Your product testing resource hub

Child-free Millennials vs Millennials who have kids

Often in the world of consumer insights , we look at how habits, behaviors, and expectations vary by generation. Of course, there's much more that determines our attitudes and choices other than our age. So this time,…

Haircare consumer insights for 2026

In case you missed Showcase 2025, let's take a stroll down memory lane: Back in October in our session called From Gifts to Groceries , we looked at year-over-year data asking consumers how they planned to spend (or not…

2026 CPG packaging trends for CPG product teams

As we enter a new year of innovation in CPG, brands are entering a period of creative tension: technology is accelerating faster than ever, consumers are more value-conscious, and shelf competition is intensifying…

Skincare shopper insights holidays 2025

At Highlight, we’re always supporting deeper tech-enabled decision support with new Survey Blueprints –think of them as customizable templates that empower anyone to be a research pro.

Pet care consumer insights for CPG brands

It's no secret the pet care space has been growing rapidly in recent years as pet ownership in the US climbs. Pet ownership has not just been normalized; attitudes on pet ownership have evolved to include a…

22 Brand Collabs Bringing Innovation to Food & Beverage Shelves

Are we living through a new era of “the brand collab”?

The Real Impact of Inflation on Consumer Spending in 2025

Has there ever been a good year for predicting future macroeconomic shifts? Maybe not. But if we had to nominate one, 2025 would not make the shortlist.

The 2025 Trends that Will Shape the CPG Industry

With 2024 in the rearview mirror, we’re looking down the road ahead. 2025 promises to be a year of big changes, but we couldn’t help but wonder: What are the trends that will fuel those changes?

2025 holiday season consumer spending

Looking for the on-demand recording of the Highlight Showcase session, From Gifts to Groceries ? Watch (or rewatch) the presentation at this link .

Celebrity brand consumer insights

The gold rush for celebrity-founded consumer brands is in full swing.

How Highlight Handles Logistics

A version of this article was originally posted on Emma Steele's LinkedIn.

Most Effective Types of Qualitative Research Questions

Qualitative research is supposed to help you decide what to do next. In practice, it usually does the opposite. It's more often used as a source of inspiration rather than a launchpad for action.

Top 8 Disadvantages of Focus Groups for Product Testing

Focus groups have long been a go-to methodology for market research. However, the disadvantages of focus groups are significant enough that many brands are rethinking whether they're worth it at all.

What is Claims Testing? for CPG product teams

“Promotes healthy digestion”

Why Legacy Brands Need Alienation Testing

Evolving with consumer tastes is challenging. The market demands change, and consumers crave novelty. But with every product update, companies risk alienating long-time devotees. Take the example of Oreo. This…

How to create marketing claims that people actually trust in 2025

Creating trustworthy marketing claims in 2025 isn't just about writing better copy — it's about discovering what your customers already love about your product and proving it with data.

Best Questions for Focus Groups to Move Your Product Forward

This is probably not the first article you're reading that advertises to have the best focus group questions out there. Yet you still haven't found those golden questions that would solve the mysteries your consumers…

Market Research Questions: A Complete Guide for CPG Brands

11 Proven Wear Testing Method for Apparel Brands

By Lukas Cartmell For product development teams, testing products with consumers for honest feedback is a crucial step to pre-launch validation or post-launch renovation. While in-home usage testing , or IHUT , is a…

CPG Product Development Innovation in 5 Steps

By Emma Steele Jump to Highlight's 24 CPG innovation solutions at the bottom of this post! Launching new products is hard. Innovation today is more challenging than ever, in a rapidly changing landscape of consumer…

Sensory Evaluation: The Key to Winning Consumer Loyalty in CPG

What’s your favorite sensory experience of food? If you live in America, you might not know how to answer that.

Product Testing Methods to Prevent Costly Launch Errors

95% of 30,000 products launched each year fail brutally in the market. So what sets apart the 5% of products that fly off the shelves? Two words: Product. Testing.

MaxDiff Analysis (A.K.A. “Best Worst” Scaling)

It’s understandable to want to offer your customers everything — a million flavors of ice cream, a completely silent vacuum cleaner with insane suction, and all the stars in the sky as an add-on.

How to Design Sensory Tests During the Prototyping Stage

The Five Sensory Test Design Principles Product development has become a data-driven, practically data-obsessed, process. With insights being core to more and more steps along the product development lifecycle, we…

How to Choose a Consumer Product Testing Company

You know you need data to build the best possible product. But there’s still so much more to decide.

How to Identify White Space Opportunities

Taste and Sensory Tests for Unforgettable Products

As any product researcher or sensory scientist knows, taste tests and sensory tests are essential in the product development process. They help to ensure that products meet consumer expectations and preferences, and can…

IHUT Testing: Your Fast Track to Product Development Success

Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur with a great idea for a new product, or a member of a sensory or insights team on one of the world’s largest CPG brands, there’s a lot of risk to launching a new product out into…

Hair care brand validates product performance

Key success metrics

Aeston West x Highlight case study

Key success metrics: 3 products tested 8 days for data collection to results 100% completion rate With any skincare brand, crafting compelling claims is important. For Aeston West, it was absolutely necessary. “Tangible…

How Simply Gum used Highlight to confidently expand beyond gum

Key success metrics

Aelia x Highlight case study for CPG product teams

Aelia is a skincare brand born at 35,000 feet. Founder 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…

Papa Luc's Provisions x Highlight case study

Key success stats The Highlight product research platform helped Papa Luc's Provisions achieve:

See how Maple Brothers is using Highlight concept testing

Key success metrics:

See how LOLA is using Highlight concept testing

Key success metrics:

