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Case study Dove expands definition of true beauty in women ... and men In a world where images of beauty are based on physical seduction

Case study

Dove expands definition of true beauty in women ... and men

In a world where images of beauty are based on physical seduction and digital retouching, Dove's True Beauty Initiative brings a breath of fresh air. The campaign, which features real women, not professional models, was launched in Canada by Unilever.

In a study of 3,200 women worldwide, Unilever found that 76% of them wanted more realistic portraits of beauty in advertising. Only 2% of women described themselves as "beautiful".

According to Aleksandra Hoszowski, Dove's deputy brand manager, Unilever's approach to integrated marketing communications is to focus its campaign on a key consumer idea. However, the key idea that emerged from the study was this: the current definition of beauty is too narrow and women want it to change. Hoszowski claims that Dove's mission is to broaden the definition of beauty. The True Beauty Initiative builds on the belief that beauty exists at all ages and in various shapes and sizes, and that true beauty can be striking.

At the start of the campaign, Unilever wrote to 58 well-known photographers around the world asking them, "What do you think is a beautiful woman? Sharon MacLeod, director of marketing at Dove Canada, says she was overwhelmed with responses and photos of women and children of all ages, sizes and ethnicities. Dove then organized an exhibition of 67 of these photos (including photos of Annie Leibovitz), all loaned free of charge. Donations collected from visitors went to the Dove Evening Esteem Fund, created to help women and girls celebrate their unique beauty.

Throughout the campaign, the message was conveyed through a variety of integrated marketing communications tools: print and broadcast ads, billboards, promotional inserts, websites, samples, direct mail, store promotions and public relations.

A good communication strategy must ensure that all the tools support and disseminate the same integrated and coherent message. Some people mistakenly believe that in an integrated marketing communications plan, you always have to communicate the same message the same way. However, MacLeod explains that, for communication to be integrated, it is necessary to transmit the same message, but in different ways. It is important to maintain a consistent look, feel and tone. "We are very aware of the tone used by Dove," she says. The personality of the Dove brand is honest, direct, simple. She talks to you like a friend, without hype. "

Look at any Dove ad and you will see that all of them are consistent, with their predominant white background, simple design and real women. The message they send is as follows:

"Be beautiful, be yourself. "

The campaign results are impressive, as all of the visitors to the photo exhibit have established contact with the Dove brand. The www.campaignforrealbeauty.ca site received 50,000 visits in the first two months. Unilever had to add staff to its call center as the campaign generated the most interest in the history of the company.

Most importantly, the campaign got consumers to speak out. She engaged them in a debate and helped to rethink their definition of beauty. According to McLeod, the global study found how low self-esteem disrupts young girls and prevents them from succeeding in life. As a result, Dove created a website (http://selfesteem.dove.ca/en/) for young women, which explores issues related to self-esteem and body image. The company has held True Beauty workshops for girls ages 8 to 12 in Canada's largest cities. These workshops were designed to boost the self-esteem of young girls through the presence of an adult female model. Dove also sponsored the Sommer G (irls) 20 held during the Toronto G20 in 2010, which brought together young girls from around the world. Recognized as leaders in their country, they have participated in mentoring camps to acquire the skills needed to mentor the next generation.

An advertising message, designed in Canada and featuring little girls and teenage girls, was aired during the 2006 Super Bowl to establish a dialogue between women and the eminently male football audience. To continue the dialogue, Dove released a second 75-second clip called Evolution, which showed the transformation of a pretty, but no more beautiful woman into a seductive model through makeup and retouching. Posted on YouTube, the clip was viewed by millions of people in a matter of days and presented by Ellen DeGeneres and other television hosts. It has won numerous honors, including two Grands Prix at the 2007 Cannes International Lions Film Festival, and generated more than $ 150 million in public relations and media coverage in the six months following its release.

In 2010, the brand that started a conversation about true beauty on a planetary scale started a very different dialogue on real men. Dove once again took advantage of the Super Bowl, but this time to market its Dove Men + Care product line. Its advertising campaign was based on the results of a new study commissioned on a global scale, which revealed that 80% of Canadian men believe that they are stereotyped in advertising and that 71% of them do not recognize themselves in the rich and power-hungry athletes presented there.

In reality, it is through their various roles in life that men come to feel good about themselves. They value strong relationships, invest in family, lead meaningful lives and define success in their own way. In fact, 92% of fathers maintain that they feel better about themselves because they have had children and 89% of men engaged in a lasting relationship say that finding a partner has helped them a lot. esteem of evening. Micheal Kaufman, a gender equality expert who worked on the Dove campaign, said men don't talk about their feelings often. However, in working with them, he found that "deep down, they feel that they cannot meet the expectations and demands associated with virility as it is portrayed today in the media and popular culture ".

Dove therefore boldly set out to raise deeper questions about the nature of a "real man" with the Men + Care campaign. The A Journey to Comfort ad, aired during the Super Bowl, depicted the life course of a man in his skin. Like the True Beauty Initiative ads, Dove used ordinary men rather than models for its Men + Care campaign. "Whenever we talk about it with men, they say they find the ad very refreshing," said MacLeod. "They welcomed her very well and are happy to see that she does not present a stereotypical image of men. "

According to MacLeod, when marketing a new product, it is important not only that the campaign is effective, but also that the product is of superior quality. The Men + Care product line builds on the Dove brand image, combined with softness and hydration. With his skincare skills, Dove has developed a product that aims to combat the number one problem for men: dry, irritated skin. The Men + Care line products contain a special formula based on Micro Moisture, a patented ingredient that treats skin irritation.

So far, the marketing of the Men + Care range has been very successful and exceeds MacLeod's expectations. Campaigns, whether aimed at men or women, are long-term initiatives that will continue to evolve because Unilever listens to consumers, hears what they have to say, and then takes action.

Questions

1. Dove's True Beauty Initiative aimed to broaden the definition of beauty rather than selling products. How has the use of an integrated marketing communications plan enabled the company to achieve this objective? (2 points)

2. How Dove has created value for its target market (2 ways)? (3 points)

3. The campaign was based on commercials, but it also received tremendous publicity over time. Which marketing communication tools (3 tools) were the most important for this campaign? (3 points)

4. Would Dove have an interest in using the same integrated marketing communication tools for the Men + Care line, or should they take a different approach? Justify your answer. (2 points)

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