Every year, research organizations like CB Insights examine why startups and new offerings from established companies fall short. On average, roughly 80 percent of VC-backed startups fail (and these represent some of the strongest contenders in the startup ecosystem), while an estimated 40 to 60 percent of new products introduced by mature companies also do not succeed. Time and again, the leading cause is “no market need.” Consider Gap’s “faded” jeans, introduced in the early 2000s to ride the wave of casual, laid-back denim. Although they generated some early curiosity, the line faltered and never achieved sustained adoption. By contrast, Abercrombie & Fitch launched its “A&F jeans” around the same time. Backed by powerful marketing and a tight link to an aspirational, trendy lifestyle, A&F jeans rapidly gained popularity with young shoppers and became a go-to wardrobe item throughout the early 2000s. The data makes it clear that excellent product engineering—where most startups and product teams focus—is simply the baseline. What truly separates winners is superior Market Engineering. Yet I’ve found that very few teams have the in-house capabilities, experience, or even the awareness that they must actively engineer a market for their offering. This article appears in Branding Strategy Insider’s FREE newsletter. Join leading marketers worldwide and subscribe here to receive practical insights straight to your inbox. Market Engineering is the deliberate creation and management of a company’s position in the world—not only through strong product development, but by shaping the…