15 Brands That Used IHUT to Innovate Better Products

Successful product innovation requires a tremendous amount of input.

Do you have a “million dollar” idea?

Is there white space in the category?

Is the category growing?

Are there in-market products that are failing to meet a consumer need?

What larger market trends are driving consumer preferences?

The best product innovation teams synthesize all this information to create products consumers love. But even the best product teams need “North Star'' metrics.

That’s why more and more brands–especially in the CPG space–are turning to in-home usage testing (IHUT) to run taste tests for flavor, sensory tests, pack testing, claims testing, and more.

Below, we’ve rounded up 15 examples of the way brands are using IHUT to get the North Star metrics they need to guide their product innovation.

Test your products with real consumers, at home

1. Clorox uses IHUT to test claims and against competitors

Clorox worked with Highlight to recruit two groups of consumers who had purchased their products in the past three months.

• One cohort was tasked with testing claims
• The other cohort was tasked with testing against a competitor’s product.

Highlight recruited both cohorts from our nationwide community of testers, all within 3 days.

The test was conducted over the course of seven days, during which time Clorox collected both quantitative and qualitative data.

From competitive testing, the Clorox product innovation team was able to better understand purchase intent and price sensitivity factors. Claims testing also provided clarity on performance and efficacy, enabling the team to make quick product tweaks before going to market.

In the end, Clorox gained:

• Full results analysis only 20 days from shipping the product to testers
• Open-ended responses that averaged 38 words per response (compared to an industry standard of only 3-4 words)
• Video testimonials (and transcripts) of consumers using the product in their own home
• A 102% survey completion rate 

Clorox’s project owner and Head of Growth Insights, Shilpa Khanna, said “Highlight was a cost-efficient, visual solution that provided trusted insights–fast.”

Highlight’s product testers also enjoyed the test. One male tester aged 51 said, “The package had everything needed. The paperwork spelled out exactly what to do and in what order. Made for a simple home care test.”

Another female tester, aged 25, added “I liked the detailed open-ended questions that it asked. I felt like I was really heard.”

As the Clorox product innovation team continues to employ agile product innovation, they continue to deploy IHUT as a way to keep their strategy data-driven.

Learn more about Clorox and agile product innovation for CPG brands

2. Talking Rain uses IHUT to test two new flavors

Talking Rain came to Highlight to ask a simple question: Which new flavor prototype will be most likely to delight consumers?

The question was simple, but shipping 200, blind-packaged prototypes nationwide and collecting data in-real-time is no simple task. That’s where Highlight jumped in with our community of testers, logistics solution, and data dashboards.  

Talking Rain used Highlight to curate a custom segment of the Highlight product tester community, including a combination of current shoppers and those who are open to trying Talking Rain products. 

As soon as product testers received their samples, they started conducting the test and submitting their results. The Talking Rain team was able to watch these results come in live via Highlight’s data dashboards. 

Highlight’s integrated solution and best practice guidance enabled the Talking Rain team to get high-quality data. At a 100% survey completion rate, they were able to go to market with the confidence only data clarity can bring.

Talking Rain’s senior manager of product development described her experience with Highlight as “nothing but a positive experience. Pleasant to work with and knowledgeable team, plus fast turnaround on getting the feedback on the product made this platform the number one on our list for in-home use consumer testing.” 

3. Church & Dwight use IHUT to generate testimonials for their Vitafusion Smoothies

The White Space Innovation team at Church & Dwight came to Highlight with two goals in mind: 

• Do consumers seeking “better for you” products love the flavor and taste of our Vitafusion Smoothies? 
• We need to launch a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) site, but to do that, we need product reviews for our product detail pages to give shoppers the confidence they need to complete a purchase. 

That’s where Highlight came to the rescue. The Church & Dwight team used the Highlight platform to select three groups of product testers, including pairs of adults and their children.

