What is claims testing in market research?
TL;DR
- Consumer claims testing measures believability, relevance and uniqueness, plus whether the claim makes people more likely to buy.
- Substantiation is different: in the US, the Federal Trade Commission expects advertisers to have a reasonable basis for objective claims before they run.
- Test claims in a forced-choice format; on rating scales, most claims look fine.
- Neon Blue ranks your shortlist on a simulated audience of your buyers, so only substantiated claims that also persuade go to the final creative. Run your first study free
Neon Blue builds simulations of human behavior. Claims testing is research that shows buyers a set of product claims, such as "removes tough stains in cold water" or "made with 30% recycled plastic", and measures which ones they believe, care about and see as different from rivals. The output is a ranked list that tells the team which claim to put on the pack, in the ad and on the product page. It is separate from substantiation, the evidence a company needs to prove a claim is true. A claim has to pass both: true enough to make, and strong enough to be worth making.
How is claims testing different from claim substantiation?
In 1984, the US Federal Trade Commission issued its Policy Statement Regarding Advertising Substantiation. It says that when an advertiser makes an objective claim about a product, express or implied, it must have a reasonable basis for that claim before the ad runs. What counts as reasonable depends on the type of claim, the product, and what experts in the field would expect; claims that state a specific level of proof ("clinically shown") need that level of proof.
Consumer claims testing doesn't replace any of that. It starts after legal and technical teams have a list of claims they could defend, and asks a different question: which of these will matter to buyers? Running the two in the wrong order wastes effort. Test only claims that legal has cleared, or flag the ones still under review so nobody falls in love with a claim that can't run. In categories like food and beverage, front-of-pack health and nutrition claims get the closest review.
What does a claims test measure?
| Measure | Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Believability | How believable is this claim? | A claim nobody believes does nothing |
| Relevance | How important is this to you when choosing [category]? | True and believable, but nobody cares |
| Uniqueness | Do other brands offer this? | A category-generic claim won't win share |
| Persuasion | Would this make you more likely to buy? | The bottom line of the test |
| Comprehension | In your own words, what does this claim mean? | Catches claims people misread |
Rating each claim on these scales one at a time tends to produce bunched scores. A best-worst task across the shortlist forces separation; the method choice is covered in MaxDiff or conjoint.
What questions go in a claims test?
- Of these four claims, which would make you most likely to buy this product, and which least? (best-worst sets across all claims)
- How believable is this claim, from 1 (not at all) to 5 (completely)?
- Do you think other brands could say the same thing? [Yes, most could / some could / no]
- What does "[claim]" mean to you?
- If a brand made this claim, what would you need to see to believe it?
Question 5 often tells the creative team what proof point to add next to the claim on pack or in the ad. Asking for the reason behind an answer is the same habit that makes purchase intent scores easier to read.
What does a claims test look like on a simulated audience?
Hypothetical: a laundry detergent brand has five legally cleared claims for a cold-wash formula and room for one hero claim on the front of pack.
- Audience: US adults who do most of their household's laundry, split by current brand buyers versus rival buyers, people who already wash cold versus warm, and households with kids. Finding your target audience covers choosing cuts.
- Claims: "cleans as well in cold water as warm", "saves energy on every load", "removes 99% of everyday stains" (if substantiated), "made with plant-based cleaning agents", "gentle on sensitive skin".
- Design: best-worst sets, then the follow-up questions on the top three, fielded on a simulated audience of laundry decision-makers.
Example output layout (illustrative, not a real result)
| Claim | Best-worst share | Believable (top-two box) | Seen as unique | Proof people asked for (coded) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleans as well in cold | __% | __% | __% | Coded theme |
| Saves energy | __% | __% | __% | Coded theme |
| Removes 99% of stains | __% | __% | __% | Coded theme |
| Plant-based agents | __% | __% | __% | Coded theme |
| Gentle on skin | __% | __% | __% | Coded theme |
A claim that ranks first with warm-water washers but low on belief may need a proof point before it can lead. A claim that every brand could make may be better as a support line. The finalist goes onto the pack and into packaging tests.
Where do claims tests fit in a launch?
- After positioning: the claim supports a position, it doesn't replace one. Settle the core idea with positioning and value proposition testing first.
- Alongside messages: claims are the proof inside a message. The message testing guide covers whole headlines and body copy.
- Before creative: the winning claim and its proof point become the brief for ads, which then go through an ad creative screen.
- For a live check: for a hero claim on a national pack, add a live quantitative test with real buyers on the top two.
Questions about claims testing
What is a claims test in marketing?
A study that ranks product claims by how believable, relevant, unique and persuasive buyers find them, so the strongest one leads on pack, ads and product pages.
How many claims should you test at once?
A shortlist of 5 to 15 works well with best-worst sets. More than that, group claims by theme and test the best from each theme.
Do you need to substantiate a claim before testing it with consumers?
You can test before substantiation is finished, but flag those claims clearly. Never run a claim in market without the evidence for it.
How does Neon Blue run a claims test?
Neon Blue fields your claim shortlist on a simulated audience of your buyers, ranks claims by segment with the proof points people ask for, and labels every result as simulated. Start a free first study.