In 1995, two dermatologists, Dr. Katie Rodin and Dr. Kathy Fields, developed what they believed was a medical breakthrough to fight acne. Their mission: to help millions of people rid themselves of acne and acne related problems. They named their product Proactive Solutions. They chose this name because the product could heal existing blemishes and proactively help prevent new ones from forming. Advertised widely in the United States, Proactive has been a popular acne treatment brand for many years. It is a three-part acne treatment kit that includes a cleanser, toner, and treatment cream. The firm does not sell its product in mass merchandising stores. Instead, it is sold via infomercials, the company’s website, a subscription service called the “Proactive Solution Clear Skin Club,” and in select upscale boutiques and kiosks. As an entrepreneurial venture, Proactive is an interesting story. Early in its life, three critical marketing decisions, to which the company remains committed today, shaped the firm. This case recounts these decisions and discusses how the decisions shaped this entrepreneurial venture’s future....

Discussion Questions:

1.How has Proactive gone about establishing its brand? To what degree do you believe Proactive is important in its customers’ lives?
2.Discuss the things that Rodin and Fields learned, prior to meeting Guthy-Renker, that persuaded them that infomercials were the best way to sell Proactive. Had Proactiv failed to develop infomercials in partnership with Guthy-Renker, do you think the firm would exist today? Why were infomercials a better choice than print or media advertising for Proactive as the company introduced its products to prospective customers?
3.Describe Proactive’s positioning strategy. To what extent did the three critical marketing decisions discussed in the case shape the evolution of this firm’s positioning strategy?
4.What is the difference between Proactive’s core product and its actual product? Describe its actual product and your assessment of whether the actual product provides an attractive mix of characteristics.