The Product of the Year Award was presented for the third time last night at a prestigious gala ceremony. Manufacturers and distributors could enter their new, innovative domestically available products from the areas of FMCG, OTC, and household-technical goods to compete for the high accolade, recognition was presented in 12 different categories. The winner of the iced tea category was the XIXO Jegestea (iced tea) HELL ENERGY Magyarország Kft.’s newest product line of PET bottled premium soft drinks debuting on the market last May.
Producers and distributors can enter products and services that represent novelty and innovative solutions into the product-evaluation program, whether that is packaging, active ingredients, or presentation. The mechanism this year was the same as always, the most popular products that are available in Hungary were chosen based on a representative 2000 person study carried out by GfK Hungária that evaluated consumer choices. The entered innovative products were first ranked by a professional panel and then the consumers evaluated the products by category.
Taking into account their previous success, HELL New Generation winning in the energy drink category in 2012, and dedicated to innovation, HELL ENERGY Magyarország Kft. took part in the 2014 competition this time with their new PET bottle packaged products, the XIXO iced tea product line. After a successful trial run, in the spring of 2013, production of the high-quality PET bottled product line, XIXO soft drinks, began in the HELL ENERGY plant located in Szikszó with the help of the new, cutting-edge technology bottling line. The marketable premium product line comprising iced teas, lemonades, and flavored waters aims to add variety to the Hungarian soft drink market, mainly dominated by multinational companies, with quality and unique flavors. The full portfolio has undergone a strict quality control process, is made from selected grade-A ingredients, uses natural mineral water, contains no artificial coloring, and ensures a long shelf-life with pasteurization.
Imola Lilla Tóth, the company’s marketing director was the one to accept the award, which the company can be usedon XIXO products for a year, on behalf of HELL ENERGY: “Innovation is very important in the life of our company, this is why we really appreciate what this award stands for since the beginning. Two years ago it was one of our revolutionary new energy drinks, this year it’s our newest premium soft drink product line. The significance of innovation as regards daily consumer products cannot be emphasized enough, as each day, we see many new products hit the market. The research says that 70% of the product innovations introduced in Western Europe prove not to be successful and half the products do not generate the forecasted revenue. So, it is very important to figure out how to really reach out to our consumers and communicate to them the benefits of products with good value for price. We are especially proud that in a little under a year our XIXO iced teas have become so popular on the Hungarian market that we were presented this award which is based on direct consumer feedback,” said the marketing director of XIXO.
In a separate survey, GfK Hungária Market Research assessed the revenues of the previous recipients of the award. Research unequivocally shows that winners who consciously maintain their brand saw a clear increase in their revenue thanks to the use of the logo.
