🏔️ CHALLENGE

Naturbummler, a fast-growing outdoor brand, needed to determine which color variants to produce for their new children's Stand-Up Paddle Boards without risking costly inventory mistakes.

♟️ CLIENT'S HYPOTHESIS

The team assumed that all color variants would perform more or less similarly, making it difficult to prioritize production allocation.

💰 AYBEE TEST RESULTS

Color choice was a massive performance driver. Dark Blue generated 454% more purchase interest than Yellow when shown first, while Purple attracted attention but failed to convert. Gender-specific preferences were clear and actionable.

📊 ACTION POINTS:

Implement a data-driven production strategy: Prioritize Dark Blue and Light Blue in manufacturing, maintain Purple/Pink inventory for targeted demographics, and reduce Yellow production due to consistently low performance.

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✅ OUTCOME:

We helped Naturbummler eliminate production guesswork and unlock up to 454% revenue potential. By testing before manufacturing, they reduced inventory risk, optimized production allocation, and maximized alignment between market demand and output.

Key Details

Client: NaturbummlerIndustry: Outdoor & Camping EquipmentMarket: GermanyProduct: Children's Stand-Up Paddle Boards (New Launch)Projected Revenue: €7 million in 2024Use Case: Pre-Production Color ValidationParticipants: 1,000 parents across Germany

The Full Story

The Pre-Production Dilemma

Naturbummler, founded in 2020, has quickly become one of Germany's fastest-growing outdoor brands with projected revenue of €7 million in 2024. As they prepared to launch a new line of children's Stand-Up Paddle Boards, they faced a critical decision that could make or break the product's success: which colors should they produce?

Manufacturing outdoor equipment requires significant upfront investment. Producing the wrong color mix could lead to:

• Excess inventory of unpopular variants tying up capital
• Stockouts of high-demand colors, leaving revenue on the table
• Discounting pressure to clear slow-moving inventory
• Missed market opportunity in a competitive category

The conventional approach would be to rely on internal assumptions, past experience, or competitor analysis. But Naturbummler knew that children's products—where parents make the purchasing decisions—require a different approach. Rather than guessing, they partnered with Aybee to validate color preferences before committing to production.

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The Test: Real Parents, Real Decisions

Aybee designed a realistic product test environment with 1,000 qualified parents across Germany, carefully selected to match Naturbummler's target customer profile:

• Parents with children aged 5-12
• Active in outdoor hobbies
• Main household decision-makers

All color variants were shown simultaneously in a realistic shopping context, and participants made selections under real-world conditions—just like an actual buying decision. The test tracked three critical objectives:

1.Measure overall and gender-specific color preferences

2.Track behavioral metrics like opening rate, buying interest, and conversion

3.Use this data to guide production priorities before launch

The Surprising Color Hierarchy

The results revealed dramatic differences in performance—far from the "all colors perform similarly" assumption:

🎯 Dark Blue: The Clear Winner

• Generated 454% more purchase interest than Yellow when shown first
• Top choice among boys with 92 selections
• Consistently led to higher interaction and intent across all metrics

🔍 Purple: The Attention Trap

• Leading choice for girls with 62 selections
• Attracted attention but failed to convert at the same rate
• Highlighted the critical gap between visual appeal and actual purchase behavior

🟡 Yellow: The Underperformer

• Consistently underperformed across all metrics
• Warm/secondary tones failed to resonate with the target audience
• Would have been a costly production mistake if manufactured at scale

The Psychology Behind the Preferences

Aybee's analysis uncovered clear gender-specific patterns that would inform not just production, but future marketing strategy:

Gender-Specific Color Preferences:

• Boys: Strong preference for Dark Blue (92 selections)
• Girls: Leading preference for Purple (62 selections), though with weaker final conversion
• Suggests the need for tailored positioning in future campaigns and product photography

Color as a Performance Lever:

• Cool tones like Blue consistently led to higher interaction and purchase intent
• Warm/secondary tones (e.g., Yellow) underperformed across all metrics
• Color wasn't just aesthetic—it was a revenue driver

The Data-Driven Production Strategy

Armed with these insights, Naturbummler implemented a precise, risk-minimized production plan:

🟦 Prioritized Dark Blue & Light Blue

• Allocated the majority of manufacturing capacity to proven high-performers
• Ensured sufficient inventory to meet strong demand
• Maximized revenue potential from launch day

🟣 Maintained Purple/Pink Inventory

• Produced targeted quantities for the female demographic
• Balanced appeal with conversion reality
• Avoided overproduction based on attention alone

🟡 Reduced Yellow Production

• Minimized or eliminated Yellow from initial production runs
• Avoided tying up capital in slow-moving inventory
• Freed up resources for high-performing variants

The Impact: Test Before You Invest

By validating color preferences before production, Naturbummler achieved:

• Up to 454% revenue potential by prioritizing the right colors
• Reduced inventory risk by avoiding low-performing variants
• Optimized production allocation aligned with real market demand
• Clear understanding of gender-specific preferences for future campaigns
• Maximum alignment between market interest and production output

The approach transformed a high-risk production decision into a data-backed certainty.

As Naturbummler's team reflected:

"With Aybee's help, we didn't guess—we knew which colors to produce."

And in a separate statement:

"Our test with Aybee revealed which colors truly resonate with parents. Based on real behavioral insights, we prioritized the top-performing colors for production—and saw outstanding business results."

Why This Matters

This case study demonstrates a critical truth in product development: assumptions about preferences can cost you millions in inventory mistakes. What seems like a simple aesthetic choice—color—can actually be a massive performance lever when validated with real customer behavior.

Aybee's pre-production simulations allow brands to:

• Test product variants before committing to manufacturing—eliminating costly guesswork
• Identify performance gaps between visual appeal and actual conversion
• Understand demographic preferences to inform both production and marketing
• Optimize inventory allocation to maximize revenue and minimize risk
• Launch with confidence, knowing exactly what the market wants

Curious how your product variants would perform?

With Aybee, test colors, features, or designs in a real buyer environment—before you invest in production.

Validate before you manufacture. Optimize before you launch.

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