What is Claims Testing? for CPG product teams

“Promotes healthy digestion”

Buyer overview: For CPG teams running claims testing end-to-end, start with our platform overview—this article covers methodology, substantiation, and FTC-aligned best practices.

What is claims testing?

Claims testing verifies that your product’s benefits are backed by data—not hype. It is the process of proving your product delivers what you say it does so customers know they can trust you. Not every product uses a claim on packaging or in advertising, but when claims are part of your go-to-market strategy, testing them with consumers is how modern product teams launch with confidence.

When to use claims testing

Claims testing can support a wide range of objectives across your product development workflow:

• Accuracy of product claims: Does the moisturizer truly hydrate for 24 hours as claimed?
• Scientific and data-backed validation: Do lab tests show that the supplement effectively boosts energy levels?
• Compliance with industry regulations: Does the toy meet all safety standards required for children?
• Customer perception and satisfaction: Do users agree that the shampoo reduces frizz as promised?
• Competitive benchmarking: How does the smartphone’s battery life compare to similar models?
• Real-world performance testing: Does the raincoat keep wearers warm and dry under heavy rain conditions?
• Safety and efficacy assurance: Is the facial cleanser non-irritating based on trial results?
• Repeatability of results: Does the cleaning spray consistently remove stains in repeated tests?
• Impact on brand credibility and trust: Is the eco-friendly packaging truly biodegradable?
• Cost-effectiveness of proving claims: Is it cost-effective to prove that the product meets organic certification?

What do you want to achieve with claims testing?

If you are going to use claims, start by defining your goals. What are you ultimately trying to achieve? Here are a few examples:

Drive intent to purchase

You might choose a claim designed to drive purchase. For example, if you are a better-for-you snack brand, you might use “all natural” or “certified organic” to convey your value proposition to health-conscious consumers.

Promote a particular brand perception

You might cultivate a particular brand perception with your choice of wording. If your product is a higher price-point facial serum, claims that begin with “clinically proven” can convey authority and trustworthiness.

Create a competitive advantage

Many products adopt competitive claims, especially when the goal is to win a greater share of the category against a specific competitor or set of competitors. Pepsi’s famous blind taste test, also known as “The Pepsi Challenge,” is a classic example of this tactic.

To this day, Pepsi runs a version of their original Pepsi Challenge ad in the UK market. (Source)

It is possible to have many different goals for the claims you choose—and different teams may have completely different priorities. That is especially important at larger companies where several teams contribute to successful product development and launch.

For example, a large food and beverage company might have teams with the following goals:

• R&D → Focused on creating formulations that meet nutritional, taste, and safety standards. If the claim is “all-natural energy boost,” R&D ensures the ingredients and process deliver that benefit without compromising quality or flavor.
• Marketing → Wants compelling messaging that resonates with the target audience and boosts sales. They need to take product claims from R&D and turn them into relatable language—while balancing promotional language with regulatory restrictions.
• Operations → Ensures the practical feasibility of sourcing ingredients that align with the product’s claims. If marketing promotes the product as “sustainably sourced,” operations must find suppliers that meet those standards without disrupting timelines or budgets.

Bring every team—or representatives from every team—together early to understand all the goals your claims need to meet.

Why is claims testing important for your product?

CPG and other product companies cannot simply choose any claim. Laws, industry regulations, and standards dictate what brands can and cannot say about their products—another reason to involve your legal team early in the claims ideation process.

Legal ramifications become especially important in categories such as:

• Dietary supplements
• Over-the-counter medications
• Alcohol
• CBD

Regardless of category, regulations govern how you use claims. According to the FTC, commercial speech must be non-deceptive. That obligation extends beyond claims you invent for your product or brand—it includes user-generated content such as reviews featured in advertising and influencer content. Brands must ensure any content they disseminate meets the FTC’s Endorsement and Testimonial Guidelines.

Regulatory risk makes claims testing necessary—but brands should also consider the impact of misleading claims on brand equity. Claims testing is not only about following the letter of the law. It is about building a perception consumers can trust. Choose claims that misrepresent your brand and you risk losing that trust—often more costly in the long run than any single regulatory action. For more on how ongoing claims validation supports resilience in shifting markets, see our post on claims testing to stay ahead in uncertain times.

While not published by the brand, this ad from an influencer touting “the best skourt to exist” must follow the same FTC guidelines with their claims.

How to create the right claims

In an interview, marketer and author David Strauss explained his best advice for those setting out to create claims: “It starts with a deep understanding of your target audience.” You could jump straight to comparing your product to others in the category, or choose claims you see on popular products—but that does not mean those claims convey what your target consumers value most.

“[Creating claims] starts with a deep understanding of your target audience.”

