The secret to a repeat customer? The answer is “Crystal” clear.

In anticipation of Breaking Bad starting up again, I’d like to talk about my habitual use of Crystal, er, specifically Crystal Body Deodorant. I’ve been a loyal user of this stuff for almost 3 years. How do I know this? Because that’s how long just one stick (my first Crystal)  lasted me.

Here’s a pic of my old Crystal stick on the right, and the brand new stick I bought yesterday:

As a comparison, normal deodorants I’ve used in the past might last for about 1.5 to 2 months depending on how often they were used.

I found the Crystal brand when web searching deodorants that would not cause rashes on my skin where I applied it. I might be thick skinned, but it’s also sensitive! I figured there had to be…oh, I dunno…a Hypoallergenic Fragrance and Parben Free body deodorant stick(?) out there on the market, and sure enough, after typing in those random, non-specific search terms…there was Crystal.

So what does my deodorant have to do with marketing, or more specifically…why am I even writing this post at all?

The answer: I don’t know.

Also, I cannot recall seeing much, if any advertising or marketing for Crystal, at least here in the Northeast, but the story behind it is interesting and shows how long the product has obviously sold, and presumably sold very well without any national marketing campaigns.

Quick test: Name a popular mainstream men’s deodorant.Go ahead, name just one.

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Was it this old school fave?

Or this one featuring a young and eager to get closer Brooke Shields?

Whatever you picked, then chances are you picked a brand that probably spends…I dunno, at least a few hundred million more in overall marketing spend than Crystal does maybe in their entire product history. But like I said…I don’t know. But I do know that I like the product and it doesn’t give me a rash or make me the gym stinky guy, and for that, I am grateful and the good folks at Crystal have a happy customer for life.

But let’s not dismiss the marketing that Crystal DOES appear to be doing, and doing very well. For example, there also appears to be a product line called Rock that is targeting the male demographic with more masculine packaging and graphics, but presumably the same product. Here’s an audio clip of Howard Stern promoting it on his show.

I was not paid for this endorsement of the product (although we could change that, if the good folks at Crystal or anyone else is interested). I just wanted to share my thoughts on the product, how it’s marketed, and my theory on its success. First and foremost, it’s a great product that serves my needs and presumably many others. Next, remember that I have used my previous Crystal stick for about 2.5 years or so. The only reason I bought a replacement is due to the fact that I can no longer adjust the crystal deodorant stone up and past the plastic casing. As you can see from the photo, it’s pretty gunked out anyway.

Plus, I figured it was maybe time to drop the $6.99 or so for another. Since I was so satisfied with the results, I decided to buy another Crystal without even considering other brands or types. Maybe that’s why they don’t spend a lot on marketing; because their product is unmatched and has a sizable number of repeat buyers.

But they do some marketing that is relatively inexpensive, and it works for the brand while reaching their target market: folks like me with sensitive skin who turn to the Internet to do Web searches on their needs to find a product that can help.

Plus…all of the positive traffic from this blog post. So there you go, Crystal. Let this post be my small way of saying thanks–thank you for keeping me smelling relatively pleasant and my sensitive Korean-American skin relatively rash-free.