2017 Winners

The well-worn marketing maxim “Sell the problem you solve – not the product” got more mileage at this year’s Shopper Innovation Awards. The winners list features campaigns that identified a specific challenge – whether environmental, social or commercial – and tied the brand to its resolution.

Grand Prix winner General Mills identified the declining bee population as a natural cause for its Honey Nut Cheerios brand to take up, making creative use of mascot Buzz and distributing millions of wildflower seeds.

Multiple winner Wrigley built a campaign around redistributing unwanted Christmas gifts with its “Skittles Holiday Pawn Shop,” while Cineplex offered its entertainment as the salve for the overwhelming holiday rush. Expedia and Rethink Breast Cancer, meanwhile, developed new products to eliminate pain points for their respective targets.

The Shopper Innovation Awards, judged by a panel of experts, celebrate the breakthrough work between brands and retailers. In all, 19 programs were recognized at this year’s SIA gala, held in Toronto on May 4 during strategy’s two-day Shopper Marketing Forum.

A new award was handed out for the first time: the Retail Innovator of the Year, recognizing innovation in-store, within the company, and throughout a brand’s marketing communications. The inaugural winner is Sephora.