Observations from expo west 2026
Expo West 2026 felt a little different from recent years. Instead of one dominant theme taking over the floor, the show surfaced a collection of smaller but meaningful signals. Some trends continued to build. Some expected breakouts didn’t fully arrive. And some of the biggest learnings had less to do with product innovation itself and more to do with how brands showed up, engaged, and sold
You Had to Be There: What In-Person Research Reveals That Virtual Never Will
Some of the most valuable things to pay attention to never show up in survey results, virtual panels, or slide decks. You only get them in the field.
NLP + Human Expertise: The New Power Duo in CPG Research
While many in the CPG space, including us, are buzzing about the potential of generative AI, don’t forget the game-changer that is Natural Language Processing (NLP) – the technology that helps us understand and analyze what consumers are telling us at scale.
Trends & Observations From Expo West 2025
Trends & Observations from Natural Products Expo West 2025
Breaking Free from Your Desk: The Power of Real-World Feedback
If there’s one thing I’ve learned about consumer product goods (CPG) innovation, it’s that you might be shocked at what happens when you take a product into the actual selling environment. Yet, at most companies, innovations are iterated mostly from our desktops.
Breaking out of the Linear Innovation Testing Process: How to Innovate Holistically
In consumer product goods (CPG) innovation, it’s inevitable that some products, even the well-thought-out ones, fail. In my work, I often see that disappointing results aren’t because the product idea is bad or that testing hasn’t been rigorous. Rather, it’s that various aspects of the product have been tested in isolation. A holistic approach, on the other hand, tests all aspects of a product together, ideally in a real-world setting.
Exploring the Edges of Innovation: How to Push Your Brand’s Potential
Think of the hole of the donut representing the easiest of line extensions… your core product re-executed as a new flavor, size or packaging – all of which add variety but none of which help your brand solve new consumer problems. Now think of the space past the donut as being a space that shatters current belief systems… things that go beyond a consumer’s expectation of what your brand/product stands for. Sticking too close to the core results in me-too products easily copied by competitors, while going too far can feel disingenuous.
Harnessing Everyday Consumer Hacks for CPG Innovation
Developing breakthrough innovation concepts is about understanding your audience deeply, recognizing patterns, and leveraging insights about their behavior. It’s about observing and understanding nuances of how consumers use products, including their habits and workarounds.
How In-Store Tests Can Prevent Product Fizzle in CPG
In-store tests help our clients fine-tune positioning, pricing strategies, packaging designs, and communication tactics before launch, answering questions with more accuracy than other types of testing.