Not just a new pair of shades

A new pair of sunglasses hits the shelf. Same frame, same branding, same signature look. However, there’s a difference. The lenses have been upgraded with a more advanced scratch-resistant coating. Less worry about tossing them in a bag. Fewer returns. Longer-lasting satisfaction. It’s not the kind of change most shoppers will notice at first glance, but for anyone who’s owned a pair of premium shades long enough to watch how well they wear, it matters.

Not every innovation makes headlines. Sometimes, the most powerful shifts happen just under the surface, be it a new feature, a smarter bundle, or a more tailored price point. These changes do not command splashy launch events, but they do defend margin, build loyalty, and reinforce premium positioning. Confusing newness with value, or assuming that only major disruptions can command premium pricing, often leads brands to overlook the incremental innovations that consumers are still willing to pay for.

Innovation: More than meets the eye

Of course, not all innovation happens within the product itself. Sometimes, brands move laterally, expanding into adjacent categories that borrow from existing equity but serve new needs.  

A sunglasses company entering the prescription eyewear space, for example, isn’t inventing a market. It’s diversifying.  

That move comes with its own risks: different consumer expectations, different value drivers, and often, a different pricing logic. What worked in lifestyle fashion may not work in functional health. The frame material might matter less than the optical performance. Here, success depends on a combination of internal knowledge and external benchmarking, understanding where consumers see value and how much they’re willing to pay for it.

Price and perception move together

It’s not just innovation that could use a new lens. As brands stretch their offerings, through new features, new segments, or entirely new markets, the traditional cost-plus pricing model becomes increasingly inadequate. What matters is how clearly customers perceive the added value, and how convincingly the price reflects it.

The connection between innovation and pricing is clear: as products evolve, so must the logic that underpins their value. A recent Simon-Kucher perspective¹ explores this link, showing how different types of innovation shape both perception and risk. The message is simple: credibility in pricing comes not from novelty alone, but from how convincingly value is framed. For all the noise around disruption, tomorrow’s value also can be created through careful refinement. A scratch-resistant lens may not grab headlines, but it reshapes how long a product feels worth its price.  It’s sometimes these quiet shifts that shape how brands are perceived, how products are priced, and what sticks with the customer long after the novelty fades.