Jul 1, 2025

From concept to market-ready in 10 days: A Bare Hands case study

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In this blog:

As an emerging brand in the crowded personal care space, Bare Hands faced a classic startup dilemma. They had developed natural nail and footcare products that they believed could disrupt the market, but they needed to validate their assumptions quickly. The team wanted to understand how real consumers would interact with their products and determine the best positioning strategy for their upcoming launch.

Specifically, they needed answers to these questions:

Does this new product feel like a proper extension of the Bare Hands brand?
How should we position their brand in the market so that it resonates with our target audience of “better-for-you makeup users”?

In the beauty and personal care industry, getting the product formula, packaging, and messaging right from the start can make or break a brand. Bare Hands needed comprehensive consumer insights, and they needed them fast.

The solution: Agile testing at lightning speed

Rather than spending months on traditional market research, Bare Hands partnered with Highlight to execute an agile, nationwide product testing campaign. The approach was elegantly simple yet incredibly effective.

The process

Product Distribution. 90 product samples of 2 different SKUs were shipped nationwide to at-home nail care users.
Real-World Testing. Participants used the products in their natural environment.
Deep Dive Insights. 5 in-depth interviews were conducted with key users to understand nuanced reactions.
Live Data Stream. Results began flowing into a live dashboard from day one.

What made this approach revolutionary wasn't just the speed—it was the quality of insights gathered in real-time. Instead of hypothetical responses in a focus group setting, Bare Hands received authentic feedback from people using their products as part of their actual beauty routines.

The results

Timeline Achievement: Just 4 days from product receipt to initial data, with comprehensive feedback delivered in under 10 days.

Product Performance Insights: Participants provided detailed feedback on how the products compared to their usual routines. One repeat user shared: "I go for thick creams and rough stones and scrapers - this is much more elegant in both look and process with even better results!"

A new user highlighted a key differentiator: "Sometimes, I put vaseline on my feet to help it from cracking. This smells way better and the texture is also way less messy."

User Experience Validation: The testing confirmed that Bare Hands' approach to product instructions was spot-on. Participants found the directions clear and appreciated innovative touches like QR codes linking to tutorial videos: "The videos are invaluable. Very smart to include the QR code!"

Brand Positioning Clarity: Through deep-dive conversations, Bare Hands gained critical insights into how their new products fit within their existing brand story and what messaging would resonate most with their target audience of "better-for-you makeup users."

Business impact of product testing on market success

Business Impact	Specific Outcomes	Strategic Value
Live Dashboard Access	Real-time consumer feedback eliminated weeks-long wait for research results; could monitor user reactions, satisfaction scores, and usage patterns as they happened	Enabled quick pivots if needed and provided immediate confidence in positive trends during critical pre-launch phase
Message Optimization	Discovered "elegant process with better results" appealed to sophistication-seeking users; "better smell and less messy texture" resonated with practical consumers comparing to drugstore alternatives like Vaseline	Replaced guesswork with data-driven messaging that directly addresses customer pain points and drives purchase intent
Packaging Refinement	Validated that instructional clarity drives usage success; QR code tutorial videos were deemed "invaluable" and "very smart" by users	Confirmed ROI on educational packaging investments and identified key elements that influence purchase decisions
Formula Validation	Users compared products favorably to existing routines ("thick creams and rough stones and scrapers"); provided competitive benchmarking data	Generated authentic competitive claims and proof points for marketing materials and product positioning
Long-term Customer Intelligence	Established foundation understanding ideal customer language, pain points, and decision-making criteria	Informed entire go-to-market strategy from website copy to retail positioning and future product development priorities
Market Confidence	Gained validated proof points, authentic customer testimonials, and clear value proposition communication strategy	Transitioned from "launch and hope" to entering market with data-backed confidence and conversion-optimized messaging

The insights provided Bare Hands with a roadmap for future product development and marketing strategies. By understanding the key drivers of interest in their products, the team could confidently move forward with their launch strategy.

The bottom line

Bare Hands transformed what typically takes months of traditional market research into a 10-day sprint that delivered more actionable insights than conventional methods.

By testing with 90 real users in their natural environments, they gained authentic feedback that allowed them to refine both their product formulation and packaging before launch.

The case demonstrates that with the right approach, emerging brands don't have to choose between speed and quality when it comes to consumer insights. Sometimes, the fastest path to market is also the most insightful one.

Download the full case study here.

Ready to validate your product assumptions and accelerate your path to market with authentic consumer insights? The key is finding agile testing solutions that deliver real-world feedback while providing the brand positioning clarity your launch strategy needs to succeed. Schedule a demo with Highlight to learn more.