Business & Money | Sunday 1 March, 2015 12:39 am |

The Product of the Year Awards (POY) 2015 honoured the leading brands from across the GCC countries at a scintillating award ceremony held at The Palace Hotel last night. POY is a prestigious award that rewards innovation in the FMCG sector and it is also the only award to be voted for by customers themselves, through an independent consumer survey.

Winners in 45 categories were announced across Food and beverage, consumer appliances, homecare and personal and beauty care in an intimate and fun-filled atmosphere, where old regular brands were cheering on for their repeated wins and new brands to the POY family were experiencing the thrill of being recognised by consumers in front of their peers and competitors. Guests took active part in the event by posting pictures on Instagram with the #productoftheyear to win the chance of track day driving an Audi R8.

How do winners of POY get determined? Participating products are divided into homogeneous categories for public evaluation through a national consumer survey. This involves a region-wide consumer survey including face-to-face interviews with 3,600 households, on the perception of various new products that have been launched in the GCC market – not only in FMCG but also other industries. The research is conducted in partnership with TNS, a world leader in market research.

Ultimately, the consumers pick the winners of the award. The product of the Year Award takes pride in the fact that it is the only prestigious award voted for by the consumers themselves. The belief is that it in the end consumers that can judge the product better than anyone else, since they are the ones who use and truly understand the products. The consumers give detailed feedback on the products based on the three measures – attractiveness, satisfaction, and innovation. It is their vote that eventually decides the winners of the awards across the various competition categories.

Dory Kfoury, CEO – Middle East and Africa for Product of the Year, said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners of the Product of the Year Award, 2015. We had 45 categories this year, which is more than we have ever had. I firmly believe that we’ve picked the most deserving candidates for each category, all thanks to the consumers for their support and TNS for their expertise.”


“With a surplus of new products launching in the market each year, there are endless options for the consumers to choose from”, said Carla El Saghir, Gulf Area Director. “The Product of the Year symbol on a product is now synonymous with trust and helps shoppers make the right decision when choosing a trustworthy product from the plethora of options available”, she added.

The award has grown with each year and has been working with over 100 multinationals globally along with a number of local and regional companies. With this year-on-year growth, the credibility of POY has also grown and has proven its results. Winning products have registered positive changes in consumer behaviour resulting in high increase in sales.

Partners for this year’s edition of POY included INTO All Marketing Solutions and Integral Shopper, Gulf Marketing Review, TNS, Traffik 360, Abu Dhabi Week, Abu Dhabi Week – Arabic, Dubai Week, Sayidaty Magazine, radio 2, radio 1, and GN Broadcasting.

The pre-selection process is conducted by an independent jury, which investigates the consumers’ choices and manages the entire process in a transparent and secure environment. The jury, which includes representatives from Dubai Chamber, The Federation of Gulf Cooperation Council Chambers (FGCCC), The Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC), The International Advertising Association (IAA), International Business Women Group (IWBG), The French Business Council, The American University of Sharjah (AUS), The Saudi Association for Media and Communication (SAMC), and The Institute of Management Technology, closely studies the various entries, and fills out a multiple-choice questionnaire to evaluate and ensure the registered products are up to the POY standard.

List of POY 2015‘s winners:
Kraft White Cream Cheese Spread (Cheese), Rio Mare Salatuna Mediterranean recipe (Canned Tuna), PINAR LABNEH (Labneh), Tilda Ready-To-Heat Range (Tilda Steamed Basmati, Tilda Kids & Tilda Humara) (Pantry meals), Knorr Premium Gourmet Soups Range, (Soup), Americana- Cookies, Cakes, & Rolls (Confectionary), Al Shifa Honey (Sidr, Black Forest, Acacia, Natural, Lime Tree, Golden Nectar, Orange Blossom) (Honey), Afia Olive oil (Olive Oil), Mazola Sunflower Oil (Cooking Oil), Similac Gain Plus - Stage 3 (Baby Nutrition), Huggies New Born & Small Diapers(Baby Diapers), Lux Sunlight (Dish care), Clorox Gel Bleach (Bleach and Disinfectants), Ariel Gel, Ariel Powder (Laundry Detergent), Comfort Aromatherapy (Fabric Softeners), Jif


Sprays (Multipurpose Household Cleaning), OMINO ABAYA SHAMPOO INTENSE BLACK (Specialty Liquid Detergents), Sanita Club Facial Tissue Seasonal Designs (Premium Facial Tissues), Kleenex Classique Facial


Tissues (Classic Facial Tissues), Sanita Aluminum Foil (Aluminum Foil), Philips Airfryer XL (Kitchen appliances), Philips ProTouch Garment Steamer(Garment Steamers), Philips shaver Series 9000 (Male grooming), Braun SensoCollection - Professional SensoDryer & SensoCare straightener (Hair appliances), Philips Diamond Clean (Oral care), Signal Expert Protection (Toothpaste), Always Cotton Touch Feel with Soothing Cream (Feminine Care), Rexona Motionsense FOR Women (Deodorants for women), NIVEA MEN Sensitive Range (Men's Skincare), Axe Gold Temptation
(Deodorants for men), Garnier BB Cream (Facecare), No7 Protect & Perfect Intense anti-ageing skincare regime (Anti-aging Face care), NIVEA Sun Protect & Bronze Range (Sun care), Pantene Pro-V Oil Replacement (Hair Treatments), Dove Hair Fall Rescue (Hair volumising care), Elvive Nourishing Oil Range (Nourishing Hair Care), Nivea Creme Care Shower (Shower care), Sunsilk Dry Shampoo (Dry Shampoo), NIVEA Cocoa Butter Body Lotion & Body Cream (Body moisturiser), Clear Intense Hydration range (Anti-Dandruff Haircare), L'Oreal Paris Prodigy (Hair Colourants), Tresemme Keratin Smooth (Professional Haircare & Styling), Bourjois Contour Clubbing Waterproof pencil (Eyeliner), Maybelline New York The Colossal Go extreme Mascara (Mascara), Bourjois Rouge edition Velvet (Lipstick)