You're using consumer data wrong.

23.05.25 | By Madeleine Hargreaves

If no one hates it a little, no one will love it a lot.

Once reserved for big budgets and long timelines, consumer testing is now more accessible than ever. Platforms have popped up everywhere, and in a few clicks, we can get feedback on names, packaging, colour palettes and taglines. Data and insights, once locked behind thick agency doors, are now just a dashboard away. But just because we can test everything, doesn’t mean we should let it call the shots.

Our brains are lazy. That’s the problem.

It’s not an insult, its biology. The human brain is designed to conserve energy, and one of the ways it does that is by relying on pattern recognition.

Familiar things? Brain says: “Safe. Good. Like.”

Unfamiliar things? Brain says: “Hmm. Never heard of it. No thanks.”

This is why consumer testing often favours the familiar. It’s not that new ideas are bad, it’s that they’re new, and our minds need a minute. What people say they want and what they actually respond to are often very different things.

When consumer testing backfires.

Consumer testing can absolutely be useful; it can flag blind spots, confirm hypotheses, and catch things you might miss from the inside. But used in the wrong way, it can also smooth out all your brand’s edges a.k.a uniqueness.

Look at Gap’s 2010 logo redesign. It tested well in pre-launch research. But once it went live? The backlash was immediate. Within a week, Gap scrapped the new look and reverted to the old one. Why? Because testing told them what was safe, not what was meaningful or unique.

Consumer testing can absolutely be useful; it can flag blind spots, confirm hypotheses, and catch things you might miss from the inside. But used in the wrong way, it can also smooth out all your brand’s edges a.k.a uniqueness.

Look at Gap’s 2010 logo redesign. It tested well in pre-launch research. But once it went live? The backlash was immediate. Within a week, Gap scrapped the new look and reverted to the old one. Why? Because testing told them what was safe, not what was meaningful or unique.

Playing it safe can kill a brand.

This is where brands can get stuck. If you follow testing results too literally, you risk creating something that everyone ~kind of~ likes but no one really loves. And that’s the kiss of death in branding.

Being a bit divisive isn’t a problem, it’s often a sign you’re doing something interesting. Strong brands aren’t built by pleasing everyone; they’re built by resonating deeply with someone.

Some of the most successful brands today have leaned into discomfort and disrupted expectations.

frank body didn’t just launch a product—they launched a personality. With irreverent, cheeky copy and gritty visuals, they turned a humble coffee scrub (a product no one was looking for) into a sensation. Their bold, emotional tone created an instant connection, sparking virality and cult-level devotion.
Crocs broke the cardinal rule of fashion. And they won. Instead of hiding their clunky design, they doubled down on it. By unapologetically embracing their “ugly,” they flipped functional into fashionable. That confidence didn’t just attract niche fans — it turned Crocs into a cultural icon, precisely because they refused to chase mass appeal.
Liquid Death took the most boring beverage on earth (water) and gave it an identity so bold it couldn’t be ignored. With punk-rock branding, tallboy cans, and slogans like “Murder Your Thirst,” they hijacked energy drink culture and made hydration feel dangerous.
The Ordinary bet on facts in a category built on false promises. The rest of the skincare aisle relied on meaningless diagrams and Made Up Complexes™. The Ordinary leads with clarity and simplicity, going so far as to name their products just by ingredient. At the time, this gave the Whipped Nighttime Ageless Elixir Masques a real run for their money. What could’ve felt sterile came across as smart, empowering a new wave of beauty consumers who were tired of being sold magic and wanted science instead.

These brands all activate what psychologists call cognitive disfluency. That’s the mental hiccup your brain experiences when something new or unexpected pops up. It’s the brain saying, “Wait, this doesn’t match anything I know.” That moment of friction is what makes things memorable. It gives new ideas space to stick, shift, and eventually resonate.

This is where brands can get stuck. If you follow testing results too literally, you risk creating something that everyone ~kind of~ likes but no one really loves. And that’s the kiss of death in branding.

Being a bit divisive isn’t a problem, it’s often a sign you’re doing something interesting. Strong brands aren’t built by pleasing everyone; they’re built by resonating deeply with someone.

Some of the most successful brands today have leaned into discomfort and disrupted expectations.

frank body didn’t just launch a product—they launched a personality. With irreverent, cheeky copy and gritty visuals, they turned a humble coffee scrub (a product no one was looking for) into a sensation. Their bold, emotional tone created an instant connection, sparking virality and cult-level devotion.
Crocs broke the cardinal rule of fashion. And they won. Instead of hiding their clunky design, they doubled down on it. By unapologetically embracing their “ugly,” they flipped functional into fashionable. That confidence didn’t just attract niche fans — it turned Crocs into a cultural icon, precisely because they refused to chase mass appeal.
Liquid Death took the most boring beverage on earth (water) and gave it an identity so bold it couldn’t be ignored. With punk-rock branding, tallboy cans, and slogans like “Murder Your Thirst,” they hijacked energy drink culture and made hydration feel dangerous.
The Ordinary bet on facts in a category built on false promises. The rest of the skincare aisle relied on meaningless diagrams and Made Up Complexes™. The Ordinary leads with clarity and simplicity, going so far as to name their products just by ingredient. At the time, this gave the Whipped Nighttime Ageless Elixir Masques a real run for their money. What could’ve felt sterile came across as smart, empowering a new wave of beauty consumers who were tired of being sold magic and wanted science instead.

These brands all activate what psychologists call cognitive disfluency. That’s the mental hiccup your brain experiences when something new or unexpected pops up. It’s the brain saying, “Wait, this doesn’t match anything I know.” That moment of friction is what makes things memorable. It gives new ideas space to stick, shift, and eventually resonate.

Lead with conviction, plus data.

Yes, use the tools. Test the message. Experiment with the format. Consumer data can sharpen your instincts. But don’t let it override them.

As a Founder, CMO, or marketing lead, you hold something algorithms don’t. Context. You understand your category, your audience, and the cultural shifts around you. You can see the white space where something different could work, even if it doesn’t test well today.

Be brave enough to put something out there that not everyone likes. That discomfort? It’s often the first sign that you’re onto something new.

Because sometimes, the thing people didn’t know they wanted? That’s the thing they end up loving most.

Yes, use the tools. Test the message. Experiment with the format. Consumer data can sharpen your instincts. But don’t let it override them.

As a Founder, CMO, or marketing lead, you hold something algorithms don’t. Context. You understand your category, your audience, and the cultural shifts around you. You can see the white space where something different could work, even if it doesn’t test well today.

Be brave enough to put something out there that not everyone likes. That discomfort? It’s often the first sign that you’re onto something new.

Because sometimes, the thing people didn’t know they wanted? That’s the thing they end up loving most.

You're using consumer data wrong. | Willow & Blake