VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blender Bites Limited (the “Company”, “Blender Bites” or “Blender”), (CSE: BITE, FWB: JL4, WKN: A3DMEJ), is pleased to announce that Power Berry™, Liquid Sunshine™, and Daily Defen-C™, three flavors of Blender Bites’ nutrient-packed 1-Step Smoothies, have been recognized as winners of the Most Innovative Product in Healthy Beverage Category of the 2024 Product of the Year USA Awards. Determined through a national study of 40,000 American shoppers in partnership with Kantar, a global leader in consumer research, Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted awards program centered around product innovation, and Power Berry™, Liquid Sunshine™, and Daily Defen-C™ are awarded the highly acclaimed honor of the best product within the Healthy Beverage Category.
Recognized as a globally established seal of approval, Product of the Year has operated for 16 years in the United States, and over 30 years globally, supporting shoppers as a trusted guide to the best new products on the market, both online and in-store. With more consumers minding budgets and being more selective in their purchasing, the Product of the Year red seal is a distinctive mark that helps consumers cut through the masses of product on shelves to locate the best new products that stand out in the points that matter, such as thoughtful design, quality and innovation. By allowing shoppers to easily identify the top trendsetting products on the market, voted on by 40,000 fellow consumers, the emblem also serves as a valuable marketing tool for brands to build consumer awareness, especially among competitors within their respected spaces.
"With today’s consumers looking for ways to cut costs, while still craving new and innovative products, Product of The Year helps to connect them to the latest products worth purchasing that are smarter, more efficient, and easier to use," said Mike Nolan, Global CEO of Product of the Year Management. "Shoppers have confidence trusting any product with our iconic red seal, as they know they are backed by the opinion of 40,000 Americans as the foremost innovative products in their respective categories."
“It is an honour to have won 2024’s Product of the Year in the Healthy Beverage Category in the USA,” said Chelsie Hodge, CEO and Founder of Blender Bites. “This award is highly competitive with some of the biggest brands in the world taking home the title of winner, so we are both grateful and humbled. This is our second POY award, after previously winning in Canada in 2022, so we are thrilled with a 2024 win in the US market. We will be utilizing the widely recognized Product of The Year red seal within upcoming marketing and sales efforts to not only draw in new consumers to purchase Power Berry™, Liquid Sunshine™, and Daily Defen-C™, but to further solidify our credibility with existing customers as an innovative product in the highly competitive beverage category.”
The full list of 46 winners of the 2024 Product of the Year Awards were revealed at the annual Product of the Year Awards Show on February 8th at Tribeca 360° in New York City. The celebration kicked off with a red carpet, followed by a night full of entertainment with Saturday Night Live Alums, Rachel Dratch and Alex Moffat, hosting the Award Show.
In tandem with the winner announcement, Power Berry™, Liquid Sunshine™, and Daily Defen-C™ are currently featured in a shoppable article on PEOPLE Online created in partnership with Dotdash Meredith, the largest digital and print publisher in America. Additionally, Ensemble IQ, a premier business intelligence resource with revered publications, including Progressive Grocer, Store Brands, Drug Store News, Convenience Store News and CBD Retail Insights, has also shared the news of the 2024 winners in respective categories.
For further information about Blender Bites’ 1-Step Smoothies, visit blenderbites.com. Additional details on the full list of 2024 Product of the Year Winners can be found at productoftheyearusa.com, along with on Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) at #POYUSA2024.
ABOUT BLENDER BITES
Blender Bites is a multi-award-winning Canadian company involved in the development and marketing of a line of premium frozen beverage products with a focus on functionality. Blender Bites was founded in 2017 and quickly became a leader in the “easy smoothie” category in North America. With a focus on better-for-you ingredients and convenience, the Company is proud to be pre-portioned without the use of any inner plastic packaging. Blender Bites products are certified organic, non-GMO, gluten free, dairy free and soy free and contain functional ingredients such as whole food vitamins, collagen, and probiotics. Blender Bites 1-Step Smoothies and 1-Step Frappes are distributed across Canada and the US, and are currently sold in over 5000 stores, including Walmart Canada, Loblaws, Sobeys, Walmart USA, Winn-Dixie and the Albertsons group of Companies.
ABOUT PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Product of the Year is the largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Established over 30 years ago, POY currently operates in over 40 countries with the same purpose: Guide consumers to the best products in their market and reward manufacturers for quality and innovation. Product of the Year winners are backed by the votes of 40,000 consumers in a national representative study conducted by research partner Kantar, a global leader in consumer research. The award is a powerful merchandising program for marketers proven to increase product sales, distribution, and awareness. Winning products are announced in February each year and receive the right to use the Product of the Year logo in marketing communications for two years. For more information, visit productoftheyearusa.com.
ABOUT KANTAR
Kantar is the world’s leading marketing data, insight and consultancy company. We know more about how people live, feel, shop, vote, watch and post worldwide than any other company. Working across the entire sales and marketing lifecycle, we help brands uncover growth in an extraordinary world. Kantar is part of WPP and its services are employed by over half of the Fortune 500 companies in 100 countries.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Blender Bites Limited
Chelsie Hodge, Chief Executive Officer
Email – chelsie@blenderbites.com
Telephone – 236-521-0626
For further information, contact Blender IR Team at:
Email – investors@blenderbites.com
Telephone – 1-888-997-2055
Media Contact – teamblenderbites@jonesworks.com
CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT
This news release includes certain “forward-looking statements” under applicable Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to the impact of winning the Product of the Year Award USA on the business of the Company. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon several estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, and uncertain capital markets. Readers are cautioned that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2e060c50-9292-4e5c-9987-f42b4459afae
