cream from its Nivea brand.