Your product testing resource hub

Best practices, trend reports, and case studies from the teams testing products with real consumers — pulled together so you can go deeper, faster.

Trend Reports

10 resources

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,… Read article

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… Read article

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… Read article

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. Read article

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… Read article

22 Brand Collabs Bringing Innovation to Food & Beverage Shelves Are we living through a new era of “the brand collab”?
Read article

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. Read article

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? Read article

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. Read article

Celebrity brand consumer insights The gold rush for celebrity-founded consumer brands is in full swing. Read article

Research Best Practices

18 resources

How Highlight Handles Logistics
A version of this article was originally posted on Emma Steele's LinkedIn. Read article

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. Read article

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. Read article

What is Claims Testing? for CPG product teams
“Promotes healthy digestion” Read article

Why Legacy Brands Need Alienation Testing Evolving with consumer tastes is challenging. The market demands change, and consumers crave novelty. Read article

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. Read article

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. Read article

Market Research Questions: A Complete Guide for CPG Brands
Read article

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. Read article

CPG Product Development Innovation in 5 Steps
By Emma Steele. Launching new products is hard. Innovation today is more challenging than ever, in a rapidly changing landscape of consumer demands. Read article

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. Read article

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. Read article

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. Read article

How to Design Sensory Tests During the Prototyping Stage
The Five Sensory Test Design Principles.
Read article

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. Read article

How to Identify White Space Opportunities
Read article

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. Read article

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. Read article

Case Studies

24 resources

Hair care brand validates product performance
Key success metrics. Read article

Aeston West x Highlight case study
Key success metrics: 3 products tested, 8 days for data collection to results, 100% completion rate. Read article

How Simply Gum used Highlight to confidently expand beyond gum
Key success metrics. Read article

Aelia x Highlight case study for CPG product teams
Read article

Papa Luc's Provisions x Highlight case study
Key success stats.
Read article

See how Maple Brothers is using Highlight concept testing
Key success metrics. Read article

See how LOLA is using Highlight concept testing
Key success metrics. Read article

Learn more about super grain fonio
Read article

Product-Market Fit for US Launch
Who: Eatiful. Read article

Highlight Recruited Pregnant People for Product Testing
Key success metrics 109%. Read article

Removing Red Dye from a leading beverage brand
Key success metrics 500. Read article

How Hanes Made Wear Testing Part of Product Development
Key success metrics: <1 week to fill a recruit, 3 weeks faster to completion vs. other vendors. Read article

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

How Clorox implemented claims testing for better products
Read article

How Wile used longitudinal testing to validate claims
Read article

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

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

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

Prototype testing for King's Hawaiian
Key success metrics: 180 units tested nationwide, all 21+ years old. Read article

How Bare Hands got product feedback in 4 days
Read article

IHUT for Mondelez BFY SnackFutures Innovator
Key success metrics: <2 days. Read article

Agile sensory testing for cat litter innovation
Key success metrics. Read article

Product Optimization Testing for Freestyle Snacks
Key success metrics: 100. Read article

Country Luau Partners with Highlight for a Pre-launch Digital Test
Key success metrics: 120 product testers. Read article

Reports & Guides

14 resources

.png) The Highlight Sustainability Report 2025: What Beauty Consumers Want
See how consumer preferences are shaping the beauty industry and beyond. Read article

.png) 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. Read article

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. Read article

.png) 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. Read article

.png) 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. Read article

.png) Hear Directly from Pet Owners About What They Want
There's no doubt that pet consumers are evolving. How can today's pet brands evolve with them? Read article

.png) Expert Panel: The Power of Packaging
See how Whipnotic and Cabinet Health use packaging to transform the end-to-end consumer experience. Read article

.png) Watch the Greenbook Tech Showcase 2024 On-demand
See a live demo of the Highlight platform. Read article

.png) Your Toolkit to Countering the Macroeconomy
In 2025's volatile CPG landscape, consumer research can be your route through the chaos to clarity. Read article

.png) From Gifts to Groceries: Understanding Consumer Spending in an Uncertain Economy
In this session from Showcase 2024, Highlight's VP of Marketing covers proprietary research on grocery shopping behaviors, discretionary spending, and more. Read article

.png) What Does It Take to Build a Game-Changing Product?
In this session from Showcase 2024, Highlight founder and CEO Dana Kim interviews industry leaders. Read article

.png) Harness the Power of Sensory and Insights Integration
In this session, Highlight's Head of Customer Development discusses breaking the silos between Sensory and Consumer Insights. Read article

Is "Better for You" Better for Business?
In the ever-expanding "better for you" space, opportunity abounds. Read article

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 discusses brand portfolios. Read article

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