Hi Adena, it sounds like you are specifically interested in marketing a hardgoods product. At Humanscope we have had some great success with crowdfunding. We have done six crowdfunding campaigns. Our most successful was on Kickstarter for our Aumi Smart Nightlight where we raised over 160K in 45 days. We have learned alot about what works to have a successful campaign. Alot of upfront social media marketing is required to build a following prior to your launch. You will know within 24 hours if your campaign will be successful. Below is a link that discusses some tips prior to launch.  https://www.kickstarter.com/blog/guest-post-games-creator-james-hudson-on-marketing-your-campaign  There are many other posts on Indiegogo and Kickstarter on how to have a successful campaign. Crowdfunding is a great, low risk way do market research and raise funds for product development and additional marketing.