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Case Study: Proactiv

California State University Monterey Bay

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Case Study: Proactiv

Discussion Question 1

Proactiv sells its product through infomercials, online line through the company’s

website, selected upscale boutiques, kiosks, and a subscription service. It is a unique brand and

differs from its competitors in the market. It has established itself as a brand and is selling the

product in different parts of the world. Proactiv has taken the help of celebrities to endorse their

product. “Celebrity endorsements are a powerful and useful tool that magnifies the effect of a

campaign” (Olenski, 2016). This has helped them promote their products.

It is the only product in their market that solves acne problems and prevents new acne

from recurring. This product is a medical breakthrough in fighting all acne related problems.

Customers who have used the product before had seen positive results. Therefore, it became a

number one acne brand to be sold because of the importance in customer’s lives.

Discussion Question 3

Proactiv’s positioning strategy sets it apart from its competitors because of its creative

strategy. The choice of name for the product is of great signal importance, it suggests that it is a

creative and proactive approach to treating skin blemishes. Through this company’s positioning

strategy, it “delivers more value to the consumer, establishes a stronger position against

competitors, has more compelling communications and has a higher probability of keeping its

customers” (Woodruff, 2019). Also, Proactiv’s position strategy utilizes celebrity endorsements

in its infomercials. Its infomercials feature celebs who such as Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Kelly

Clarkson, and many more gave their testimonials for the skin care products which has grown in

acceptance and recognition. “The use of a local celebrity can do much to enhance consumers'

awareness and understanding of what a small business offers” (Suttle, 2019). It is crazy for
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people to realize that celebrities suffer from acne and having stars like Bieber and Perry talk

about their struggles to maintain clear skin does lend credibility to the product and also

humanizes the Proactiv brand and makes it trustworthy. Their strategy “positions” their product

against a competing product.

One of the three critical marketing decisions is Rodan and Fields marketed their product

as if it were a skin product rather than an acne product. They did not look at it as just an acne

medication product. This helped them reach a wider group of customers. The second effective

marketing decision was the name of the product that was chosen. The name described their

product exactly what Rodan and Fields were trying to achieve. Their product was intended to

prevent the occurrence of additional acne related problems. This described the overall product

and led to its name. The last critical marketing decision was to use infomercials instead of

commercial or print media. This helped them reach a wider audience. When using an infomercial

to advertise, “you can expand upon the features of your product and give your prospects a clear

idea of how they will benefit from using the product” (Joseph, n.d.). It helped them to educate

people on how to treat acne. Infomercials had great success and sold twice as much than

expected.
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References

Joseph, C. (n.d.) Infomercial Advertising Advantages. Retrieved from

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/infomercial-advertising-advantages-46608.html

Olenski, S. (2016). How Brands Should Use Celebrities For Endorsements. Retrieved from

https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2016/07/20/how-brands-should-use-celebrities-for-

endorsements/#7d3bdfff5593

Suttle, R. (2019). What Are Five Advantages to Using Celebrities in Advertising? Retrieved from

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/five-advantages-using-celebrities-advertising-34394.html

Woodruff, J. (2019). Examples of Positioning Strategy in Marketing. Retrieved from

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-positioning-strategy-marketing-10166.html