QUESTION 1 How has Proactiv gone about establishing its brand?

To what degree do you believe Proactiv is important in its customers lives? i, Establishing the Proactiv brand Proactiv has established a brand image by the use of the power tool of Informercials, celebrity validation and proper consultation of skilled professionals who provided great guide in the branding process of proactive. Proactive used informative commercials to reeducate people on what acne is, and that Proactiv was the only product available that potentially prevented acne from occurring. It also offered acomplete money-back guarantee . Proactiv establish its brand by playing a key role in both promoting brand identity, and also in educating customers. They also used celebrity endorsement to win the hearts of customers who ordinarily would extend their love for such celebrities to the products they endorse. These productive branding approaches were made possible because of the fact that Roda and fields consulted the right people and got professional input to their overall strategy.

ii, The extent of Importance of proactiv to customers To a great extent, proactiv is important in the life of its customers, because there are a great number of people who are suffering from acne who needs a cure. It is proactive rather than reactive in the treatment of acne and acne related issues. The product would help prevent the occurrence of acne and in addition to curing the already existing ones. Teenagers, men and women in their 20s, 30s and 40s suffer from acne. These events of acne prevalence could be as a result of reaction to the harsh environmental elements or hormone secretions. Proactiv has been able to develop a system that would go beyond "spot treatments" to treat the whole face with a combination of several powerful acne-fighting products. Their formula Proactiv Solution can heal existing acneand blemishes, and proactively help prevent new ones from forming.

QUESTION 2 Discuss the things that Rodan and Fields learned, prior to meeting GuthyRenker, that persuaded them that Infomercials were the best way to sell Proactiv. If Proactiv hadnt developed infomercials in partnership with Guthy Renker, do you think Proactiv would be in existence today? Describe why Infomercials were a better choice than print or media advertising for Proactiv when the company was first being introduced.

i, Lessons that Rodan and Fields learned, prior to meeting Guthy- Renker, that persuaded them that Infomercials were the best way to sell Proactiv. They found out that those women who had acne as a medical condition refused to believe that such was the case, and people dont like to talk about their acne with others. They both learned the importance of marketing research, to have a broader vision for the scope of the market for their product. Consequently, they began to think of their product as a skin care product rather than an acne product. Rodan and Fields had their proposals rejected by investors, they learnt that infomercials could only be the best way to sell their product as they did not have capital to get their product in the market. They saw the need for customers to be reeducated about acne and the proactive product made them to embrace infomercials as the most productive way to market their product. Also they realized that their target market were the most group that spends more time watching infomercials. ii,Possible existence of Proactiv today if it hadnt developed infomercials in partnership with Guthy Renker? Proactiv would have been history today if they hadnt developed a partnership with Guthy-Renker as we were told they were ready to give up and to throw in the towel before they met simply by chance introduced them to Guther-Renker. An Informercial company that people in Neutrogena recommended. Guthy-Renker offered to license Proactiv and to create informecial to sell proactive products. iii,Describe why Infomercials were a better choice than print or media advertising for Proactiv when the company was first being introduced.

When Proactiv was being introduced, there was little awareness about the product and value offering the only way they could have broken that barrier is through informercials. Infomercials describe educative and informative commercials. They can be between 15 and 30 minutes or 30-60 minute in length. Segments in an infomercial usually include product demonstrations outlining the product's features and benefits, testimonials, and for some health and beauty and fitness type products, with before and after photos. Informercials is the best and only way for proactive to have established their product. By using infomercial to educate, Drs. Rodan and Fields helped people understand how acne forms, why prevention is the best approach, and how Proactiv was uniquely formulated to effectively treat the acne process and manage it long term. Knowing that 85% of the 70 million people suffering with acne do not consult a doctor, an infomercial created a private (watched in privacy of homes) opportunity for people to get reliable medical information about a sensitive issue. With fewer than 10,000 dermatologists in the U.S. treating a population of 300 million, there are simply not enough dermatologists to go around.

QUESTION 3 Describe Proactivs positioning strategy, To what extent did the three critical marketing decisions discussed in the case shape the evolution of Proactivs positioning strategy?

i,Proactivs postioning strategy Proactiv has rightly positioned their product through a creative strategy. The choice of name for the product is of great signal importance, it suggest that it is a creative and proactive approach to treating skin blemishes. Their infomercials feature celebs who are indeed current A-listers: Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Julianne Hough, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jessica Simpson and Kelly Clarkson and many more gave their testimonials for the skincare products which has grown in acceptance and recognition. The fact that celebrities suffer from acne, just like real people 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 that much more trustworthy. Their strategy positions their product against a competing product.

ii,The Impact of the three critical reasoning. The three critical marketing decisions has helped shape and set the direction of the company till date. Today, Proactiv is strong and their product has been recognized worldwide as skin care product this has helped gained a broader scope of the market and market share making it attractive. The decision to be a beauty care company instead of simply having a product for the treatment of acne shaped the future of the company Proactiv connotes a product that is proactive enough to prevent the occurrence of acne-related problems as opposed to reactive in dealing with acne. This has helped position them rightly in the market as against competitive products. Proactiv has gained prominence through infomercials. Marketed by Guthy-Renker since its launch and by using celebrities to endorse its various skin-care products. Infomercial has helped create the right kind of impression about Proavtiv product. Proactiv infomercials focus on how to use the product, basic benefits of the product, how the users of the product became more confident and make their stories known through testimonials.

QUESTION 4 What is the difference between Proactivs core product and its actual product? Describe its actual product and your assessment of whether the actual product provides an attractive mix of characteristics. The difference between Proactiv s core product and its actual product. The proactive core product is the first solution which was originally for the treatment and prevention of acne. But as a result of market repositioning and a desire to capture a bigger market, it was re-engineered to to be a skin a general skin care product that would treat acne and other blemishes

An assessment of whether the actual product provides an attractive mix of characteristics

Proactiv skin care products are useful to those who have acne issues ranging from mild to moderate. The three step approach of their product made a great impact in the market First The cleanser: it exfoliates the skin to remove dirt and impurities, revealing clearer skin. Secondly the toner: Soothes and softens your skin with natural botanicals. Thirdly, The repairing Lotion: Penetrates skin to help clear blemishes and to prevent further breakouts These products when applied, cure acne and also prevents acne from recurring. The renewing cleanser exfoliates the skin, cleansing the pores and loosening dead skin cells. This is then followed by the revitalizing toner which removes the dead cells while balancing acids found in the skin. Finish the process with the repairing lotion, a solution used to soak up excessive oil in the skin, and help prevent the clogging of pores with oil. Overall,

Proactiv offers a great mix of attractive mix of characteristics. Treating the skin and preventing future blemishes and acne re-occurrence. Such a great mix.