For their quantitative evaluation, the Church & Dwight team collected consumer reactions on metrics like taste, texture, purchase intent, and perceived health benefits–a key measure of success for the team on their goal to reach “health-aspiring” parents. The team could access live data results in their Highlight dashboards only three days after the smoothies were shipped.

For their qualitative evaluation, the 75 product testers (and their children!) uploaded over 200 photo testimonials and in-depth reviews of the product that were automatically uploaded to Vitafusion’s new DTC site, so they could launch with plenty of reviews before completing a single sale via the site. 

Discover what delights consumers—and what doesn't

4. Beliv uses IHUT for taste, sensory, and pack testing against in-market competitors

Beliv’s juices are well-known and well-loved in Latin American markets, but as they plan to enter US markets, they need consumer insights to understand how to adjust their formulations, go-to-market strategies, and prove to retailers how much US consumers will love their juices, too.

That’s why Beliv used Highlight to recruit 180 current drinkers of “better for you” sodas to participate in a head-to-head in-home usage test. From the data they gathered, Beliv got the insights they needed to:

• Adjust their on-pack messaging to better perform against competitors
• Know where to spend money–in this case, on packaging refinements versus claims substantiation
• Fuel their next phase of innovation with the sensory performance metrics that revealed previously unknown opportunities

5. Wile supplements uses IHUT for claims testing

Wile creates products that enhance the well-being of women at all different stages of life. Their marketing and innovation teams needed feedback on their in-market perimenopause support supplement to understand consumer perceptions of efficacy.

As an emerging brand, Wile made prudent use of their product testing bandwidth. With the Highlight platform, they designed a multi-faceted research project that would give multiple teams the data they needed to succeed.

Wile’s product team designed a 30-day trial to measure consumer perceptions of symptom relief and gauge purchase intent. Their marketing team designed a qualitative survey for the purpose of collecting reviews and testimonials for product promotion.

Highlight’s community of product testers was crucial to giving the Wile team access to their niche group of consumers. Their products were shipped to women currently experiencing perimenopause or menopause symptoms, who, after completing their 1-trial, directly uploaded their feedback to the Highlight platform to achieve a 103% completion rate.

In less than five weeks, the Wile teams had:

• The data they needed around product efficacy, symptom relief, and sensory insights
• Clarity around purchase intent and price sensitivity
• Over 100 product reviews to use for their website and other marketing channels

Learn more about claims testing with our Ultimate Guide.

6. King’s Hawaiian uses IHUT for line optimization and extension

King’s Hawaiian’s famous rolls are a staple at many a pool party, barbeque, or holiday party. But their innovation team wanted to understand where there may be opportunity for in-market product updates or additions to their current line of products.

Using the Highlight platform, King’s Hawaiian sent 180 samples to a customized recruit from the Highlight product tester community composed of both current King’s Hawaiian customers and potential customers. 

In less than two weeks, the team had the data they needed to devise their new innovation roadmap, including:

• Sensory metrics to guide new product formulation
• Consumer feedback to determine respective priorities for products in their innovation pipeline
• Honest, in-depth, open-ended feedback on the product experience
• A better understanding of at-home consumption occasions 

King Hawaiian’s senior manager of consumer insights said “The Highlight team was incredible to work with… Their online dashboard was easy to use and enabled me to monitor the results in real-time so I could keep my team informed throughout the study.”

7. Mondelēz uses IHUT to go to market with a more sustainable snack product

Mondelēz’s internal VC, SnackFuture Ventures, needed to understand what consumers really thought of their newest sustainable snack.

When developing products that are “better for you” and “better for the planet”, innovation teams need to know: Does this product’s messaging resonate with our target consumer? And does the product meet (and hopefully exceed) the mark on flavor?

Learn more about how sustainability preferences should guide product innovation.

That’s why Mondelēz used Highlight to send 90 samples nationwide to a custom segment of the HIghlight product tester community selected for their “better for you” purchase habits. In less than ten days, the team had the data they needed to adjust product formulation and messaging.

