Case Study
Capturing a New Market in Pain Relief: A trusted pain relief brand saw growth emerging among younger, active consumers, but its legacy products were built for static, in-home use and no longer matched how people experienced and managed pain in everyday life.
Background:
We reframed pain relief around everyday behavior. Research revealed specific conditions and moments that mattered most to younger consumers, including sports injuries, migraines, menstrual cramps, recovery, relaxation, and sleep. Rather than optimizing the traditional heating pad, the work translated those insights into platform level direction across design, R&D, and engineering. Heat was repositioned as part of a broader experience of prevention, treatment, and recovery, leading to solutions that could move with the body, stay in place, and fit more naturally into daily life.
Approach:
Within a roughly $2B pain relief category, a leading wellness brand identified growing demand among 25 to 45 year old active adults. Heating pads remained trusted, safe, and effective, but the category was still shaped around a narrow after-it-hurts model focused on static, in-home relief. Younger consumers were experiencing pain across fitness, work, and daily routines, and managing it through a mix of products and behaviors. The challenge was not rebuilding trust. It was extending relevance by turning a legacy product into solutions that fit modern lifestyles and expanded when, where, and how heat could be used.
Impact:
• Generated $8M through portable heat solutions
• Delivered $5M through flexible wrap formats and $6M through hot and cold therapy
• Expanded the category into cordless, wearable, and hybrid platforms
• Strengthened relevance with younger consumers by creating pain relief solutions built for everyday, active lifestyles