To zero in on what your consumers value, start by listening to them. With in-home product testing, this often involves creative exercises and projective techniques with real-life Highlighters who reflect your target demographic(s).

With qualitative testing techniques, you can place concepts or physical product prototypes in front of customers and measure their reactions. Customers will not tell you exactly what claims they want on packaging—it is up to your team to ask good questions and analyze feedback to get at the feelings underneath what they say. One simple exercise market research professionals use is word association to reveal honest thoughts and feelings.

Once you have collected honest feedback, you can form claims based on what customers genuinely value. As David Strauss advised, “Start with a claim that positions [the] product as the best in the category on the attributes most valued by prospects.”

How to test your marketing claims

For most product marketing claims, your claims testing process will include two important parts:

1. Identifying which claims best achieve your goals, and
2. Substantiating those claims with the evidence you need to confidently go to market

Once you have narrowed down a short list of potential claims, test them with your target consumers to see which will best achieve your goals. Most brands employ a MaxDiff (Maximum Difference) approach—a ranking from best to worst.

This kind of testing works best as part of your physical product testing process. Consumers might rank potential claims based on language alone, but that data is far more meaningful when the physical product is in front of them. For an informed opinion, the consumer must relate the claim directly to the product experience.

For claims substantiation, the FTC and FDA require “competent and reliable scientific evidence.” At Highlight, we recommend a quantitative testing methodology in adherence with ASTM standards to monadically test your product against a competitor and/or control.

Highlight also recommends the following best practices for claims substantiation testing:

• The set of claims to be tested should inform the study design
• Participants must maintain other core elements of their routine
• Always measure actual usage of product (amount, frequency, method)
• Use targeted tester recruiting with consent forms and product-appropriate screen-out criteria (i.e. not pregnant or nursing)

Claims testing for both marketing efficacy and substantiation is an ongoing process—not a one-time checkpoint. For marketing efficacy, your claims should evolve with consumer preferences. For substantiation, your claims should reflect the true state of the market as competitors update formulations and new products enter the category. Product innovation teams should incorporate claims testing as a regular part of their workflow so insights compound over time.

Three examples of effective claims testing

Claims testing is one of the most common ways Highlight customers use our product research platform and Highlighter community. Here are three recent examples—including a case study on how Clorox validated a new home cleaning product before launch:

Claims efficacy testing for a sleep protein powder

To test both flavor and claims efficacy, Highlight sent 150 samples to a representative mix of demographics in our community of Highlighters. Testers were selected on the basis of two behaviors: they already consume ready-to-drink protein shakes at least twice a week, and they currently use non-prescription products to aid sleep. Each participant received two blinded SKUs and were asked to validate the following claims:

• Helps me relax
• Helps me sleep
• Is comforting
• Is soothing
• Supports sleep wellness

Competitive claims testing for chewable sleep tablets

To test both flavor and substantiate competitive claims, Highlight sent 360 samples to Highlighters based on two behavioral filters: they had trouble sleeping or were looking to improve their sleep quality, and they had taken non-pharmaceutical sleep aids in the past such as melatonin or chamomile tea.

Testers were given three blinded chewable tablet SKUs (one from the customer, and two from competitive products) to take sequentially over three nights. They were also asked to rate the product on flavor. Based on this test, the customer identified what was and was not working for flavor, taste, and sensory questions like “chalkiness,” and evaluated claims around comparative quality of sleep and feelings of restfulness.

Learn more: Monadic vs sequential monadic testing.

Line-wide claims substantiation for personal care products

To test a personal care line of moisturizers, toners, scrubs and more, Highlight sent 240 samples of each SKU to a targeted group of Highlighters for a longitudinal test over the course of a week.

Highlighters were selected based on psychographic and persona features to ensure a fit with the brand’s core consumers. The testers included a range of users, including both current brand users and those open to using the brand.

Each participant received one blinded SKU, plus two different SKUs of each product for monadic testing. Testers agreed to use the new products in place of their existing product while maintaining the rest of their skincare routine. They completed pre- and post-trial surveys for each SKU.

At the end of the testing period, the customer had the data they needed to narrow down their list of claims from the following: Helps restore balance, Leaves skin looking healthy, Leaves skin looking vibrant, Doesn't leave skin feeling dried out, Doesn't leave behind a residue.

Ready to validate your product claims?

Highlight’s product research platform helps insights, innovation, and marketing teams test claims with vetted consumers in real usage contexts—delivering decision-ready data you can act on before launch. Book a demo to see how claims testing fits your product development workflow, or explore the CPG innovation process and Highlight’s suite of solutions.

Related reading: Best Protein Shake Product Testing Providers 2026 · Best Skincare Product Testing Providers 2026 · Best Baby Product Testing Providers 2026.