Newness is in the eye of the beholder.(product innovations)(Brief Article)

Whatever happened to genuine innovation? Today's successful new products are seldom unique brands. Instead, the hottest "new" products are either line extensions or specialty items that have broadened distribution.

Take, for example, Iams, the premium brand of dog and cat food that moved from veterinary clinics and pet food stores to mass merchants and supermarkets within the past two years. This made Iams, with $469 million in new channel sales, the No. 1 ranking "new product," according to the 2000/2001 New Product Pacesetters report from Information Resources Inc.

The second biggest success was Metabolife, a controversial herbal diet supplement sold …