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Create a low-cost tracking mechanism for an invisible behavior in your category, and the measurement itself becomes the product differentiator.
14 cents
to print and makes the behavior measurable
According to Glossy, wearable startup The90 launched Gem, described as the first wearable device that tracks sun exposure in real time. The move creates a physical product category at the intersection of wearables and sun-care, a space previously dominated by topical products and consumer education.
The90 built Gem as a small, wearable device that monitors UV exposure throughout the day and provides feedback to users about their sun-care habits. The product does not rely on smartphone apps for core functionality but operates as a standalone tracker, meaning the barrier to adoption sits at the hardware purchase rather than app install friction. This positions Gem as a physical-first play in a category that has historically been claim-driven, where brands sell protection promises but cannot measure actual exposure or compliance.
The mechanism works because sun-care remains one of the few personal-care behaviors where consumers genuinely do not know if they are doing it correctly. Reapplication timing, coverage gaps, and actual time spent in harmful UV ranges are invisible without measurement. By making exposure data visible and portable, The90 shifts sun-care from a compliance problem to a feedback loop. The device itself becomes the proof point that the category needs better tools, not better lotions. This is the same pattern that made continuous glucose monitors mainstream: turning an invisible health variable into a number you can see and adjust against.
The packaging play here is not about the box. It is about creating a category where the physical product is the proof of need. Most physical-product brands enter existing categories and compete on attributes: better ingredients, lower price, faster shipping. The90 instead defined a new job to be done and built the tool that does it. The wearable is the packaging for the behavior change, and the behavior change is the reason to buy ongoing sun-care products that pair with measured exposure. This sets up a consumables flywheel: the tracker creates demand for compatible or recommended topical products, and the topical products reinforce the value of tracking.
A small brand can run the same play without hardware R&D by identifying a behavior in their product category that customers perform blind. If you sell hydration products, the invisible variable is actual fluid intake timing. If you sell posture-support goods, the invisible variable is hours spent in poor positions. The steal is to create a simple tracking mechanism, even analog, that makes the invisible visible. A hydration brand could package a simple intake log card with time-based checkboxes and sell it as part of the product bundle. The card costs 14 cents to print and makes the behavior measurable. Customers who track compliance buy refills at higher rates because they see the gap between intent and execution.
The broader lesson is that categories without measurement tools are categories waiting for someone to introduce accountability. The90 did not improve sunscreen. They made sun-care measurable, and the measurement itself is the product innovation. That is a play any physical-goods brand can steal with a $200 print run and a behavior they want customers to track.
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