New BrandSpark research unveils quality perceptions more predictive of shopper behavior than price
BrandSpark International and Newsweek are proud to announce the launch of the inaugural BrandSpark® Worth it! Awards™, a groundbreaking consumer-voted program highlighting brands that Americans believe deliver better quality for a fair price.
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The Worth it! Awards help shoppers quickly identify brands that deliver a better level of quality than a typical brand in a category, at a fair price. Backed by twenty-five years of BrandSpark consumer research expertise and the reach of Newsweek, the new award recognition gives consumers confidence in their purchase decisions and provides winning brands with a compelling way to communicate that they are genuinely Worth it!.
“Consumers don't mind paying for products from a brand that might be more expensive than other products within the same category – but the brand has to deliver against consumers' expectations.” said Robert Levy, President ofBrandSpark International. “What the BrandSpark Worth it! Awards lets consumers know is which of those brands deliver quality superior to the average competitor, while still charging a reasonable price. In other words, they are Worth it! – and the price being charged is well justified.”
Why being voted “Worth it!” Matters
“Consumers deserve honest, reliable guidance, whether they're reading an article, shopping online, or making decisions in-store,” said Jennifer Cunningham, Global Editor-in-Chief of Newsweek. “The recognition signifies that a winning brand exemplifies both quality and fairness distinguishing it within a competitive marketplace.”
“Marketers know the marketplace is saturated with discount-driven messaging – it's easy to convey a lower price if brands decide to go that route,” said Denis Hancock, Vice President, Strategy, BrandSpark International. “What's far more difficult is helping consumers quickly recognize when a brand's price is justified because it really delivers better quality. The Worth it! Awards provide a simple, credible way for higher quality brands to communicate that the market agrees your brand is “worth it”.
“The study revealed that even today, brand quality perceptions are more predictive of shopper behavior than price. The Worth it! Awards winners were selected as consumers' top choice 50% more often than non-winners, even with multiple lower-priced options in most categories,” says PhilipScrutton, Vice President Shopper Insights, BrandSpark. “This shows that shoppers don't just say these brands are “worth it” – they act on it, consistently choosing them over alternatives.”says Scrutton.
Worth it! Winner Eggland's Best (Eggs) commented on the pride that this distinction brings them, “We're incredibly proud to be recognized in the inaugural Worth it! Awards, especially because it reflects the voice of real consumers,” said Kurt Misialek, President and CEO at Eggland's Best. “Being named a winner affirms our commitment to what we've always believed in – delivering exceptional egg quality, taste, and nutrition at a fair, family-friendly price.”
Introducing the Worth it! Seal
The distinctive Worth it! Awards seal will soon appear across advertising, and digital platforms, making it easier for shoppers to spot products and services from brands that have been voted as worth their cost. For consumers, the seal represents a powerful shortcut in decision-making, assuring them that they are buying into a brand widely recognized for delivering better quality at a fair price, as voted by other American shoppers – a powerful endorsement.
For brands, the seal offers independent validation and a unique way to stand out. “Brands that activate the Worth it! seal will gain more than just recognition,” said Adam Bellisario, Associate Vice-President of Awards at BrandSpark. “They distinguish themselves as delivering a superior balance of quality and price, building loyalty and consumer confidence. Most brands surveyed in a category do not win the Worth it! award, underscoring the exclusivity of the recognition.”
The Inaugural 2026 Worth it! Awards Winners*
The 2026 Worth it! Awards surveyed 104 categories across Baby & Kids, Durable Goods & Footware, Food & Beverage, Health & Personal Care, Household, Petcare, and Services. The BrandSpark scoring identified the following 290 winning brands that exceeded the BrandSpark Worth it! benchmark for higher quality for a fair price.
The total sample size for the BrandSpark Worth it! Study was 14,369 American shoppers providing 262,337 brand evaluations.
*winners within each category are listed in alphabetical order
How Winners are Determined
The Worth it! Awards methodology is rooted in rigorous consumer research and builds on BrandSpark's well-established Most Trusted Awards, Best New Product Awards, and broader shopper insights expertise developed over the last 25 years. The goal is simple: to credibly identify which brands delivering better than average quality are genuinely “Worth it!” across categories.
— Brand entry qualification: requires exceeding a minimum threshold of citations as consumers' most trusted brand in the BrandSpark Most Trusted Survey.
— Relevant raters only: survey respondents must know the brand and have recently shopped the category.
— Separate measures: price and quality are assessed independently. The BrandSpark Worth It! Score is derived by the relationship between the two.
— Award qualification : brands must not only have a positive Worth It score, they also must be above their category average on quality.
About Newsweek
Newsweek is the global digital news organization built around the iconic 92-year-old American magazine. With 70+ million global monthly uniques, Newsweek reaches audiences with thought-provoking news, opinions, images, graphics, and video delivered across a dozen print and digital platforms. Headquartered in New York City, Newsweek also publishes international editions in EMEA and Asia.
About BrandSpark International and Best New Product Awards Inc.
Founded in 2001, BrandSpark International is a research and consulting firm dedicated to providing brands with actionable insights to refine strategic positioning, build consumer trust and value and help marketers prioritize among the myriad of strategic and communication choices. BrandSpark International conducts the research for the Best New Product Awards, BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, and BrandSpark Worth it! Awards. Best New Product Awards Inc. runs leading credential programs Best New Product Awards and BrandSpark Most Trusted Awards, and the new BrandSpark Worth it! Awards.
*Permission/authorization from Best New Product Awards Inc. is required to reference or use the Worth it! Awards™logo or winning claims.
For more information visit: www.worthitawards.com
For media inquiries, licensing requests, or interview opportunities, please contact:
Adam BellisarioAssociate Vice-President, BrandSpark InternationalABellisario@BrandSpark.com
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