Saudi Arabia– October 24, 2023 — Today, NielsenIQ has released its highly-anticipated BASES Breakthrough Innovation Awards for 2023. The awards recognize successful product launches across all strategies, ranging from launches that managed to disrupt their categories and grow their brand, to targeted plays that opted to delight a specific market segment. 

The BASES Breakthrough Innovation Awards named 21 winners among this year’s innovative brands in Saudi Arabia that have transformed their categories. It also acknowledged 5 Wavemakers, products that show great potential for future success.  

The recipients of this year’s Saudi Arabia awards have made remarkable strides across diverse product categories. Winners in the health space emphasized taste and indulgence which proved to be a compelling feature for shoppers. Buyers have also been gravitating towards “Free from/Low in & Zero Sugar” products and seek out natural ingredients in their snack foods. Naturalness and sustainability extended into non-food categories as well with 8/10 of the recognized non-food winners calling out their naturalness. Saudi Arabia’s personal care winners have achieved success addressing unique customer needs. Throughout all categories, winners in Saudi Arabia have excelled in delivering convenience through a variety of product formats and packaging options.  

2023 Breakthrough Innovation winners have successfully navigated through a persistently precarious landscape, marked by the enduring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions and extraordinary inflationary constraints.  

The full Breakthrough Innovation report includes interesting insights and trends across the innovation landscape. According to Zulfiqar Razvi, BASES Executive Director for the region, these insights help determine what works and what doesn’t in innovation and product launches. 

Razvi comments, “There are thousands of product launches every year in different markets in our region, but only a quarter of those survive their second year to show continued growth.”  

Razvi explains that there are a number of factors that contribute to the success (or failure) of a specific innovation or product launch and these have to do with the actual idea put forward, the execution and realization of the project. “To create a good innovation, brands need to be relevant to their consumers, making it easy for them to understand what the product is about and why they need it,” says Razvi. “They have to ensure their innovation is being perceived as genuine and authentic. Lastly, they should be creative in their marketing strategy and bold in experimenting.” 

The 2023 Saudi Arabia Breakthrough Innovation Award Winners are: 

• Americana Craves
• Budweiser Zero (No Alcohol)
• CeraVe – Skin Care Range
• Clorox Scentiva Range
• Cofique Prive Specialty Coffee: Pour-Over Range
• Comfort Ultimate Care Fabric Conditioner
• Galaxy Fusions
• Garnier Men Shampoo Color
• Jif Hand Dishwash
• Kinder Cards
• Kotex Natural Maxi Protect
• L’Oreal Paris Elvive Fall Resist
• L’usine Brioche Burger Buns & Sliced Bread
• Lipton Zero Sugar
• Nada Live Healthy Beetroot Juice
• New Clear Men 3 in 1
• Pampers Night
• Pringles Sizzl’n Crisps
• Sadia Easy & Juicy Chicken Breast Cubes and Strips
• Snickers Creamy Peanut Butter
• Veet Pure Hair Removal Range

The 2023 Saudia Arabia Breakthrough Innovation Award Wavemakers are: 

• Galaxy Desserts of Arabia
• Kellogg’s Granola Range
• L’Oreal Paris Elvive Hyaluron Moisture Range
• Lay’s Netflix Range
• Tanmiah Life ‘Omega 3’ Fortified Chicken

For over a decade, BASES has identified more than 700 products from around the globe as Breakthrough Innovations. These innovations addressed key consumer needs and delivered stand-out experiences that redefined their categories. This, in turn, has resulted in incredible outcomes.  

For more information about this year’s Breakthrough Innovations winners and to learn from their successes, please visit the Breakthrough Innovation website. 

About NielsenIQ

NIQ is the world’s leading consumer intelligence company, delivering the most complete understanding of consumer buying behavior and revealing new pathways to growth. In 2023, NIQ combined with GfK, bringing together the two industry leaders with unparalleled global reach. With a holistic retail read and the most comprehensive consumer insights—delivered with advanced analytics through state-of-the-art platforms—NIQ delivers the Full View™.

NIQ, is an Advent International portfolio company with operations in 100+ markets, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit NIQ.com.