Understand how well your product is really doing in the market
Overview
Launching a new product is only the beginning. Once a product hits shelf, the real test begins. Sales figures might tell you what is happening, but they rarely explain why.
REVU is Good Sense Research’s post-launch insight service designed to help brands understand how well their product is actually performing in the real world, beyond headline numbers. It provides a clear, consumer-led evaluation of how effectively your marketing mix is working, identifying what is supporting success and where hidden friction may be holding performance back.
With an estimated 90 percent of new products failing within their first three years, costing the industry tens of millions annually, REVU exists to help brands learn faster, protect listings, and make smarter decisions while there is still time to act.
Why REVU exists
Too often, underperformance is only spotted when it is too late. Products are reviewed purely through sales data, retailer feedback, or internal assumptions. By the time concerns are raised, listings may already be under threat.
REVU gives brands an early, evidence-based read on how a product is landing with real shoppers and consumers. It allows teams to sense-check whether everything is still working as intended, or to diagnose why performance may not be meeting expectations.
Crucially, REVU is not about taste testing or reformulation. It focuses on the total market experience, examining how consumers encounter, understand, choose, buy and experience the product in their everyday lives.
What REVU evaluates
REVU assesses performance across the key marketing Ps, looking at how each element contributes to or detracts from success in market.
Promotion and awareness
We explore whether your marketing and communications are cutting through. What, if anything, have shoppers heard about the product before they encounter it? Are messages being noticed, remembered and understood?
Proposition comprehension
Does the product promise make sense to consumers? Can they clearly articulate what the product is, who it is for and why it is different? Misunderstood propositions are a common cause of underperformance.
Place and fixture impact
We assess how the fixture and shelf environment supports or hinders discovery. Can shoppers find the product easily? Does it stand out in a crowded space? Does its location align with shopper expectations?
Packaging communication
Packaging plays a critical role at shelf. REVU evaluates how well pack design communicates the proposition, attracts attention and sets expectations before purchase.
Price and trial likelihood
Rather than focusing on abstract price sensitivity, we examine how price influences willingness to try in context. Does the price feel justified at shelf? Does it support or undermine perceived value?
Product experience versus expectations
Once taken home, does the product deliver what consumers expected? This is not a formal sensory evaluation. Instead, it focuses on whether the experience feels aligned with the promise made on pack and in communications.
How REVU works
REVU is built around real behaviour, not recall alone. The approach combines in-the-moment video capture with reflective discussion to uncover both what happens and why.
Recruitment
We engage with12 category buyers, a mix of heavy category users and light users. Other important criteria appropriate to the target audience will also be applied.
Task 1: Shop and film
Participants are asked to go out and buy the product naturally. We capture their journey from awareness to discovery in store, focus one each key step of that process. The product is then purchased and taken home.
Task 2: Use and review at home
Once home, participants record themselves using, preparing and or consuming the product. This captures the real usage experience, expectations versus reality, and emotional responses in context.
Digital listening forums
Following the video tasks, we convene two 60-minute digital listening groups to continue the conversation, and probe deeper into behaviours and reactions observed.
What you receive
REVU is designed to be practical, fast and actionable.
Core deliverables
A digital download including:
A one-page summary with a clear traffic-light evaluation for quick reference of what works well and what needs urgent consideration
All raw participant video footage and discussions recordings
This allows teams to see and hear the reality of how the product is landing in market.
Optional enhancements
Written summary report and presentation with curated video clips
Highlight reel showcasing key moments and themes
When should you use REVU
REVU is ideally suited to several critical moments in a product’s lifecycle
Shortly after launch, to sense-check performance
When sales are not meeting expectations
When a product is at risk of delisting
When planning brand extensions or future launches
As part of continuous learning to stay ahead of competitors
Who REVU is for
REVU is designed for:
Brand teams responsible for in-market performance
Innovation and NPD teams seeking post-launch learning
Marketing teams evaluating campaign effectiveness
Commercial teams preparing retailer conversations
Category teams managing portfolio optimisation
Investment and timings
REVU is ideally suited to several critical moments in a product’s lifecycle
Shortly after launch, to sense-check performance
When sales are not meeting expectations
When a product is at risk of delisting
When planning brand extensions or future launches
As part of continuous learning to stay ahead of competitors
Why Good Sense Research
REVU reflects how we work at Good Sense Research. We focus on real people, real behaviour and real decisions. By bringing the product journey to life through shoppers’ and consumers’ own eyes, REVU delivers clarity that spreadsheets alone cannot.
