Shiseido Hadagumi test marketing to PMF journey

This offers a detailed case study of Shiseido’s facial cleanser, "Hadagumi," tracing its journey from initial test marketing through the pursuit of Product Market Fit (PMF). It explains how Shiseido’s New Value Management Department utilized test marketing to identify the product's "winning formula," which involved solving the "inconvenience" faced by Gen Z through its unique gummy texture, no-lather function, and high beauty essence content. It carefully defines PMF as a state where a product is truly needed by customers and distinguishes this state from the difficult, pre-PMF phase. Finally, the analysis evaluates "Hadagumi" against the three key factors of PMF—customer necessity, profitability, and sustainability—concluding that the product is successful but still "halfway" to achieving full PMF.