Dove Case Study: Evolution of a Brand and Marketing Strategy Analysis

This case study analyzes the evolution of the Dove brand, examining its shift from a functional brand to one with a strong point of view. It explores the brand's use of various marketing tools, from traditional broadcast media to digital platforms, and discusses the challenges of managing brand messaging in the digital age. The assignment includes true/false questions about Unilever's brand management structure and the Dove brand, as well as a written response section. The written section delves into the key customer insight behind the Real Beauty campaign and proposes strategic changes to Dove's brand strategy to foster continued growth. The analysis highlights the significance of understanding customer needs, adapting to market trends, and leveraging natural ingredients to maintain market leadership. The study also considers the importance of pricing strategies, market penetration in developing countries, and the impact of campaign ideologies on global market reach.

Running Head: DOVE CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY ANALYSIS OF DOVE

DOVE CASE STUDY
This case examines the evolution of the Dove brand positioning from a functional brand to a
brand with a point of view. It also examines the evolution of brand building tools from broadcast
media, which permit tight control of message content, to digital media in which the content of
communication is only partly under the control of the marketer.
Please indicate whether the following statements about Unilever's brand management structure
are TRUE or FALSE.
True False
Unilever's brand management
structure changed in 2000
Answer:
True
Brand development team was
responsible for global brand
planning
Answer:
False
Brand building team was
responsible for building brands in
specific geographies
Answer:
True
Brand development team was
responsible for the brand's cash
flow
Answer:
False
Brand builders primarily reported
to the global brand manager
Answer:
False
Please indicate whether the following statements about Dove brand are True or False.
False
Dove brand's core
positioning changed
several times between
1957 and 2000
False
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DOVE CASE STUDY
False
Answer:
The Real Beauty
campaign launched in
early 2000 completely
changed the original
brand associations of
Dove
Answer:
True
Written Answer:
What was the key customer insight behind the Real Beauty campaign?
If you were the global brand manager of Dove in 2007, what changes would you make to
Dove's brand strategy to continue its growth in the next five years?
Dove in the early 2000s began searching for a way to revive the brand, which was facing
stringent competition in the market (Deighton, 2008). Edelman, the PR agency surveyed 3,000
women in 10 countries for learning regarding women’s interests and priorities. The report
revealed 2% of women interviewed considered themselves beautiful, which served as an
opportunity for Dove. They initiated a campaign regarding beauty beyond the introduction of
body wash and shampoo. The key customer insight that Dove utilized behind the Real Beauty
campaign was tapping women to think and feel regarding their beauty. The Campaign had
received 1.5 million visitors. Some critics of the brand claim that the branding concept proposed
by the Company was not real. Unilever had several products that objectified women in their
advertisement, hence the search for real beauty for Dove was considered not authentic in nature.
Creating billboards by campaigning for beauty, Dove attracted women visitors, who were
interested to talk regarding the topic. Dove aimed at celebrated the natural physical variation of
all women and to make them feel comfortable regarding themselves. The concept of beauty
earlier than the Dove campaign included an image of perfection in physical and facial
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DOVE CASE STUDY
appearance, it also included discrimination against skin tone. It was Dove that reassured women
to feel perfectly comfortable regarding the way they looked and appeared. This appealed women
from around the world with Dove becoming a major brand. Dove tried to attract women of all
types through the campaigning as it felt it would have positive impacts on the brand.
Dove launched the "Tick Box" billboard campaign featuring women in all shapes in their
underwear. The campaign aimed at empowering women and to make them feel confident
regarding their bodies. The aim of Dove was to remove stereotypes of beauty from the traditional
understanding of beauty. The campaign later went on to partner with organizations to stop online
bullying and in photography projects. Though it was later acknowledged that the beauty message
could prove problematic, as women defining beauty does not actually feel differently regarding
themselves.
In case I was a global brand manager of Dove in 2007, then I would adopt various
changes in dove’s brand strategy such that it continues on its growth over the next five years. In
order to position the Dove brand as a market leader around the world, I would consider
positioning Dove being made from natural ingredients. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty was
unique in nature at that time and so was a natural product (Froehlich, 2010). During the 2000s,
consciousness regarding the use of chemicals in soaps and body soaps with their ill-effects were
increasing. Consumers were increasingly becoming aware of the ill-effects of using chemicals in
their soaps. Dove could have used natural ingredients as its brand strategy in order to gain
acceptance amongst men as well as women. It would have created greater acceptance for the
brand.
The environmental cause has been gaining steady foothold since the 2000s and consumer
awareness had been increasing in a steady fitness. A strong campaign focussed on environmental
consciousness and caring for the skin by not using chemicals could be a positive message from
Dove. Instead, Dove took on defining beauty, which was heavily criticized and mocked. It was
realized that women, who were defining beauty did not start feeling different about them, thus
the problem initiated by surveying women was not resolved. Instead Dove made use of women's
feeling in order to market their product and gain a competitive edge.
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DOVE CASE STUDY
Designing a soap that is free from chemicals and has minimum impacts on the skin could
be a better branding strategy that could establish Dove on a five-year growth plan. The plan
would especially yield results in countries, where women use natural products to cleanse their
skin instead of soaps. Their body wash could have gained better foothold and Dove could make
its entry into countries such as Egypt, other Middle Eastern countries, India and other parts of
China. Women in these countries since ages had been using naturally made ingredients that are
free from any type of chemical. With industrialization reaching these countries at a later stage
and high costs of soap led usage of soap in these countries amongst women is particularly low.
Dove could have had better brand penetration in these countries.
Dove originally priced its soap bars and body washes at prices higher than other
competitors. Dove could lower its prices and introduce its products in developing countries to
increase its sales. Dove’s outreach in less developing countries is particularly low due to its high
price. Therefore, Dove could design small bars of soap and gain retail market access in lesser
developed countries such as to increase its sales in the future. Retail sales have the power to
compound returns for any company and for Unilever's Dove brand, it could work wonders in the
2007 period. Unilever had significantly less market share in the Middle East and Asian region
compared to the rest of the world. With lesser manufacturing facilities, producing Dove and
lesser distribution centers, the Company's focus was in America, Canada and European markets
only. Though the Real Beauty campaign helped tapped many markets for Dove, especially some
parts of the African market, yet it continued to market lower market share in Asia and the Middle
Eastern region. Therefore, lowering price and designing smaller packs could enable Dove to gain
steady access into these markets enabling it to grow further. Dove's campaign was based on
ideologies that were sensed in women from America, Canada and Europe primarily. The
campaign failed to identify the demands of women from greater parts of the world.
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DOVE CASE STUDY
References
Deighton, J. (March 25, 2008). Dove: Evolution of a Brand. Harvard Business School.
Froehlich, K. (2010, August). Dove: Changing the Face of Beauty?. In Fresh Ink: Essays From
Boston College's First-Year Writing Seminar (Vol. 12, No. 2). Retrieved from
<https://ejournals.bc.edu/ojs/index.php/freshink/article/view/1093/1063>
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