Marketing Fundamentals and the Success of Dove's Real Beauty Campaign

This essay analyzes Dove's Real Beauty campaign through the lens of marketing fundamentals, highlighting its success in targeting average women and promoting a message of self-acceptance. The campaign's strategic approach to standing out in a competitive market by focusing on women's desire to feel beautiful, rather than conforming to supermodel standards, is examined. The essay also discusses strategies for customer retention, such as continuous campaign revisions and providing skincare information. Furthermore, it interprets Dove's brand promise as fostering confidence through effective skincare and explores how service-based companies can apply these principles. The author differentiates their proposed massage/yoga business by combining both services in one location, aiming to improve health and relieve stress.

Running head: Marketing Fundamentals 1
Marketing Fundamentals
Name of the Student
Institution

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1. The Dove Real Beauty campaign used a unique message to successfully market its
products, but beneath that message was the effective understanding of basic
marketing fundamentals. What are those fundamentals?
In a pool of contestant, Dove began to look for all means to bring back life into their
original brand. Their PR firm investigated to find out what are some of the women's interests
priorities are. It was reported that most women did not regard themselves as "beautiful" (Berger,
2016). First, they had to determine who their target market was. Again, they had to design a
crusade to draw attention to that market. Dove agreed that they wanted to find a way for their
product to stand out in a crowd of similar products. Their demand was average women around
the world and not the supermodels that so often was used in advertising and still is today.
Dove had to find a compelling message again, to make their product stand out in a sea of
competitors. How to be noticed above the others. What are women's priorities, interests? Most
women want to be beautiful but do not believe that they are. They are often found comparing
themselves with supermodels who have a team of makeup artists helping them look gorgeous,
and many of them are still in their teenage modeling products to the more mature audience.
What better way than to use peers to be noticed and stand out in the crowd? Using women of all
types and cultures was not being done and was an excellent move for Dove.
Then Dove had to repeat their message. They not only happened it in advertising, but
they also requested the members of the public to take part and give them feedback by voting on
the models.
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The results were excellent and communicated to Dove that they were on the right track,
their strategy was successful.
2. As a result of its Real Beauty marketing campaign, Dove’s sales soared and it
attracted many new customers. What can the Company do to retain these
customers?
To retain customers, Dove can continue with the same campaign but revise it every year
with new people, new billboards, and questions (Lindström, 2010 ). They can offer skin care
information on the internet and to young girls who may not yet be using skin care products.
Help them to be aware of what time does to everyone. Help them be the best that they can.
They can offer a variety of products for different skin issues and types.
They can also offer different price levels for different levels of product.
3. If a brand is a promise, what does the Dove brand promise its customers?
I believe their promise is a little of what their mission states, "beauty is a source of
confidence and not anxiety." (Dove.com, 2015) I interpret this as being our best and looking the
best that we can help us to feel confident and improves our self-esteem.
Dove science states that Dove has the "gentlest cleansers and Nutrium Moisture, to
moisturize your skin deep down." Most women realize that as they age, moisture is lost in our
skin. A reliable product that helps to restore the moisture balance to a woman's skin is
significant.

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4. What can a company that sells services, rather than commodities, take away from
Dove’s experience?
Listen to your target market. What are their interests and priorities? Then they can
brainstorm ways that they can bring their service to their target market in a way that will get
noticed. Show your customers how your product can help them and not some made up person or
family, but real people (Belch, & Belch, 2015).
5. Building upon the business you would like to open up, what would differentiate your
brand from competitors?
The massage/yoga business is not often found together. There are usually separate spas
and studios, but I have not seen any of them incorporated into one opportunity. Both represent
avenues to improve health, relieve stress and live a better life. The only difference is that it is in
one location and not owned by a chain.

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References
Belch, G. & Belch, M. (2015). Advertising and promotion: an integrated marketing
communications perspective. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Berger, J. (2016). Contagious: why things catch on. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.
Lindström, M. (2010). Brand sense: sensory secrets behind the stuff we buy. New York: Free
Press.
Bahadur, N. HuffingtonPost 2/06/2014 Dove ‘Real Beauty’ Campaign Turns 10: How A
Brand Tried To Change The Conversation About Female Beauty Retrieved from:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/dove-real-beauty-campaign-turns-
10_n_4575940.html http://www.dove.us/ Real Beauty
and Dove Science