# What’s the real cost of launching without consumer research

Most CPG launches fail before they reach shelf. Find out what that risk is actually worth in dollars — before you commit the budget.

[Calculate your ROI](/content/tools/roi-calculator#roi-calculator/index.html) [Book a session](/content/book-a-test-strategy-session-highlight/index.html)

## Launch ROI estimate

- **Dev cost:** $250K
- **Launch revenue:** $1.2M
- **Return on investment:** 4.8x

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## Why you need an ROI calculator for product innovation

80–85% of new CPG product launches fail. Most brands never put a number on what that risk actually costs — in wasted development spend, missed revenue, and the opportunity cost of a slower path back to market.

## How to calculate your launch ROI

1. **Development cost:** What it actually costs to get this product to shelf — formulation, packaging, production setup, and testing. Most CPG launches run $50K to $500K or more.
2. **Expected launch revenue:** Your realistic revenue projection for the first 12–18 months post-launch, based on distribution, pricing, and expected sell-through.

## Try it yourself

Enter your estimated development cost and expected launch revenue to see your projected return.

## Calculate Your Research ROI

- **Expected Launch Revenue:** 
- **Product Development Cost:** 
- **Research Investment:** 
- **Failure Rate Without Research:** CPG industry average: ~83%
- **Failure Rate With Research:** With validated concepts: ~35% 
- **Capital at Risk Without Research:** $4.6M  
- **Capital Protected With Research:** $2.6M
- **ROI Multiple:** Return on Research 52.8×

A research investment of $50K could protect $2.6M in launch capital.

## Common ROI mistakes to avoid

- Skipping validation to save time.
- Underestimating the cost of failure.
- Treating research as a cost, not an investment.

## Turn validation into your ROI advantage

Highlight helps you hit your ROI target by de-risking the launch before you spend on production.
- Validate concepts and claims before development dollars are spent.
- Catch issues early, when they’re still cheap to fix.
- Launch with the data that shows exactly what will resonate.

## Common ROI calculator questions

1. **What is a good ROI on product development?** Most CPG brands target a 3–5x return on their development investment within the first 12–18 months post-launch.
2. **How much does it cost to launch a CPG product?** Typical launch costs range from $50K to $500K or more, depending on category, packaging complexity, and production scale.
3. **What percentage of new products fail?** Industry estimates put new CPG product failure rates between 80–85% — most of that risk is preventable with validation before launch.
4. **How does consumer research reduce launch risk?** It replaces guesswork with evidence — testing concepts, claims, and prototypes with real consumers before you commit to production, so you catch what won’t work while it’s still cheap to fix.