How to Build Confidence into Every Product Launch (& Relaunch)

The best products start with clarity on who you’re building for and what motivates them. 

The best people to build those products have lived the “unmet need” experience.

Innovation failure is costly–but it’s unfortunately the norm. More than 90% of all new products launched fail, resulting in millions of dollars wasted and millions of tons of product in landfill.

As product builders, we have a responsibility–both to our stakeholders and to the planet–to ensure that the products we are putting out into the world serve consumer wants and needs.

That’s where product research–and research on the audiences we’re building for–is so crucial. Before you invest a cent in product development, you better have a crystal clear vision for a product your target shoppers will love. 

The only way to refine that vision reliably? With data from real consumers.

The First Step Is Getting to Know Your Audience–Deeply

Understanding your target consumer group–or groups–involves much more than the basics. Demographic information is important, of course, but making assumptions based on general parameters like “Gen Z women” can be too general. As one now-famous marketing meme pointed out, if we only reference basic demographic data for product development, then we’re creating the same product for Ozzy Osbourne and King Charles.

 

To truly mitigate the risks we take every time we develop and launch a new product, it’s important to dig deeper. That’s why the most successful product builders go beyond consumer demographics to explore attitudes, values, current category expectations and behaviors, and more.

Case Study: Understanding Skincare Consumers

In the Highlight platform, our customers use a research approach called Audience Profiling to build a foundation of understanding for their consumer groups. This approach tells you what you should know about your core consumers before you even begin product development–who they are, what they care about, and why they would buy your product over a competitor’s.

Last month, our original research at Highlight revealed that the category Gen Z women were most looking forward to splurging on during the holidays was beauty and personal care. We wondered, what drives this cohort? What do they love about their favorite products? What inspires them to make purchase decisions within the category? 

So we decided to dive deeper, and focus in on skincare specifically. Here’s just a taste of what we learned from an Audience Profiler survey of more than 1400 respondents:

• 88% of Gen Z respondents said they had plans to purchase skincare products for themselves.

• While the unfiltered qualitative results revealed La Mer, Tatcha, and Drunk Elephant as the most-often mentioned desirable skincare brands, Gen Z specifically named La Roche-Posay, Tatcha, and CeraVe.

• When asked to describe their personality, the unfiltered results showed the top answer to be “A planner.” When we zoom in on Gen Z skincare shoppers, they popularly described themselves as “An adventurer.”

• While headlines would have you believe that Gen Z spend all their time on TikTok, the answer is much more nuanced. Our Gen Z skincare consumers are also spending lots of time on Pinterest, Reddit, and even gamer platform Discord. 

Check out the full insights readout

Already in just this cross-section of insights, you can see the much fuller, vibrant picture of your shoppers you can paint with the right research methodology, empowering product builders to build smarter product, innovation, and marketing strategies.

So You’ve Got Your Prototype. What’s Next before Go-To-Market Launch?

Pre-launch, there’s plenty of risk to mitigate and questions to answer to build confidence that your product can succeed on shelf. You may be wondering:

• What do consumers think of my packaging?

• Do consumers like the smell, texture, or taste of my product?

• Does my product hold up over time in real-world, in-home environments?

• How does my product compete against the leading category competitor(s)?

At Highlight, we see brands using the platform to answer all of these questions and more. But since we’re on the topic of skincare, let’s look at one of the most common use cases we see in beauty and personal care and beyond: What claims can I make on my product marketing and packaging? 

Case Study: Claims Testing and Substantiation for an Innovative New Skincare Product

Kayla Graham, a pilot with more than a decade of aviation experience, noticed how long hours at high altitude were taking a toll on her skin. Determined to create a sunscreen that pilots, travelers, and everyday consumers would want to wear daily, she set out to build a hero product that protects, hydrates, and strengthens skin against environmental stressors. 

Like all great product builders, Kayla had lived the “unmet need” experience herself, trying but failing to find an available skincare product that offered the all-day hydration and sun protection she needed. So, she set out to solve her own problem–and the problems of so many consumers like her that need high-performance suncare.

Before launching her brand Aelia and their suncare hero product, Kayla and her team used the Highlight platform and our nationwide community of product testers to: 

• validate product claims

• refine brand messaging, and 

• ensure their go-to-market strategy would resonate with consumers.

When it came to crafting the research necessary to achieve these ends, the Aelia team used Highlight’s survey blueprints to answer specific questions like:

• How does the product compare to leading sunscreens in the eyes of consumers?

• Do consumers notice and value the hydration and antioxidant benefits?

• What messaging will drive purchase decisions?

• Which consumer segments and retail channels should they prioritize at launch?

As soon as Highlight’s product testers began submitting their in-home usage results, Aelia’s team could see their responses in the platform, answering key questions around marketing claims, purchase intent, and even qualitative feedback in the form of open-ended questions and video responses.

By using the Highlight platform, Aelia gained more than validation—they gained clarity, confidence, and a roadmap for launch.

“When you’re working with a brand every single day, it becomes myopic,” said founder Kayla. “Highlight helped us step back, see how consumers really perceive us, and confirm we have something solid in a highly competitive market.”

You can read the full Aelia case study or visit Aelia’s website to learn more.

Launch with Authentic Reviews Your Shoppers Can Trust

Now that you have your claims substantiated and your go-to-market messaging refined thanks to a deep understanding of your audience, there’s one final step to take pre-launch: social proof.

In today’s digital and omnichannel shopping world, it’s critical to seed real consumer ratings and reviews across your product pages. 

• 99% of American consumers read online reviews before making purchases

• Reviews influence 93% of consumers’ purchasing decisions

• Even for brick and mortar products, online reviews are crucial: 92% of consumers read online reviews of a local business before making their first visit

• An increasing number of respondents (46%) say they suspect a review is fake when it reads like it was written by AI

Product reviews based on real product experiences from real consumers have been important to product launch success for a long time–but they’ve never been more important than today, in an age of AI where consumers are craving honest, authentic feedback before making a purchase.

Learn more about how review seeding with real consumers can prime your product page for more “Add to cart” clicks.

The Takeaway: Look before You Leap–Prioritize Your Pre-launch Research!

It’s never been harder to succeed in the world of consumer goods. Competition has never been fiercer, categories have never been more crowded, and inputs have never been more costly. With so much at stake, it’s a no-brainer to control the variables you can control. You can talk to real consumers. You can get unbiased validation. You can find answers to the big business questions–all before you risk market missteps.

Learn more about how Highlight helps you build the confidence you need for successful product launches (and relaunches!) at www.letshighlight.com.