Test brand competitors with real consumers

Head-to-head competitive testing shows exactly why shoppers choose rivals—and what it takes to flip preference on shelf.

Competitive testing

Highlight AIFinding

Shoppers switch for the creamier texture, but flag price.

+14 pts

preference gap

3.6

mean score

Head-to-head

Blind preference test

57%

Your product

vs

43%

Top rival

Shoppers pick you 57 to 43 — blind

Built for innovators. Loved by product teams. Trusted by leading brands.

Competitive product testing that shows why shoppers switch

Bias-free comparisons

Standardized protocols eliminate testing bias and deliver reliable, actionable head-to-head reads when you test brand competitors blind.

Real-time intelligence

Live analytics give you the market visibility to outmaneuver competitors as data arrives.

Clear recommendations

Complex competitive data becomes strategic direction aligned with proven market opportunities.

When to test brand competitors head-to-head

Use competitive testing when reformulating, repositioning, or entering a category where an incumbent already owns preference. Blind in-home tests reveal whether shoppers pick you—and which attributes drive the switch.

• Test brand competitors on taste, texture, efficacy, packaging, and value in one study
• Blinded logistics so consumers judge experience, not brand halo
• Pair head-to-head reads with feature prioritization to focus R&D

How Highlight does it

Complex competitor analysis, clear product decisions

01

Rapid competitive insight

Compare your products against competitors with real consumer feedback in 2–3 weeks instead of months — taste, texture, packaging, and overall preference across your target demographics.

02

Consumer preference analytics

Detailed breakdowns of why consumers choose competitors over you, complete with demographic and behavioral context — concrete direction for product improvements.

03

Accelerated development cycles

Compress typical 6-month testing timelines into 4–6 weeks without sacrificing data quality or sample size — more time for iteration before launch.

Case study · Simply Gum

How Simply Gum used competitive testing to win on shelf

• 4 consumer research tests in 2025 powered expansion into mints, gummies, and chocolates
• 90% completion rates, with an average of 8 days from data collection to analytics
• Research repositioned gummies as fruit snacks and put real peppermint oil on mint messaging
• Preference flips to Simply Gum when consumers learn there’s no plastic in the product

Read the case study

Getting started is simple

1

Design your test

Define your objectives, create your survey, and set parameters for your ideal testers.

2

We ship your products

We handle recruitment and distribution to get your products into the right homes.

3

See your data instantly

Feedback streams into the platform and becomes actionable insight as it arrives.

Make decisions with reliable data

• Rapid competitive analysis

Compare formulations against top competitors in weeks, not months.

• Consumer preference mapping

Blind studies show exactly how your audience ranks you against alternatives.

• Formula optimization testing

Refine based on head-to-head feedback before committing to production.

• Market positioning validation

Build claims and positioning on evidence, not assumptions.

Common competitive testing questions

How do I test brand competitors fairly?

Highlight’s logistics team repackages and blinds products so consumers evaluate experience alone—no logos, no brand halo. Standardized protocols and defined audience criteria keep reads comparable across rivals.

How fast can I run a competitive test?

Roughly 3 weeks from recruitment to final analysis for physical product testing, with 90%+ completion rates — and access to audiences as niche as a 3% incidence rate.

Can one study cover multiple competitors?

Yes — test your product against several competitors simultaneously, across functional performance, sensory appeal, packaging impact, and messaging effectiveness.

How does blinding work?

Highlight’s logistics team handles repackaging and blinding, so consumers evaluate products on experience alone — no brand halo skewing the results.

How do I know which features to prioritize?

Feature prioritization surveys and head-to-head comparisons show which attributes drive consumer value and purchase intent, so development effort lands where it matters.

Is your testing keeping you ahead of the competition?

Reliable consumer feedback on how your products really stack up — confident R&D decisions without the guesswork.