Dove is a brand owned by Unilever that was originally launched in 1957 as a beauty bar soap. In the 1950s, Dove positioned itself as a product in the beauty industry focused on functional benefits like not drying out skin. By the 2000s, Dove had expanded into hair and skin products and appealed more to consumers' aesthetic needs to feel good. Unilever embarked on a strategic initiative in the 2000s to reduce their 1600 brands down to 400 "Masterbrands" with global identities. For Dove, this involved separating brand development and brand building functions and using larger models and older women in advertising to promote its message of inclusion.

1. Dove: Evolution of a Brand
Section A ; Group 9
Ajay Bharathi G
FT12306
Harendra Singh
FT12127
Kushagra Prasad FT12227
Rohit Agrawal FT12351
Tushar Arora FT12168

2. What is Brand?
 AMA Definition: A
name, term, design, symbol, or any
other feature that identifies one
seller‟s good or service as distinct
from those of other sellers. The legal
term for brand is trademark. A brand
may identify one item, a family of
items, or all items of that seller. If used
for the firm as a whole, the preferred
term is trade name.
 Brand is DIODVAC.
Section A GROUP 9 2

3. Why does Unilever to want fewer
of Brands?
 Global decentralized brought problems of control.
 Company‟s brand portfolio had grown in a
relatively laissez-faire manner.
 Unilever lacked a global identity.
 Product categories had checkered identities.
 Embarked on a 5 year strategic initiative ”Path to
Growth”
◦ Winnowing 1600 brands down to 400
◦ Selected “Masterbrands”, mandate to serve as
umbrella identities over a range of product forms.
◦ Global brand unit for each “Masterbrand”
Section A GROUP 9 3

4. Dove‟s market positioning in the
1950
 First Dove product was launched in 1957 as
„beauty bar‟.
 It claimed not to dry out skin the way soap did
 Technically was not soap at all, formula came
from military research.
 Advertising message: “Dove soap doesn‟t dry
your skin because it is one-quarter cleansing
cream”
 Rather than models, it used natural looking
women to convey the benefits of the product.
 Dove positioned itself as being in the beauty
industry and focused on functional benefits.
Section A GROUP 9 4

5. Dove‟s market positioning in the
2000
 Products:
◦ Hair care: shampoo, spray and gel
◦ Skin care: soap and moisturizer
◦ Deodorants
 Appealed to the aesthetic needs of the
consumer
 Did not focused on functional benefits,
but on need to feel good.
 Used oversized models, elderly women
to convey the message
Section A GROUP 9 5

6. Product category management
and brand management
 Before 2000
◦ Product category offered multiple brands, each lead
by a brand manager.
◦ Each operated as a separate business, competed its
own siblings.
◦ Brand manager responsible for both brand
development and brand building
 After 2000
◦ Brand management split between two groups.
◦ Brand development – develop idea behind the brand
– centralized – global scope.
◦ Brand building – bring the brand to life in local market
– decentralized – local scope.
Section A GROUP 9 6

7. What do the Blogs say?
 HBR Blogs: “The principle made plain by Dove‟s
success is that in social networks brands must
seek to provoke conversation not to dominate it.
The locus of control in the marketplace shifts
from marketer to consumer, and success is built
on a model of co-created meaning. In Web 2.0,
marketers accept that it is enough to rouse, to
stimulate, to stir. Dove‟s strategy was to move
away from functional claims and to present itself
as a brand with a point of view. It placed itself as
a brand with a point of view. It placed itself as
odds with its competitors. Consumers loved the
conflict. They lit up the digital media, generating
millions of pass-along clips for YouTube, clips like
Evolution and „Hates Her Freckles‟.
Section A GROUP 9 7

8. Do we see risks for the dove
brand today?
 No
◦ Current users are ready to defend their
brand because they really identify
themselves in the ads and so they want to
believe in it; hence they are not likely to
blog and so, more negative reactions than
positive ones are seen.
◦ This new way of advertising only
enhances the brand awareness and the
attachment and loyalty of consumers of
the Dove brand.
Section A GROUP 9 8

9. Thank You
Section A GROUP 9 9