Learn more about super grain fonio

From where Yolélé co-founder and CEO Philip Teverow sits in his Brooklyn apartment, he’s nearly 4,000 miles from Senegal, a country that lies at the western reaches of Africa’s Sahel region. In El Cerrito, California,…

Product-Market Fit for US Launch

Who: Eatiful

Highlight Recruited Pregnant People for Product Testing

Key success metrics 109%

Removing Red Dye from a leading beverage brand

Key success metrics 500

How Hanes Made Wear Testing Part of Product Development

Who: Hanes Brands Highlight package: Premium Subscription Customer since: 2023 Key success metrics <1 week to fill a recruit 3 weeks faster to completion vs. other vendors 33 wear tests in under 3 years Hanes Brands…

IHUT coffee machine testing: 40 users, 100% completion rate

Launching a new kitchen appliance into a competitive market is like brewing the perfect cup of coffee – one wrong move and you're left with a bitter taste. For a leading kitchen appliance brand ready to introduce their…

How Clorox implemented claims testing for better products

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…

How Wile used longitudinal testing to validate claims

Making claims in the women’s supplements space is easy—proving them is hard. Wile , a brand focused on perimenopause support, found themselves at a crossroads. They had developed what they believed was an effective…

Kids' snack brand gets retailer data in 14 days with IHUT

The better-for-you kids' snack market is booming, but breaking through the noise requires more than just a great product—it demands data that proves your worth to major retailers. BloxSnacks discovered this firsthand…

Tree Top cuts product launch time by 50% with smart testing

Picture this: you're on the verge of launching a new kids' product, but you have five different flavors and textures to choose from. The clock is ticking, retailers are waiting, and you need to make the right call—fast.…

How Fable Food cut product testing time by 83% in 12 days

In January 2023, Fable Food faced a critical decision point. The innovative plant-based food company had developed two different formulas for their mushroom burger patty: their current in-market version and a promising…

Prototype testing for King's Hawaiian

Key success metrics 180 units tested nationwide, all 21+ years old 4 days from shipment received to live data in dashboards 94% completion rate The challenge King’s Hawaiian came to Highlight in February 2021 to discuss…

How Bare Hands got product feedback in 4 days (case study)

As an emerging brand in the crowded personal care space, Bare Hands faced a classic startup dilemma. They had developed natural nail and footcare products that they believed could disrupt the market, but they needed to…

IHUT for Mondelez BFY SnackFutures Innovator

Key success metrics <2 days

Agile sensory testing for cat litter innovation

Key success metrics 21 product samples sent nationwide 100% survey completion rate from targeted Highlighters 5 IDIs 45-minute online qual sessions Product testing in the pet care industry CPG brands in the pet care…

Product Optimization Testing for Freestyle Snacks

Key success metrics 100

Country Luau Partners with Highlight for a Pre-launch Digital Test

Key success metrics 120 product testers

The Highlight Sustainability Report 2025: What Beauty Consumers Want

See how consumer preferences are shaping the beauty industry and beyond.

Holiday Retail Report 2024: Consumer Behavior in an Uncertain Economy

A consumer insights report compiled exclusively for Showcase 2024 on grocery shopping behaviors, discretionary spending, and holiday budget shifts.

Innovation on Tap: Does Dry January Really End on the 31st?

A survey of 2,000 Highlight product testers on drinking habits, Dry January decisions, and openness to alcohol alternatives.

7 Trends in In-Home Usage Testing Ebook

As companies move toward more representative, hyper-targeted, and organic methods of product testing, they've increasingly adopted in-home usage testing.

3 Trends Driving Growth in the Better-for-You Space

As our definition of “wellness” has expanded, so has the variety of consumer products that support our goals to live more healthful, mindful, and sustainable lives.

Hear Directly from Pet Owners About What They Want

There's no doubt that pet consumers are evolving. So how can today's pet brands and adjacent CPG players evolve with them to meet new needs and occasions?

Expert Panel: The Power of Packaging

Packaging isn't just the icing on the cake — it's crucial to the product itself. See how Whipnotic and Cabinet Health use packaging to transform the end-to-end consumer experience.

Watch the Greenbook Tech Showcase 2024 On-demand

See a live demo of the Highlight platform. VP of Customer Enablement Keshia Peris gives a quick walkthrough of how Highlight works, recorded at Greenbook's annual Tech Showcase.

Your Toolkit to Countering the Macroeconomy

In 2025's volatile CPG landscape of tariffs, supply chain shifts, and regulatory change, consumer research can be your route through the chaos to clarity.

From Gifts to Groceries: Understanding Consumer Spending in an Uncertain Economy

In this session from Showcase 2024, Highlight's VP of Marketing, Autum Molay, delves into proprietary research on grocery shopping behaviors, discretionary spending, and consumer budget shifts through the end of 2024 and beyond.

What Does It Take to Build a Game-Changing Product?

In this session from Showcase 2024, Highlight founder and CEO Dana Kim sits down with Hayley Barna of Birchbox and Jennifer Fleiss of Rent the Runway.

Harness the Power of Sensory and Insights Integration

In this session from Showcase 2024, Highlight's Head of Customer Development Carly Shira breaks down the silos between Sensory and Consumer Insights to drive rapid, relevant innovation.

Is "Better for You" Better for Business?

As the "better for you" space constantly expands and evolves, opportunity abounds. CPG sommelier Nate Rosen and Highlight CEO Dana Kim discuss where brands should begin.

Owning Success for Your Owned Brands

In a breakout session for Retail Dive's virtual event on post-holiday season learnings, CVS Health's VP of Store Brands and Highlight's CRO discuss building a brand portfolio that delivers on consumer wants and needs.