Said SnackFutures’ insights lead: “Highlight gives product testing at home a fresh look and feel which was missing in the industry.”

8. BloxSnacks uses IHUT for retailer sell-in and marketing strategy

BloxSnacks has built a brand with a big personality. Kids love their primarily YouTube-focused marketing efforts, but their products were still new to classic big box retailers. 

The BloxSnacks team needed data to demonstrate the initial success of their FruitBlox product, and show the opportunity retailers have by distributing the BloxSnacks brand. 

That’s why they used Highlight to recruit 120 parents of kids aged 8 to 12 to test 3 flagship FruitBlox flavors. Parents and kids took point-in-time surveys to: 

• Capture purchase intent
• Ask for sensory feedback
• Record their reactions to YouTube marketing content

Consumer data collected via the Highlight platform and testing community gave BloxSnacks:

• Slides highlighting 10 key metrics for retailer sell-in presentations
• Claims validation based on real consumer reactions to the product
• More data-driven, consumer-validated ideas for their YouTube marketing efforts

9. Country Luau uses the Highlight tester community for flavor concept testing

Consumer data helps at every stage of the product innovation process–including before there’s even a physical product to test.

That’s why ready-to-drink cocktail brand Country Luau came to Highlight before embarking on in-home usage testing. All brands should use data to de-risk their product development, but especially for an emerging brand like Country Luau, understanding consumer preferences before investing capital in prototype formulation was crucial. 

They targeted testers within the Highlight community who live in specific regions of the country and expressed interest in country music. In less than 48 hours, the Country Luau team uncovered:

• Key product benefits and flavor preferences
• Potential usage occasions
• Their most important differentiation factors

Additional open-ended responses through qualitative testing provided in-depth responses that were invaluable for tweaking the brand’s product positioning and messaging. For example: “Refreshing, fruity flavor with just enough ‘kick’ to make it country. My hope is that it's unique from other seltzers and that the fruit essence really comes through." 

The team at Country Luau was able to put the data to use right away. Said their founder: “The survey was used very tactically for decision-making around flavor names, pricing, and packaging design.”

10. Journ Beauty uses IHUT to prepare a new tinted eye serum for launch

Journ Beauty’s product and marketing teams needed consumer data to foolproof their new tinted eye serum for go-to-market launch. 

They used Highlight to ship 2 different SKUs to their target audience, strategically composed of both men and women across multiple skin tones. “It was very powerful that HIghlight offered a pool of people with different skin tones and skin concerns,” said Journ Beauty’s CEO and founder. “This will be something we’ll leverage in the near future as we launch more products.”

Highlight’s product testers used the eye serum for at least three consecutive days before completing the survey–after which Journ Beauty’s teams had immediate access to results in the Highlight data dashboard.

In less than 10 days, Journ already had the data they needed to adjust their formula and product positioning. Through strategic use of both quantitative and qualitative testing, they got a full picture of consumer perceptions of the product.

• Survey results spoke to key metrics like perceived efficacy, texture, and feel on skin.
• In-depth open-ended responses inspired language to use in messaging and other marketing communications. 

11. Explorer Cold Brew uses IHUT to understand the online consumer journey

Emerging brand Explorer Cold Brew needed to know what was working and what wasn’t with their new direct-to-consumer website. They also needed data to fuel their future innovation plans. 

That’s why they turned to Highlight. Using Highlight, they sent 324 samples of 4 SKUs to a nationally representative group balanced by gender, age, and region. As testers started submitting their feedback, the Explorer Cold Brew team could see the data in their Highlight dashboard immediately.

The team received tons of quantitative and qualitative feedback on their website, including reactions to their brand story and messaging. With the physical product to try, testers weighed in on on-pack taglines and product benefits as well.

The comprehensive approach to physical product testing gave the Explorer Cold Brew the unique opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the consumer’s holistic end-to-end experience of their brand, from online presence, to packaging, to product efficacy.

