How Clorox accelerated product innovation with lightning-fast consumer insights

When Clorox's Cleaning team needed to validate their new home cleaning product before launch, they faced a common challenge: how to gather quality consumer feedback fast enough to refine their go-to-market strategy without delaying their timeline.

The solution? A strategic partnership with Highlight that delivered actionable insights in just seven days—with remarkable results that shaped their entire launch approach.

The challenge: Racing against time in a saturated market

The home cleaning category is notoriously saturated, requiring constant innovation to stay competitive. Clorox knew they needed both quantitative and qualitative consumer feedback to ensure their new product would succeed, but traditional research methods would take too long.

With a relentless focus on consumer-led innovation, the team needed quality data—and they needed it fast—to refine their messaging, validate claims, and optimize their go-to-market strategy before finalizing their launch timeline.

The research solution: Targeted community testing

Clorox used the Highlight platform to design a focused seven-day study. The approach was elegantly simple yet strategically sophisticated:

Target audience strategy

Two distinct groups of Past 3 Month (P3M) category purchasers were recruited from the Highlight Community—one targeted segment for claims testing, and another group comprising purchasers of competitor products. This dual approach provided both validation and competitive intelligence.

Rapid execution

The entire study was completed in just seven days, ending with an impressive 102% completion rate that demonstrated strong participant engagement.

Comprehensive data collection

Participants received well-packaged products with clear instructions, creating a seamless at-home testing experience that generated both quantitative metrics and rich qualitative insights.

The results: 3 game-changing insights

The study delivered three critical insights that directly shaped Clorox's launch strategy:

1. Competitive intelligence that clarified market position

Testing against competitors revealed crucial insights about purchase intent and price sensitivity factors. Most importantly, it showed Clorox exactly how to position their product to land in more shopping carts—giving them a clear competitive advantage.

2. Strategic resource allocation guidance

Performance and efficacy testing identified specific opportunities for quick product refinement while highlighting areas where additional testing would be necessary before launch. This insight allowed Clorox to allocate resources strategically, knowing exactly where to spend and where to save.

3. Lightning-fast follow-up optimization

The speed of Highlight's platform enabled Clorox to conduct a fast-follow study to optimize key sensory attributes before finalizing their launch timeline. This agility proved crucial in maintaining their go-to-market schedule while ensuring product excellence.

Quality meets convenience for an ideal customer experience

The success of any research study depends on participant experience, and the feedback from Highlight's community members was overwhelmingly positive:

"The products all arrived in good condition, instructions were very clear and easily accessible. The products were well packaged and showed good quality. The surveys were easily accessible and the questions stayed on point without being repetitive. Overall, a great experience!" - Female participant, age 37

"I really enjoyed this study. I'm always looking for easier, better and convenient ways to keep my house cleaned and these products are essential for those needs." - Male participant, age 31

This positive experience translated into rich, detailed feedback—with participants providing an average of 38 words per open-ended question response, demonstrating deep engagement with the research process.

Key takeaways & case study overview

The timeline speaks for itself:

• 3 days to fill a customized, targeted recruit
• 7 days total study duration
• 20 days from product shipment to custom report with results and analysis
  
  

This rapid turnaround was crucial for Clorox's innovation timeline, providing them with trusted insights without delaying their launch schedule.

The bottom line: Strategic speed delivers competitive advantage

As Shilpa Khanna from Clorox's Transformational Growth Insights team put it: "Highlight was a cost-efficient, visual solution that provided trusted insights FAST."

This case study demonstrates how the right research partner can accelerate innovation without sacrificing quality. By leveraging Highlight's community-based approach and rapid insights platform, Clorox was able to:

• Validate product claims with confidence
• Optimize messaging based on real consumer feedback
• Make strategic decisions about resource allocation
• Maintain their launch timeline while ensuring product-market fit

In the CPG market, the ability to gather quality insights quickly is essential for staying competitive. Clorox's success with Highlight shows how strategic research partnerships can transform the innovation process, delivering the speed and insights needed to launch products that truly resonate with consumers.

Download the full case study here.

Ready to accelerate your own product innovation? The key is finding research solutions that match the pace of your market while delivering the depth of insights you need to make confident decisions. Schedule a demo to learn more.