Updated: October 6 2025
What Is Product Validation?
Product validation is a research process in which you test a product idea with target users to confirm there is a market need for it and that it solves a real problem for them.
Product validation helps you reduce risk, save money, and make smarter bets on innovation. It’s not about testing what people say they like. It’s about uncovering what they’re most likely to buy.
Why does product validation matter?
1. You create a product that customers actually want
One of the biggest pitfalls for innovators is investing heavily in a product that fails to satisfy real demand.
2. You save time, money and resources
When you validate before going full-on development, you avoid building features or products that won’t resonate. Product validation helps you test your assumptions early — before you pour time, money, and resources into development.
- You increases chances of product‑market fit
By validating a product idea, you gain evidence that your concept aligns with customer needs. You uncover real customer pain points, preferences, and trade-offs, which lets you refine and strengthen your offering.
Read more: How to Validate a Product Idea
Top 5 Market Research Companies for Product Validation
1. Dig Insights
Location: Toronto, Canada (with teams in the US and UK)
Clients: Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Meta, AB InBev, Johnson & Johnson
Dig’s innovation testing platform, Upsiide, allows you to test up to 50 ideas at once and uses behavioral science to predict performance. It’s built for scale, with tools like an AI Idea Generator and Market Simulator that help you explore ideas and model their potential before you invest a dollar in development.
Why They Stand Out:
- Predictive modeling of market performance
- Built-in tools to explore, refine, and simulate concepts
- Visual dashboards that translate findings into decisions
2. Qualtrics
Location: Provo, Utah
Clients: JetBlue, Microsoft, Samsung, Under Armour
Qualtrics offers a comprehensive research platform that supports everything from concept testing to pricing studies and customer experience feedback. It’s widely used by enterprise brands that want control, scale, and customization in their product validation research.
3. NielsenIQ (BASE)
Location: Global HQ in Chicago, IL
Clients: Global CPG and retail brands
Nielsen’s BASE (BAseline Sales Estimator) is one of the most established solutions for pre-launch product validation. It estimates in-market performance using simulated test markets and behavioral modeling, making it a go-to for demand forecasting.
4. Suzy
Location: New York, NY
Clients: Kraft Heinz, Clorox, Unilever
Suzy combines survey research with live consumer interviews. After testing your idea quantitatively, you can immediately explore why people responded the way they did using Suzy Live. It’s ideal for iterative testing and early-stage exploration.
5. Ipsos
Location: Global HQ in Paris, with offices worldwide
Clients: Fortune 500 brands, governments, major CPG companies
Ipsos offers end-to-end innovation research support, from early-stage idea screening to late-stage volumetric forecasting. Their validated concept testing methodologies and global reach make them a key partner for multinational product launches.
Why Work With Dig Insights?
At Dig Insights, we help brands de-risk decisions and accelerate innovation. With a growing footprint in the US, Canada and the UK and trusted partnerships across CPG, retail, finance, and food & beverage, we understand the local consumer landscape as well as the global pressures brands face to move fast and win big.
Our proprietary platform, Upsiide, sits at the core of our approach. Built for commercial decision-making, it allows you to test ideas, concepts, and creative in real time—powered by behavioral science and enhanced with AI. The result? Predictive, actionable insights that land on your desk when you need them most.
But we don’t just hand over data. Our in-house team of researchers, strategists, and analysts bring deep category expertise to every project—so you get not just the what, but the why, and a clear path forward. Whether you’re mapping a market, validating a product, or forecasting demand, we combine tech and talent to help you launch smarter.
Curious to see how Dig can support your next big idea? Let’s talk.