It helps brands move beyond assumptions, protect investment, and build future launches grounded in consumer truth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes REVU different from traditional post launch research?
REVU is designed specifically for products that are already live in market. Unlike traditional post launch research, which often relies heavily on recall or abstract questioning, REVU captures real behaviour in real contexts.
It follows the product journey from pre shop awareness, to in store discovery, to at home use and reflection. This means brands can see not just what consumers say, but what they actually do and how the experience lands in everyday life.
REVU is about diagnosing performance, not generating opinion in isolation.
Is REVU a sensory or taste test?
No. REVU is not a formal sensory or reformulation study.
While product experience is part of the evaluation, the focus is on expectation versus reality, not detailed sensory profiling. We explore whether the product delivers what shoppers believe they are buying, and how that experience influences satisfaction, repeat intent and perception of value.
If deeper sensory testing is required, REVU can be used alongside other Good Sense Research services.
When is the best time to run a REVU project?
REVU is most valuable when there is still time to act.
Brands typically use REVU:
Shortly after launch to sense check performance
When sales are not meeting expectations
When a product is at risk of delisting
When planning changes to pack, price, promotion or fixture
As part of continuous learning to strengthen future launches
The earlier issues are identified, the more options teams have to respond.
What types of products does REVU work best for?
REVU works particularly well for branded FMCG products in competitive categories where shelf visibility, proposition clarity and experience all play a role in success.
It is especially effective for:
New product launches
Brand extensions
Premium or tiered propositions
Products entering crowded fixtures
Products Concepts that rely on clear communication or usage understanding
REVU can be adapted to suit food, drink and adjacent categories.
How many consumers are involved?
A standard REVU project includes 12 category buyers.
This typically comprises:
6 heavier category users
6 lighter category users
This balance allows us to understand how both familiar and less frequent buyers navigate the product and category.
The sample size is intentionally focused to prioritise depth, behaviour capture and diagnostic clarity.
What do participants actually do?
Participants complete a structured but natural set of tasks.
They record:
What they know about the product before shopping
How they search for and encounter the product in store
Their reactions at shelf and reasons for choice
Their experience using the product at home
This is followed by digital listening groups where we explore motivations, barriers and moments observed in more depth.
What will my team receive at the end of the project?
All REVU projects include:
A one-page summary of key findings
A clear traffic light evaluation highlighting what is working and where there are opportunities or risks
Full access to all participant video footage
Optional enhancements include:
A written report and presentation
Curated video clips and highlight reels
The outputs are designed to be immediately usable across marketing, commercial and innovation teams.
How long does a REVU project take?
REVU projects typically run over three to four weeks from recruitment to delivery.
Timings can be adjusted depending on urgency, category availability and reporting requirements.
REVU is designed to be fast enough to inform live decisions, not retrospective analysis.
How much does REVU cost?
REVU projects start from £7,500, which includes recruitment, fieldwork, analysis and access to all raw footage.
Optional reporting and presentation enhancements can be added depending on team needs and budget.
We are always happy to scope projects to ensure they deliver maximum value.
Can REVU be used alongside other insight or data sources?
Yes. REVU works best when combined with other sources of insight.
Many clients use REVU alongside:
Sales and performance data
Retailer feedback
Brand tracking or usage studies
Shopper or category research
REVU helps bring these data points to life by grounding them in real consumer behaviour.
How do we get started?
Getting started is simple.
We begin with a short scoping conversation to understand:
The product and category
The business question you are trying to answer
Where performance uncertainty sits
What decisions the insight needs to support
From there, we design a REVU approach that fits your needs and timelines.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Talk to our team today about your research needs, we’d love to help.