Marketing Project On Unilver

PURPOSE OF THE CASE STUDY Factors Influencing :  Consumer Buying Behaviour  Buying Decisions  Purchase Decisions  Post Purchase Behaviour

UNILEVER  Formed in 1930 by the merger of British soapmaker Lever Brothers and Dutch margarine producer Margarine union.  Merged unit formed two separate entities : Unilever Plc in London and Unilever NV in Rotterdam.  Some Personal Care Brands: Dove, Vaseline, Sunsilk, AXE, Lux, Pond’s, and Lifebuoy.  Revenues for 2005 were 39.67 billion euro and it

Product segment-wise Breakup of Revenues

Product segment-wise breakup of operating profit

DOVE  Developed formula for Dove Soap Bar in 1940.  Dove became recognized as a mild soap as it did not irritate skin.    As of 2005, Dove was world’s largest cleansing brand with annual sales of 2.5 billion Euros in more than 80 countries.

A Glimpse of Dove Range

DOVE  In 2005 personal care segment accounted for 26 percent of group’s turnover and 34 percent of operating profits.  In 1995, the company extended the Dove range by increasing personal care products.  In the 21st century, Dove launched antiperspirants/deodorants, hair care line, massage body wash, cool moisture body wash and bar & firming line.

Need for a New  High growth Campaign in `90s with a growth rate of 20% per annum.  Extension of product range did not convert into

market share.  Difficulty in communication to customer due to

aggressive marketing by competitors.  Dual target for an established brand -

Keep existing customers and attract new customers against competition.

Need for a New Campaign  Main

competitors were OLAY (Procter and Gamble), Nivea (Beiersdorf AG) and Neutrogena (Johnson & Johnson).

Against the above backdrop, Dove decided to conduct a market survey amongst women in 2004.

Dove’s Research …The Real Truth About beauty  

   

Dove’s Research  68% held media responsible for creating beauty

stereotypes  85% agreed that every woman has something that makes her beautiful  Low on self esteem.  Transferred insecurity in minds of women.  Pressure to match up to definition of beauty set by the society. Was the foundation of Campaign for Real Beauty (CFRB).

Existing Trends in Marketing Beauty Products    

 Creation of stereo types by the beauty industry.  Augmentation of the products sale by influence of Aspiration reference group.  Creation of a desire to fit in.  Idealized images of models and celebrities . 

Vast difference between the model and the

What is CFRB?  Based on Dove’s research, Unilever launched

a new campaign for promoting its brand across the globe – Campaign for Real Beauty.  Campaign was intended to make more women

feel beautiful everyday- “celebrating diversity & real beauty by challenging today’s stereotypical view of beauty”.  Basic aim of the campaign was to boost sales

by connecting to women.

CELEBRATING CURVES

First phase & Evolution of CFRB  Started on September 29, 2004.  Intention to re-position the Dove brand. CFRB

was launched throughout Europe, the US, Canada, Argentina & Brazil.  On the launch, a six member panel discussion was co-hosted by American Women in Radio & Television Inc with several women executives of the entertainment industry.  Campaign contains images of five women of different shapes, sizes & ages who did not fit the conventional beauty stereotypes.

First phase & Evolution of CFRB Campaign Manifesto of the CFRB: “For too long, beauty has been defined by narrow, stifling stereotypes. Women have told s its time to change all that. Dove agrees. We believe real beauty comes in many shapes, sizes and ages. That is why Dove is launching the Campaign for real beauty. Dove’s global Campaign for Real Beauty aims to change the status quo and offer in its place a broader, healthier, more democratic view of beauty. A view of beauty that all women can own and enjoy every day.”

Black or Beautiful ???

GREY OR GORGEOUS ???

First Phase & Evolution of CFRB  Ads posted on billboards & print media. Public

asked to make judgments about the look of women. For instance a woman with gray hair asked the public to choose between gray and gorgeous.

 Public

invited to vote on the website Campaignforrealbeauty.com and take part in discussions “What constitutes beauty?”

 Interactive billboards setup at Times Square in

New York to increase participation.

First Phase & Evolution of CFRB  Mobile 365was used in the first ever outdoor

mobile marketing campaign.  Partnered

Woodhill Institute for Ethical leadership in organizing a panel discussion on subject of beauty in Atlanta & Chicago.

 Dove Self Esteem fund (DSEF) started for

young girls to protect & bolster their self esteem through various tools, programs & funds.

Second phase of CFRB  In early 2005, second global study was commissioned by Dove.

 In June 2005, ads for “Dove Intensive firming range”

launched in US.

 Six women (non-models) of various body types in their

underwear.

 Taglines in these ads “Let’s face it, firming the thighs of a size 2

supermodel is no challenge,” “New Dove firming. As tested on real curves”.

 Ads put in women's magazines, giant outdoor

billboards, highly visible spots like major transportation

New Dove Firming – As Tested on Real Curves

Superbowl Commercial

Second phase of CFRB  Commercial during the superbowl:

A 45-second spot commercial shown during the Superbowl XL in February 2006, for DSEF.  Commercial shows images of small girls

dissatisfied with their looks. It shows how common it was for girls to suffer from complexes regarding their body images.

 CRFB website contained tools to bolster self-

esteem including a self-check quiz “True You”, articles by self-esteem experts & self-esteem discussion board.

 New campaign for Dove Natural glow lotion

showed husband telling viewers all about what it

CFRB- Critical Review  Definition of being beautiful  No established models used  “You are beautiful as you are” vs.

“launch of firming line”

CONTRAST: TRADITIONAL BEAUTY PRODUCT MARKETING; -“I wish I could look like her… perhaps if I buy this lip gloss, I will” -REVLON FOUNDER –CHARLES REVLON: -“In our factories we make cosmetics. In the store we sell hopes.” DOVE; - “that chick in the ad sort of looks likes me, and yet she seems really happy and confident… perhaps if I buy this DOVE Firming Cream, I’ll stop hating myself”

CASE ANALYSIS Strengths:    More than 50 years existence of the brand.  CFRB helped in repositioning its brand “DOVE”.   Aim of the campaign successfully achieved – “Break the

stereotypical portrayal of beauty”.

 Constant innovation of the campaign e.g DSEF, Super Bowl

XL,….

 Reaching out to women of all backgrounds, shapes & sizes.

CASE ANALYSIS Weakness:  

Conflicting ideas and attitudes of brand marketing. Risk of brand being labeled a fat people’s product. Lack of aspirational element. Different advertising policies in different geographical region. Product being over priced

Opportunities  Surveyed around 3200 women from 10 countries and found: •2 % --- Beautiful •9% --- Attractive •31% --- Natural •29 % --- Average  Customers were bogged down by the unrealistic concept of beauty i.e. too perfect to aspire for.  Unconventional approach caused lot of free publicity.

Threats 

Competitors maligning the campaign.

 Plagiarism of a successful campaign by competitors. 

Objectification of women.

 Entire Campaign may just be a novelty in the short run and may fizzle out in the long run.

Recommendations 

Continuous innovation & evolution of the campaign like Real beauty pageants, scholarships for the underprivileged girls, etc.



Application of this marketing models to other upcoming markets.

  

Constant interaction with girls and women, through all sorts of medium should be used to achieve maximum penetration.

  

Dove should try and apply the real beauty concept to all it’s cosmetic range.

THANK YOU ANY QUESTIONS ?? ??