You’ll often see people who collect things—whether it’s gadgets, décor, or home appliances—from one trusted brand or company. A dutiful dinner host might set the table with matte ceramic dinner plates, gold-tipped utensils, and handcrafted drinking glasses purchased from a single homeware line. A wedding photographer could start their business with a camera, then add a set of lenses, a sturdy travel tripod, and a leather camera strap from the same brand.
These companies, in providing lots of products their customers want to buy, have also built product ecosystems their customers love to use together. With a few tips and real-world examples of retail companies that have grown from single items into complete collections, you too can build a successful product ecosystem for your own brand.
What is a product ecosystem?
A product ecosystem is a thoughtfully designed family of product offerings that complement each other and boost the overall customer experience when used together.
These ecosystems can consist of:
- Products (e.g., a furniture collection)
- Services (e.g., a task management app that releases a separate meeting scheduler)
- Combinations of the two (e.g., gaming systems that combine consoles with online game memberships)
Product ecosystems make purchase decisions easier by showing customers exactly which pieces work together, eliminating the guesswork of mixing and matching across brands. For retail brands, a product ecosystem drives revenue through deep loyalty, as customers invest in multiple complementary items, naturally reaching for additions from the same trusted brand rather than experimenting with competitors.
How to build a product ecosystem
- Research your customers and competition
- Build an expansion roadmap
- Test your product expansion
- Leverage your existing products
- Evolve based on customer signals
The right product expansion can strengthen customer loyalty, increase revenue, and build market dominance. However, the wrong moves can lead to brand dilution, a phenomenon where customers lose trust in your core offering. Here’s how to ensure success as you grow from one product to a powerful portfolio:
1. Research your customers and competition
If you expand into categories your target audience doesn’t want or need, your product ecosystem is doomed from the start. Understanding exactly how customers use your current products—and what frustrates them about the experience—reveals genuine opportunities for expansion.
The key is identifying gaps in their routines where your brand could naturally fit. For instance, customer feedback might reveal that while your customers love your high-impact athletic sneaker, they also want something more lightweight for recovery days. This offers a natural expansion opportunity.
Additionally, keep a close eye on which competitors have built their own successful ecosystems, noting both their successes and missteps. Study how established brands in your space have grown from single products into complete collections.
Here are ways to gather information:
- Customer surveys. Send targeted questions to current customers about their habits, preferences, and pain points around your category.
- Social listening. Monitor conversations about your brand and competitors across platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram to spot recurring requests and unmet needs.
- Support emails. Review help desk communications to identify common customer questions, complaints, and product requests.
- Product reviews. Study feedback on your items and competitor products to understand what customersvalue most.
2. Build an expansion roadmap
Your existing customers might want many new products, but it’s unrealistic to launch them all at once. Instead, plan which to launch first, second, and third. Road mapping how your ecosystem evolves means understanding what launches enable others to succeed.
For example, if you make premium running shoes and discover demand for both athletic socks and running caps, launching socks first may make strategic sense. They’re simple to produce, help you master textile manufacturing with a less complex product, and have a more natural connection to your existing footwear line.
Create a detailed product roadmap with target dates and key milestones, sharing it across departments to align your team’s efforts and resources. Document your complete vision, from immediate next steps to long-term goals.
3. Test your product expansion
The allure of a big, splashy product launch can be strong—especially when you’re investing heavily in expanding your product line. However, for companies with limited resources, a measured testing approach is often more pragmatic. Testing allows you to validate demand, refine your offering, and ensure each addition makes your ecosystem valuable to customers before scaling up.
To do this, invite your most engaged customers to preview and test new products through exclusive beta programs or early access offers. If you operate internationally, consider a limited release in select markets.
Specific testing approaches might vary by particular industry—food brands might start with limited batch releases, while apparel companies may choose to use preorders to gauge demand. In all, these soft launches reduce your risk of wasted inventory, damaged brand reputation, and lost customer trust—all costly mistakes you’ll want to avoid during ecosystem development.
4. Leverage your existing products
You have a built-in advantage when expanding your line because your flagship product already has loyal customers. Start building your successful ecosystem by introducing new items to existing users.
As an example, think about Apple’s product ecosystem. If you have an iPhone or other Apple products, you might get notifications about new Apple TV+ shows to entertain you on that device. This cross-pollination strategy shines in Apple’s 2024 Mac mini commercial. In it, the brand doesn’t just display the portable computer; it shows it working in harmony with their Magic Mouse, Magic Keyboard, iPhone, and iMac, painting a picture of how its products are better together.
Here are ways to use your existing products for launching new ones:
- Bundled offerings. Create special packages that combine products at an attractive price point—like a water bottle bundled with your bestselling gym bag.
- Cross-product messaging. Use your current product packaging to promote new items—such as including inserts about your new running shorts in your sneaker boxes.
- Complimentary samples. Include trial versions of new products with existing purchases—like adding free lipstick samples when shipping your bestselling foundation.
- Strategic discounts. Offer special pricing to existing customers on new category launches—such as giving customers who bought candles in the past early access pricing on your new diffuser line.
5. Evolve based on customer signals
Monitor how customers use your expanding product line through reviews, support tickets, and sales patterns. These signals often reveal unexpected opportunities or the need for adjustments.
For instance, if customer reviews of your new face oil overwhelmingly mention nighttime use, shift your next launch to additional night treatments instead of the day serums you’d planned.
This helps users achieve better results by aligning with their actual routines, making your product ecosystem valuable through real usage patterns. Revisit your product roadmap quarterly, adjusting launch sequences and priorities based on clear customer signals rather than assumptions.
Product ecosystem examples
You might have a successful flagship product and be wondering about your next expansion move. Perhaps you create physical products but are exploring ways to add monthly recurring revenue to your business model. Let’s look at three real-life examples of product ecosystems that can inspire your own path:
Glossier
Emily Weiss launched Glossier in 2014 with just four skin care products. Today, its beauty ecosystem spans every step of a routine—from the Futuredew oil serum (skin care) to Cloud Paint blush (makeup) and Balm Dotcom (lip care). In 2024, it added two new fragrances—Glossier You Doux and You Rêve—showing how deep customer trust enables growth into new beauty territories.
Bruvi
Bruvi has created a smart hardware and consumables ecosystem around the perfect cup of coffee. The Bruvi Brewer combines brewing technology with a sleek design to elevate the at-home coffee experience. Its premium B-Pods come in a growing selection of coffee, tea, and espresso varieties, with new options frequently joining the lineup. After purchasing the brewer, customers have the option of convenient monthly B-Pod subscriptions, giving the company recurring revenue on top of hardware sales.
Away
The original Away suitcase has evolved into a complete travel and lifestyle accessories collection. Away now outfits all sorts of bags to support different kinds of movement. For the daily work trek, there is the Commuter Backpack, the Overnight Bag is for weekend trips, and the Mini Crossbody for quick errands. By expanding beyond pure travel into everyday moments, Away has positioned itself as a brand for all types of journeys, large and small.
Product ecosystem FAQ
What is an example of a product ecosystem?
An example of a product ecosystem is Away, which started as a suitcase brand and has expanded into selling bags for a variety of uses, from overnight duffel bags to garment bags, diaper bags, and backpacks.
How do you create an ecosystem for a product?
Building a product ecosystem starts with customer research to identify natural expansion points, then evolves through careful testing, co-marketing with complementary products, and constant refinement based on user feedback.
What are the benefits of a product ecosystem?
The benefits of a product ecosystem serve both sides: Customers gain products that naturally work together and streamline their routines. Brands increase revenue through cross-category purchases and deeper brand loyalty.
