Finding the whitespace: Entering a new category with confidence

A leading protective case manufacturer saw an opportunity to expand into phone charging accessories — but needed to know if their brand could credibly make the leap.

The challenge

Breaking into a crowded accessories market requires more than a good product. It requires brand permission, a clear point of difference, and a deep understanding of what customers actually need — and aren't getting anywhere else.

What we did

We started with quantitative survey research to test brand permission — could this brand credibly play in the charging accessories space? The answer was yes.

From there, we moved into qualitative focus groups to dig deeper — exploring customer pain points, frustrations, and unmet needs. Our goal was to find the whitespace: the gap between what was available in the market and what customers actually wanted but couldn't find.

Armed with those insights, we facilitated ideation sessions with the client's innovation team — translating raw customer needs into concrete product concepts. We then returned to focus groups to pressure-test prototypes, refining the concepts based on real customer feedback before a single dollar was committed to production.

As the product took shape, we extended our research into packaging, marketing, and advertising — ensuring every customer touchpoint was validated and resonated with the target audience. Finally, we developed a pricing strategy grounded in customer research and competitive intelligence, positioning the product to win in market while maximizing margin.

The result

The company successfully launched into the phone charging accessories category and built a sustained, multi-million dollar business — with every major decision along the way backed by research, data, and customer insight.