5 Questions Every CPG Brand Must Ask Before Launching a New Product

It happens all the time: brands pour time, money and resources into launching a new product, only to watch it flop once it hits the shelves. Timing or shelf placement are easy to blame, but launches often fail because brands skip the most important step: engaging with consumers before going to market. Gut instinct, historical sales, and broad market trends cannot reliably predict future success. Products need to be grounded in what real customers will buy, and not “what worked before.”

This is especially pressing for consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands, which are seeing private labels claim more shelf space and offer consumers an overwhelming number of options. As a result, shoppers are defaulting to quick purchasing cues like price, packaging or word-of-mouth. In fact, First Insight’s The Quiet Takeover of Private Label report found that more than half (52 percent) of consumers say they’ve been influenced to try a store brand product by in-store promotions, packaging, displays or marketing materials.

To avoid these costly missteps, brands need to incorporate consumer feedback from the very beginning of product development — validating ideas early, spotting unmet needs, and leveraging artificial intelligence to predict purchase intent before major investments are made. Consumer input should guide every stage, from concept to packaging to branding.

However, it’s not only about asking questions; it’s about asking the right ones. They can make or break a product’s success in the market. Here are five questions CPG brands must ask consumers before launching a product:

1. Which aspects of the product are receiving the strongest positive and negative responses — and why?

When developing a new product, brands must spot what’s working and what’s not at every stage in the development process to ensure the final product truly resonates with consumers. Positive feedback tells brands which aspects of a product, from branding and packaging to ingredients and flavors, are resonating most with consumers. This information lets brands know what features they should move forward with and where they might have to go back to the drawing board. Negative feedback, on the other hand, can draw attention to important dealbreakers and highlight consumer needs that brands hadn’t even considered.

Take a new granola bar, for example. If shoppers love the resealable packaging and are more likely to buy the product when it’s positioned as a healthy, convenient snack, a brand should prioritize those elements. This feedback can also extend into changes across other products, such as more resealable packaging designs or increased messaging from the brand around “freshness that lasts.”

However, if consumers say the granola bar crumbles too easily and undermines its on-the-go appeal, the development team will have to adjust the formulation. They’ll improve the texture and structure to create a bar that holds up better during travel and everyday use.

Brands should dig into the “why” behind these negative sentiments as well to help them determine what’s driving the change, such as broader shifts in consumer expectations or evolving lifestyle needs. This will allow them to adapt more quickly and stay ahead of trends.

By collecting both positive and negative feedback around a product, teams can tweak packaging, ingredients, messaging and more during development so the final version is as strong and appealing as possible to consumers.

Fixing friction early is cheaper than fixing it after products hit shelves.

2. How does this product perform across markets or consumer segments?

Even if a brand already knows its overall target audience, finding segments within that group can reveal major differences in how consumers respond to products. These insights can uncover what specific consumers prefer and the reasons behind their choices — factors that can determine whether a product gains traction across multiple audiences or stalls.

For example, a snack company launching a new potato chip flavor may see Gen Z shoppers gravitate toward bold, unconventional options like spicy pickle or hot honey, while Gen X might not be as risky with their flavor choices and prefer those similar to what they already love, such as double cheddar.

Understanding these nuances helps brands refine not only the development of the product itself but also pricing, branding and marketing strategies. A dill pickle-flavored chip, for instance, can be positioned as a fun, edgy choice for younger consumers, and a classic twist on a favorite snack for older generations.

3. Which concepts deserve continued development — and which should be cut early?

Brands will test multiple iterations in the development process, including different ingredients, flavors and packaging formats, before deciding which ones to move forward with. By the time they’re approaching the later stages of product development, they need to know which concepts to cut and which ones to double down on.

One way to identify which options are most likely to succeed is by asking consumers to compare them directly, such as through rate-and-rank testing. This kind of feedback highlights which product variations resonate most across audiences. For example, if a new flavor of sparkling water performs well with multiple segments (e.g., young consumers, families and seniors) that’s a strong signal it's worth advancing in the product-to-market pipeline. While there may be many viable options, this ranking approach helps identify which one a brand should prioritize and move forward with immediately.

Equally important, this method reveals underperforming products that can be eliminated early, freeing up time and resources for stronger concepts. While cutting ideas can be difficult, brands that use consumer feedback early and often achieve more efficient development cycles and end up with products that are more likely to succeed on shelves.

4. What consumer-loved strengths should show up clearly in packaging and branding?

When consumers consistently praise an attribute, whether it’s taste, convenience, sustainability or something else, brands should take note and reflect those strengths in packaging, creative and marketing.

Packaging is often the first purchase trigger, while branding reinforces the promise behind it. For example, if shoppers rave about the bold, unique flavors of a new seasonal yogurt, brands can showcase that with vibrant packaging and a marketing campaign that emphasizes the playful spirit of the brand. If sustainability is important to consumers, packaging can highlight eco-friendly materials while marketing campaigns can spotlight the brand’s larger commitment to its responsible environmental practices.

Brands that translate positive feedback directly into packaging and branding validate what consumers already appreciate and strengthen the product’s identity in an increasingly crowded market.

5. What is the optimal price — and the right format — for each channel?

Once brands have nailed down their product, their next challenge is setting the price. At launch, with no reviews to validate value, price is the first signal shoppers notice — and they’re quick to walk away from anything that doesn’t feel right.

A lower price may drive trial and volume but can raise quality concerns or hurt margins, especially since new launches often need heavy marketing. A higher price risks deterring budget-conscious shoppers or those hesitant to pay a premium for an untested product.

That’s why pricing decisions need to be rooted in customer data. Understanding what consumers are willing to pay in each market, which features justify a premium, how value perception differs by segment, channel-specific expectations, which pack sizes align with a consumer mission, and where pricing could create friction, ensures brands set the right strategy. Getting this balance right not only maximizes sales but also builds credibility and trust so shoppers come back to buy again.

Launching a successful product in today’s crowded CPG landscape requires more than a great idea; it requires knowing exactly what consumers want. By asking the right questions early and using consumer feedback to guide decisions around development, pricing and positioning, brands can reduce risk and give their product the best chance to succeed. In a market defined by choice and noise, the brands that listen first — and act on consumer truth — will win the shelf. The rest will learn the hard way at the next reset.

Viki Zabala is chief strategy and growth officer at First Insight, a next-gen retail decision platform that helps retailers and brands create more profitable products and experiences.