Personalization is not only a buzzword in the health and nutrition space, but also a hotbed category of innovation.

Several factors are driving consumer interest in personalized solutions to achieve health and wellness, but, as Jeff Hilton, partner and co-founder, BrandHive, explained in an interview featured in INSIDER’s Personalized Nutrition Digital Magazine, consumers are most likely to pursue personalized solutions for one reason: They’re confused.

“Today’s consumer has more alternatives than ever before, and maintaining health and wellness is a key goal,” he said. “But largely, consumers are overwhelmed. They don’t really know how to fit the pieces together (diet, supplements, exercise, etc.) in the best way. So, pre-packaged solutions are appealing because they take some of the guesswork out of the process, but still allow the consumer to have input.”

Resulting outcomes in the market include growth of structured diets such as vegan, gluten-free, paleo, etc., as well as growth of meal delivery and DNA analysis and reporting, he said. These represent only a few innovations featuring personalization on the market today.

Innovative personalized solutions feature at least two fundamental attributes: convenience and customization.

While many personalized solutions are based on input provided by consumers (questionnaires, DNA, or other), which is used to create customized solutions, the market is seeing innovative products that provide solutions for specific lifestyle and dietary patterns, among other preferences. Consider the keto diet, the popularity of which has encouraged the launch of a plethora of supplement products offering support tailored specifically to the needs of this dietary preference.

Has your company launched an innovative supplement product that features customization and convenience? If so, I invite you to enter the 7th Annual SupplySide CPG Editor's Choice Awards that recognize innovative finished products launched to the U.S. consumer market between July 2017 and August 2018 in 30 categories across the supplement and food and beverage markets.

Products must be submitted by the CPG brands or their representatives, not by ingredient or component suppliers. The submission deadline is Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2018.

Winners are selected by the editors based on market innovation, consumer need, scientific substantiation, integrity and the “cool” factor. Finalists will be showcased through the SupplySide Health & Nutrition Network brands, and winners announced at SupplySide West in Las Vegas, Nov. 6-10, 2018.

For more than 20 years, SupplySide has helped those in the food, beverage, dietary supplement, animal nutrition, personal care and cosmetic industries break through the hype and ambiguity to find the information they need to explore, discover, innovate and market their next best-selling product.