Is Rodan + Fields Creating a Blue Ocean?

I read this book a while ago called Blue Ocean Strategy,  it was written by these really smart people from Harvard. They drew an analogy to the free market as an ocean.  When all the sharks are feeding, there is a lot of blood in the water, the ocean is red.  The sharks are businesses out there trying to gobble up as much market share as they possibly can.  Think of the cola wars in the 80's, Pepsi and Coke were going at it head to head. "Take the Pepsi Challenge," remember? and then Coke responded with the New Coke, which was an absolute debacle.  In production we closely guard our processes as trade secrets so we have a perceived edge against the competition. But in reality, Production companies all promise the same thing, flawless execution, peace of mind, bringing your vision to life.

The writers of Blue Ocean Strategy noticed that there are companies who don't jump into the crowded red ocean but rather create their own market.  Look at Cirque du Soleil, before they came into the market there was nothing like them. You could go to the circus, but Cirque was something completely different.  Apple did the same thing, there was no mp3 before the iPod. There was no smart phone before the iPhone.

I believe that Rodan +Fields is doing the same thing. There is this niche between premium skin care and the prescriptions you get from the dermatologist.  You can go to the dermatologist and get the prescription, have it filled and then use the medicines at home.  You can go to the beauty counter at Nordstrom's and buy some Clinique and use the products at home.

Here is problem that needed to be solved:

1. Going to the dermatologist requires time and money
2. You're not sure if you're getting the right stuff from the beauty counter
3. Products from the beauty counter may or may not work

Here is the blue ocean that Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields created.  They formulated regimens that will address most of the common skin care concerns using over the counter cosmetic ingredients. The formulations are similar to what you're getting at the dermatologist but without the prescription drugs. That solves the first problem, of the time and money required to go to the doc.

To solve the second problem, they created a solutions tool on the website that asks the right questions to help you discover the right regimen for your specific concerns.

I have spent time standing in the skin care aisle at Ulta and left frustrated, who wants to spend a bunch of cash on something that you're not sure is gonna work.

To solve the third problem, they offer a 60 day money back guarantee. They know that it will take more than 30 days to see a change in your skin.  So they give you the time to try the products. (unlike the stuff at Ulta, right??) If they don't work for you for whatever reason, you can send them back for a full refund (as long as its within the 60 day time frame). Personally, that's the thing that got me to try the products.

So they have solved the three problems that most people have with managing their personal skin care. To me, that seems so very forward thinking. This is one of the many reasons that R+F is the fastest growing premium skin care company in the US.

If this piques your interest, let me know, I am always looking to expand the team.