Hui's JOMC221 Journal

The Proactiv Solution Brand and Image

Proactive Solution is one product from Guthy-Renker, a direct-marketing company that specializes in cosmetics. Are they good cosmetics? I do not know because I have never tried them. I have not seen any online reviews or comments.

These cosmetics are not cheap. They are double and triple normal prices. They may or may not be effective, but the pricing makes all of them very exclusive products.

Guthy-Renker relies on famous people to market their products. Its product image is related to the image of its spokespeople. The spokespeople include Vanessa Williams, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Cindy Crawford, Elle Macpherson, Daisy Fuentes, Brooke Burke, Stephanie Seymour, Anthony Roberts, Leeza Gibbons, Susan Lucci and Judith Light. Basically, they are all rich, famous and attractive people.

The Marketing and Advertising of Proactive Solution

Guthy-Renker is a direct-marketing company. It relies on Internet marketing (such as affiliate programs) TV infomercials and magazine ads. I am not sure if they use direct mail in the U.S.A. but they do not use them in Japan. Neither do they use fliers nor newspaper inserts in Japan.

The company has an online affiliate program. Here it is, as taken from its Affiliate Program homepage.

Guthy-Renker's affiliate program offers the following for all of our brands:

1. 17% commission on most items—$5 bounty on Winsor Pilates $9.95 offers (U.S. domestic sales only)
2. Commission paid on return visits (up to 10 days after last visit from your site)
3. Monthly payments (subject to $25 minimum payment threshold)
4. LinkShare Premium Merchant status

Guthy-Renker uses Linkshare to make the payments easy. Any Webmaster can apply. It is free. Although the Web sites are self-selected, I am sure that Guthy-Renker approaches some others.

How effective is an affiliate program? Whether Guthy-Renker makes a lot or a little, there are almost no costs to the company. It is a win-win situation.

The Guthy-Renker homepage uses Macromedia Flash Player and is very attractive. The other pages are full of information and data but are a little plainer. The official Web site for Proactiv Solution is simple but has a video presentation with Jessica Simpson.

In Japan, I have cable television. I pay a lot every month but it seems as though half the programs are infomercial. The worst thing about them, after their frequency, is that they do not serve the customer. One can hear many positive testimonials. One can hear many oohs and aahs from a ‘live’ audience. One does not hear the price! It bothers me to wait ten or fifteen minutes to learn the price. Infomercials must work; otherwise, companies would not use them so often.

Proactive Solution has ads in US Weekly magazine among others. The choice of magazines offers a clue to Guthy-Renker’s target market. Who reads US Weekly? Young women who admire celebrities do. If they like Vanessa Williams they may want to look like Vanessa Williams. Coincidentally, Jessica Simpson is this week’s cover girl.

Possible Directions for Proactive Solution

I have read that Guthy-Renker is a direct-marketing ‘giant’, but it can benefit from the input of a smart, Chinese, Internet business consultant. Unfortunately, I am just a student of writing for digital media.

First of all, I think the affiliate program is not enough for online marketing. They should buy banners on Web sites. I think they should target the online versions of popular celebrity and women’s magazines. Anything related to teenagers would be fine.

Here in Japan, there must be a Japanese-language version of the Web sites. In fact, I could not find a Chinese-language site, either. This is my second recommendation: internationalize. There are a lot of middle-class people in China, India and Europe. They have celebrity spokespeople, too.

Finally, I think that the Proactiv Solutions brand name can be put into GIF images. It seems that the most insidious marketing is good for spreading a brand name. As long as the name of this product is on the minds of potential buyers, it does not matter how annoying the placements are. Disagree? Just a moment, please. Let me find that marketing consultant from China.