12. Fable Foods uses IHUT to taste test their frozen patty prototypes

Fable Foods needed real consumer reactions to their plant-based burger prototypes. They decided to conduct two sets of tests: 

• Head-to-head taste test for two mushroom patty prototypes
• Head-to-head tastes for a blended beef and mushroom burger prototype versus a 100% beef patty

Importantly, these patties had to be:

1. Blinded
2. Shipped frozen

Highlight’s logistics solution put the frozen, blinded patty prototypes in the hands of nearly 200 product testers across the US, who conducted the taste tests over the course of the next 10 days, who completed the test at a 95% rate, and then uploaded their feedback to the Highlight data dashboards.

After less than two weeks, the Fable Foods team was able to access their results via:

• Real-time data dashboards
• In-depth responses to open-ended questions
• Slides analyzing performance against benchmarks and consumer subgroups to leverage for retailer sell-in presentations

13. Freestyle Snacks uses IHUT for taste and pack testing

Before going to market with their new Snackable Olives product, Freestyle Snacks wanted to measure consumer reaction to taste, flavor, and packaging.

They used Highlight to ship samples to product testers who are regular purchasers of “better for you” snacks that live in specific regions of the US where the brand has current distribution. 

Almost immediately, results started rolling in. Highlight product testers uploaded their survey results at a 92% completion rate, giving the Freestyle Snacks team: 

• the sensory data they needed to optimize the product itself
• the purchase intent, willingness to pay, and perceptions of packaging they needed to drive trial

Highlight also provided the “better for you” snack industry benchmarks the Freestyle Snacks team needed to tell a compelling sell-in story to new retailers and win more distribution.

14. A national cat litter brand uses IHUT for sensory testing

Cats may not be able to directly tell you what cat litter they prefer–but with the Highlight community of product testers, you can ask owners what their cat’s preferences are.

In preparation for a new product launch, one national cat litter brand used Highlight to assess reactions to a new lavender fragrance and its corresponding packaging. 

Cat litter is not only a higher cost product than your typical CPG item. It’s also more expensive to ship thanks to its heft. That’s why this brand chose to test with a smaller sample size. That made supplementing quantitative surveys with qualitative feedback absolutely critical.

(Apparel brands restricted to testing small sample sizes–take note for your next wear test!)

Using Highlight’s best practices guidance, the cat litter brand designed a study robust enough to gather the comprehensive feedback they needed. Verbatims were captured at the point of pouring the cat litter, and then testers completed a survey at the end of a week-long trial. Ten respondents submitted video feedback, and five respondents participated in 45-minute long online in-depth interviews (IDI) to share every detail of their product experience.

At the end of their research, this cat litter brand had:

• The live data from their Highlight dashboards
• A deeper understanding of consumer perceptions thanks to verbatims, video, and IDI
• Data on key drivers of interest and product fit among key consumer demographics

15. Postpartum product uses IHUT to conduct a longitudinal efficacy study

A women’s wellness brand needed to test efficacy perceptions with a very niche consumer group: Those more than 38 weeks pregnant.

Highlight was able to recruit this low-incidence rate group of product testers in less than seven days, and despite the demands of a 30 day-long trial, achieved a 109% completion rate for the test.

Within only four days of field testing completion, the wellness brand team received:

• 20+ video testimonials
• A summary of qualitative findings (open-ended responses)
• Quantitative efficacy data across key metrics for three of their products

The wellness brand then returned to re-test their products with the same recruit against their main competitor’s products to gather even more data.

How CPG brands use IHUT data to meet their revenue goals

Once you’ve got your consumer insights, it’s time to turn data into strategy. 

If you’re not a full-time data analyst, don’t worry. Highlight has the best practices and detailed guidance you need to understand your IHUT results.

Learn more from our guide: Turning Data Into Better Products.

Prepare for launch (or relaunch) with in-home usage testing