Most Innovative Product -- December 2007

At the 2007 Consumer Goods Growth & Innovation Forum, CGT awarded the Most Innovative Product Award to Johnson & Johnson for its BAND-AID Activ- Flex Blister Block product, launched in 2007. The Blister Block stick provides invisible protection via a no-slip formula that instantly reduces friction from shoes, which is the No. 1 cause of blisters. It is ideal for use with new shoes because it is stain proof and designed to create no mess, preventing any damage to shoes.

 

The Blister Block stick is one of the latest protection innovations from the BAND-AID brand and is an example of an innovation that creates an entirely new product category: blister prevention. According to Susan Yan Tang, the product director of the BANDAID brand, "Before Blister Block, all of the products on the market focused on blister treatment after the injury. Many consumers (especially women) already know which shoes are going to be uncomfortable and cause blisters, but they want the ability to wear any pair of shoes at any time."

 

According to research done by Johnson & Johnson, the product's easy application and discreet protection against blisters are top reasons why women like the Blister Block stick.

 

The Johnson & Johnson BAND-AID marketing and research and development teams worked together to develop the product."Our goal was to provide a pleasant feel and fragrance while delivering against the consumer benefit of blister prevention," Van Tang explains. The product was launched in the United States in January 2007 and is available at most food, drug and mass-market chain stores with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $5.99.

 

According to Van Tang, the Blister Block stick has been very successful since its launch in the United States, with sales being highly incremental to the category. The product has been featured in a variety of magazines, including InStyle, Allure and US Weekly.

 

"We are very proud of the product and pleased with its success," says Van Tang, "and we will continue to support it accordingly. In the future, the makers of BAND-AID Brand will continue to develop and introduce innovative products that meet the needs of our consumers. We will focus on introducing consumers to new technologies and materials that can be applied to their everyday lives."

 

The BAND-AID brand has a long history of innovation. Its adhesive bandages were introduced to the U.S. market in 1920. Since then, more than 100 billion BAND-AID Brand Adhesive Bandages have been manufactured and sold. The brand has expanded over the years through the company's use of advanced technology and its culture of innovation. Other product innovations include the first sterile adhesive bandages in 1938, SPORT STRIP Adhesive Bandages in 1994, and Antibiotic Adhesive Bandages in 1997-- the first ever to have specially formulated antibiotic ointment already on the pad. In 2002, the company introduced the first Liquid Bandage, which protects and promotes fast healing upon coming into contact with the wound. The BAND-AID brand name has become so familiar that Bob Geldof even used it for the title of his 1985 concerts to raise funds for famine relief in Africa.

 

 

 

Outstanding Achievement Awards

 

Energi to Go
The Energizer Energi To Go Instant Cell Phone Charger is a portable, reusable battery-driven power pack for cell phones. It provides immediate power to talk, and performs the duel duties of providing the power to talk and the power to charge at the same time. A call can be placed within 30 seconds of activation on a completely dead phone.

 

"This is a new category -- not just a new product," explains Barbara Lueckenotte, brand manager for Energi To Go. "Consumers prefer to be unplugged and mobile and on the go.With 70 percent of people in the United States using cell phones, we knew we had a vast target audience.We especially thought of travelers and moms with kids."

 

Energi To Go was developed by outside sources and by Energizers' own research and development team, including some input from suppliers, says Lueckenotte.

 

"The product has done best when it is merchandised with cell phone accessories. It has outperformed our expectations in both sales and profit," she says. It is the first product of its kind, and has become an important new addition to consumers' emergency preparedness kits.

 

Energizer is already expanding the category with its latest innovation, Energi To Go portable Power for iPod. Launched in September 2007, this latest product hits the market just in time for the holiday gift-giving season.

 

 

 

PUR Flavor Options
Procter & Gamble's P-UR filtration systems are certified to remove 98 percent of lead, 99.9 percent of microbial cysts and many other contaminants. PUR Flavor Options is a new innovation that allows consumers to choose flavored or unflavored water from their home water filter either at the tap or from the pitcher. The system allows you to add as much or as little fruit flavor as you like, or select plain water. The Flavor Options contain no calories, sugars or dyes, and are available in raspberry, strawberry and peach flavors.

 

"We had two key consumer insights: flavor helps people to drink their eight glasses of water a day, and people are also looking for low-calorie, sugarfree options," explains Ken Edelman, associate director of research and development and the initiative leader of the project. "With our new flavor and formulation technology, we were able to provide flavor in a concentrated form, with a great device for dispensing it."

 

"PUR Flavor Options does far more than provide great taste. Most importantly, PUR filters your tap water, so your family isn't ingesting unwanted contaminants," adds PUR brand manager Beth Miles.

 

According to Edelman, shipments have been beyond expectation due to word-of-mouth recommendations and strong retailer support: "New consumers are being reached. It's a wonderful addition to the P-UR filtration line-up."

 

A dedicated Web site, www.flavoroptions.com, was created to provide couponing and information to support the launch in April 2007.