As discussed in our overview of Consumer Perception studies, consumer feedback is a key part of clinical trials for consumer brands. The experiences that your product users have are integral to adjusting formulas, creating accurate product claims, and marketing effectively. Today, we’ll unpack the ways that consumer feedback can influence health and wellness brands for the better.
New Products
Consumer feedback can impact clinical research by influencing the development of new products, including skincare or supplements. Consumer feedback can assist brands in identifying unmet market needs and developing products to address gaps in the products available. For example, if consumers consistently report sleeping problems, a supplement brand that typically creates other formulas may invest in developing a new sleep aid product.
Refining Formulas
Furthermore, consumer feedback can assist brands in refining existing products. Consumers may complain that a product is too difficult to use or does not perform as well as expected. This feedback can be used to improve the product's performance by making changes to the formulation or changing the packaging.
In other cases, consumer feedback can support maintaining a successful product or avoiding drastic formula changes (if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!) This enables brands to provide consistently high-performing products to their customers with confidence.
Clinical Research Structure
Consumer feedback can also be used to set the parameters of clinical trials. Clinical trials are designed to test a product's safety and efficacy, and the trial parameters are carefully chosen to ensure that the results are accurate and reliable. Consumer feedback, on the other hand, can provide valuable insight into how the product is used in real-world settings, allowing companies to design clinical trials that are more relevant to consumers.
For example, if consumers report that they prefer to use a product at a specific time of day or in a specific place, a clinical study may be tailored to mimic these usage patterns. This can help ensure that the trial results are more relevant to consumers and that the product is tested in conditions similar to those in which it will be used in the real world.
Post-release Adjustments
Consumer feedback can also help with post-market monitoring. Companies continue to monitor a product's safety and efficacy after it has been released to the market through post-market surveillance. Consumer feedback can assist brands in identifying potential product issues that were not identified during the clinical trial phase.
For instance, if customers consistently experience a specific side effect while using a product, this information can be used to determine whether the side effect is a common occurrence and whether additional safety measures or formula modification are required.
Post-product release, marketing and branding tactics can also be informed by customer feedback. Skincare and supplement companies can create marketing campaigns and branding strategies that resonate with their target audience by understanding what consumers want and need. For instance, a wellness or health brand may concentrate on promoting their products' sustainability features in their marketing campaigns if customers regularly express concern about the environmental impact of the products they use.
Wrapping Up
Overall, consumer feedback is an essential tool for all brands developing products in the consumer industry, including skincare, supplement, and even CBD brands. By listening to their customers and incorporating their feedback into their product development strategies, companies can ensure that they are meeting the needs and preferences of their target audience. This can help to build customer loyalty, drive sales, and ultimately lead to the development of successful products that meet the needs of consumers.
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