Consumers select their favorite dairy foods in BHG/BrandSpark survey

In a related survey, 83% of Americans believe that there is a lot they can do with food and nutrition to prevent illness.

Dairy foods from Land O’ Lakes, Sargento and Weight Watchers won Best New Product Awards from Better Homes and Gardens and the market research firm BrandSpark International. Consumers in North America vote for products in the categories of Beauty, Food & Beverage, Health & Personal Care, Household and Kids.

Among the 93 winning products are:

Land O' Lakes Spreadable Butter Garlic and Herb (in the category Butter/Spread)
Sargento Ultra Thin Sliced Natural Pepper Jack Cheese (Cheese)
Weight Watchers Salted Caramel Ice Cream Candy Bar (Frozen Dessert)

The winning products were determined solely by more than 70,000 consumers who participated in an extensive nationwide survey, conducted by independent marketing research firm BrandSpark International in partnership with Better Homes and Gardens. The 2015 survey had 294 entries and 93 winning products across a range of categories.

Americans say food and nutrition can prevent illness

In addition to determining the winning products, the BrandSpark/BHG American Shopper Study uncovers what is on the minds of American shoppers. Some highlights from this year's survey are:

New Product Interest: American shoppers are interested in trying innovative new products (78%) and many are open to the idea of paying a premium for quality innovation. 73% of Americans say that they would be willing to pay more for a new product if it is better than the current selection of similar products. In fact, 2 in 3 believe that research and development is constantly leading to better beauty, personal care and health products and 6 in 10 for household products.

Value: 85% feel proud when they get great value for their money, and American shoppers see value in established brands. 73% prefer buying brand name products on sale as opposed to purchasing a private label equivalent.

Food and Health: 83% of Americans believe that there is a lot they can do with food and nutrition to prevent illness, and 53% rely on the nutritional info shown on product packaging to help them eat healthier.

Online Shopping: 89% of Americans shop online. In CPG, beauty leads e-commerce with nearly 1 in 2 shoppers buying beauty products online at least occasionally, compared to 13% for food & beverage and 15% for household care products.

Mobile Shopping Habits: 7 in 10 American shoppers now own a smartphone and more than half use their mobile devices when shopping in-store. Among them, 51% have taken pictures of products they were considering, 49% searched for digital coupons, and 43% compared prices across different retailers.