Capstone Project
For my Capstone project, I had the privilege of working with Pacific Rim Brands, a Kelowna-based organization that partners with companies to bring new skincare, natural health, and nutraceutical products from lab development to market launch — covering formulation, regulatory compliance, packaging, and marketing.
This project was one of the most valuable and rewarding learning experiences I’ve had. It offered real, hands-on experience where the work my team and I completed was directly implemented into an organization’s marketing strategy.
My Role
I worked in a team of three, and my group members selected me to take on the role of Team Lead due to my strong organizational skills and commitment to the project. In this role, I was responsible for scheduling meetings, managing communication among my teammates, and coordinating weekly check-ins with our partners at Pacific Rim Brands to provide progress updates and discuss next steps.
Our partners were incredibly supportive and communicative, setting clear expectations while also trusting us to take ownership of the project and make decisions independently — something that made this experience both challenging and empowering.
The Project
Our project, which ran from September to December 2024, involved conducting a month-long Home User Testing (HUT) group for Collage Beauty, testing three skincare products. The insights gathered from these trials were used to support the brand’s marketing launch.
This was an especially exciting opportunity, as Michele, the Chief Commercial Officer at Pacific Rim Brands, shared that very few organizations conduct HUTs in-house — most outsource this kind of research to larger U.S. firms. Knowing that we were trusted to execute such a specialized process made the project even more meaningful.
The HUT required adaptability and problem-solving, as situations could shift quickly. My team and I learned to respond efficiently, stay organized, and communicate effectively throughout every stage.
Research and Preparation
At the beginning, we conducted extensive research on how HUTs operate, since none of us had prior experience leading one. We also analyzed the marketing claims used by various skincare brands to ensure our surveys captured insights that would be most valuable for Collage Beauty’s product positioning.
Once we developed our structure, I created a detailed timeline to keep the project on track and ensure accountability among all team members.
Recruitment proved to be one of the biggest challenges. We aimed to include a diverse demographic (ages 18–80) to ensure a balanced and representative group. Along with recruiting friends and family, I took initiative to reach out to local community Facebook groups, which helped us connect with more participants, particularly in the older demographic.
Thanks to this outreach, we exceeded our initial goal of 60 participants (20 per product) and successfully maintained strong participation rates throughout the trial — with more than 60% of participants recruited directly by me.
Execution and Data Collection
While recruitment was underway, we created our surveys using Qualtrics, a platform that allowed us to collect and analyze data efficiently. Each product had its own tailored set of questions to evaluate performance and consumer perception.
We began with an initial impressions survey, followed by weekly check-ins over a four-week period. We made real-time adjustments to questions to improve data quality and capture stronger claim opportunities. All responses were tracked in Excel, where we organized the data and created visual charts to help identify trends and insights.
Once the HUT concluded, we analyzed the findings, identified key marketing claim opportunities, and refined the phrasing of those claims to maximize impact. To thank participants for their time and contributions, we provided each with a gift card of their choice.
Results and Impact
At the end of the project, our team presented a comprehensive marketing claims report to members of the Pacific Rim Brands team, including their CEO. It was incredibly rewarding to later see that the claims we developed were implemented on the Collage Beauty website as part of their official product marketing.
Key Takeaways
This project strengthened my leadership, project management, communication, and time management skills while giving me first-hand experience in product testing, consumer research, and data-driven marketing strategy.
It also reinforced the importance of adaptability, collaboration, and creativity — skills I continue to apply to every project I take on.