Instead Of A Traditional Product Launch, HIKI Decides To Give Back

Bringing a product to market, after months or even years of hard work, is cause for celebration. But what if a little bit of RNA brings the world to a halt, derailing a carefully planned product debut, leaving you with a brand-spanking-new product ready-to-ship and navigating starting a business amid a precarious time with an uncertain future?

The folks at arfa came up with a solution; don’t officially launch and instead give back to those on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic with a gesture of gratitude and solidarity.

This past week, arfa was set to release HIKI, their first line of personal care products, designed to decrease the effects of sweat. The bold and minimal range includes an anti-chafe stick, antiperspirant, deodorants, and wipes. arfa is a company that brings together a collection of diverse people to develop vegan and cruelty-free products that don’t just cater to "normal" people. 

Now, HIKI is giving away products to hospitals and medical facility workers, regardless of their role instead of having a traditional launch. They only ask $2.50 to help offset some of the costs, as processing and shipping fees average to about $8.00 an order. They are also offering two free products for anyone that offers a message of kindness on social media. For the latter group, HIKI is asking for five dollars, again, to offset costs.

“Although we do not feel this is an appropriate time to launch HIKI as a brand for sale, we believe we still have the ability to help people,” they explain in their announcement, adding, “while we are a startup with limited resources, what we do have are HIKI products ready to ship, and a fundamental belief in the power of empathy to help people feel better. Starting today, we’ve decided to give HIKI products away in an effort to build a different form of human connection.”