How Journ Beauty achieved 90% response rates in pre-launch testing

When Sara, CEO and Founder of Journ Beauty, approached the pre-launch phase for her tinted eye serum, she faced a challenge familiar to many emerging beauty brands: how do you gather meaningful consumer insights across diverse demographics before your product hits the market?

Journ Beauty needed more than basic feedback. They wanted detailed insights on their product's texture, how it felt on different skin types, and its aesthetic performance across a variety of target consumer groups. 

With two different SKUs ready for testing, they needed actionable data that could inform both formula adjustments and positioning strategy.

The solution: Nationwide sampling with targeted demographics

The solution involved a comprehensive pre-launch testing strategy that prioritized diversity and real-world usage patterns. Here's exactly how it worked:

The results: Data-driven success in record time

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 90% survey completion rate from targeted participants—a remarkably high response rate that provided robust data for decision-making.
• 3 days from product receipt to initial data availability, giving Journ Beauty almost immediate access to consumer insights.
• 10 days total from launch to actionable recommendations, allowing the team to make informed adjustments to both formula and positioning.

But the quantitative success was matched by equally valuable qualitative insights. The feedback revealed nuanced consumer expectations and experiences that would have been impossible to capture through traditional market research.

What consumers thought about the product

The qualitative feedback provided rich insights into consumer expectations versus reality:

On hydration performance

"I was expecting it to feel cakey, or even slow drying. I was wrong as it matched my skin tone, it was not cake at all, and it dried pretty quickly."

On product absorption

"I was expecting it to be thin and not very hydrating and I was surprised when it was thicker but absorbed well into the skin and hydrating."

On all-day performance

"Durability means that it lasts the entire day. This product lasted." Another reviewer noted: "It did not cake over the course of the day and it did not affect my makeup coverage. It pretty much stayed put."

On initial expectations

"I was expecting to feel a low-medium level of hydration, which was pretty accurate for me. The product absorbed well and made my skin smooth, but ultimately, I need more moisture from my products."

Business impact of intelligent product testing

The testing revealed insights that went far beyond product performance. As Sara explained: "It was very powerful that Highlight offered a pool of people with different skin tones and with different skin concerns. This will be something we'll be looking to leverage in the near future as we launch more products."

This comprehensive approach delivered three critical advantages:

Instant dashboard access

Real-time results became available on day one, allowing the team to monitor feedback as it came in and identify trends immediately. This eliminated the traditional waiting period that can delay product adjustments and gave Journ Beauty the agility to make informed decisions while consumer feedback was still fresh. 

Instead of waiting weeks for compiled reports, they could spot concerning patterns or overwhelmingly positive responses within hours of surveys being completed.

Demographic insights

Understanding key drivers of interest and product fit among different consumer segments informed both product development and marketing strategy. 

The diverse testing pool revealed that different skin tones responded differently to the formula's coverage and hydration properties, while varying skin concerns highlighted which product benefits resonated most strongly. 

This segmented feedback allowed Journ Beauty to craft targeted messaging for different consumer groups rather than relying on generic product descriptions that might miss key selling points for specific demographics.

Comparative product data

Performance data across both SKUs provided clear direction for final product selection and positioning. 

Rather than launching both variations and hoping market performance would reveal the winner, Journ Beauty could make data-backed decisions about which formula to prioritize, how to position each product's unique benefits, and whether both SKUs merited full-scale production.

The bottom line: Speed meets precision testing

In less than 10 days, Journ Beauty transformed from having two product concepts to having a data-backed formula and positioning strategy. The team gained access to consumer-generated language for marketing their new product line, plus concrete usage data around efficacy and functionality.

This case demonstrates that effective pre-launch testing doesn't require months of research—it requires the right methodology, diverse participant selection, and real-world usage protocols. For emerging beauty brands, the combination of quantitative metrics and qualitative consumer voices can accelerate product development while reducing market risk.

The 90% completion rate proves that when consumers are engaged with products that meet their needs and when the testing process respects their time and experience, they're willing to provide the detailed feedback that drives successful product launches.

Download the full case study here.

Ready to achieve exceptional response rates and gather the diverse consumer insights your pre-launch strategy needs to succeed? The key is finding comprehensive testing methodologies that deliver real-world usage data while providing the demographic intelligence your positioning and formula decisions demand. Schedule a demo with Highlight to learn more.