Supplier Leadership Award 2012 Winner for Product Innovation: Kraft Foods

Fig Newtons launched in 1892, a year after the development of machinery to fill a cookie with jam. "When consumers think of Newtons, they most often connect it to figs. Newtons has a more than 120-year history of baking figs into a soft and chewy cookie," said Tara Rutan, brand manager, Newtons.

Newtons has expanded its flavor offerings over the years, and in 2011, released Fruit Thins, a crispy cookie now available in six flavors. Newtons Fruit Thins changed not only the structure of the cookie but also of the package. "While most cookie packages stand horizontally on shelf, we went vertical," Rutan said. "We also changed the communication hierarchy. Instead of having the branding on top, we made the fruit and cookie our hero. And, since we were targeting Boomers that tended to have smaller households, we added a stay fresh tie."