EIGHT-STAGE PROCESS The complete ‘Voted Product of the Year’ process, from entry to award 1 – ELIGIBILITY The participating product/brand must meet one or more specific criteria to be considered eligible for the competition. 2 – SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION FILE Once the rules are accepted, the candidate must complete the application form. 3 – PARTICIPATION, TESTING/ EXPERIENCE FEES After submitting the application, the product receives a detailed quote outlining the participation fees for the research - including experiential costs, as well as the mandatory contractual licence fee amount in the event of a win. Once the quote is approved research fee and experiential costs are invoiced. 4 – COMPETITIVE UNIVERSE DEFINITION (CUS) The competitive universe (CUS) of participating products is defined and described by the organizer. 5 – PERCEPTION & EXPERIENCE RESEARCH Studies are conducted via tweets, producing a detailed report to identify the winning product based on the CUS (Competitive Universe Studied). 6 – RESULTS ANNOUNCEMENT To announce results, POY provides the report to clients. Winners receive an invoice for logo usage rights and a usage rights and a usage guide to ensure proper application. 7 – EXPERT COMMITTEE AUDIT To ensure the legitimacy of the competition, an independent expert committee, composed of industry professionals with no ties to the participants, reviews the winners and publishes an audit report on the website. Their recommendations are taken into account in the final validation process. 8 – AWARD CEREMONY An official and prestigious ceremony to honor award-winning products and brands.