Claims testing.
The claim on the front of the pack or the top of the ad often decides the sale. Test which claims people believe, which make them act, and which ones they quietly doubt, before you print or spend.
In short
Claims testing shows which claim people believe, which one makes them buy, and which group doubts it. Simulatte runs a message test on simulated customers in minutes, then lets you hear real customers explain what they believe and why in AI-moderated interviews.
What claims testing is.
Claims testing means putting a set of product claims, such as “12g protein”, “halves the plastic” or “clinically proven”, in front of the people you sell to, to find the ones they understand, believe and would act on. The useful output isn’t a ranking; it’s the reasons: what makes a claim credible, what makes people suspicious, and who reacts differently.
Why focus groups struggle with claims
Claims are where focus groups mislead most often. In a room, people say the sensible thing and follow the most confident voice, so a claim can sound convincing that no one would act on alone. One-to-one answers, and many of them, give a truer read. See focus group alternatives.
A message test in minutes, then real reasons.
A message test shows simulated customers your candidate claims and returns which line people believe, which makes them act, and who differs, in 10–30 minutes. Re-word the weak ones and run it again.
See an example
180 simulated customers · UK, UAE, US, IndiaThen ask real customers. Simulatte’s AI interviewer shows the claim mid-interview and follows up until the reason is clear: what they believe, what they’d need to see, and what they’d do.
Belief isn’t substantiation. Claims testing tells you what consumers believe. It doesn’t replace the evidence regulators such as the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority expect for a claim you make.
Common questions
What is claims testing?
Putting a set of product or advertising claims in front of your target customers to find which ones they understand, believe and would act on, and why, before you print the pack or run the ad.
Are focus groups still useful for claims testing?
For open exploration, sometimes. For choosing between claims, they often mislead: in a room, people follow the most confident voice. One-to-one answers at scale give a truer read, which is what a message test on simulated customers and AI-moderated interviews with real people provide.
How do I test which claim works best?
Put the candidate claims to simulated customers in a message test to see which one people believe, which makes them act, and who differs, in 10–30 minutes. Rewrite the weak ones, re-run, then check the winner with real customers in an AI-moderated interview.
Does claims testing prove a claim is legal?
No. It measures what consumers believe. Substantiating a claim for regulators is a separate job that needs its own evidence.