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Dove: True Beauty Campaign
Lauren Voight
ADV3410
Option A
Final Project
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Table of Contents
1. Cover page
2. Table of Contents
3. Product and Competitive Environment
4. Product and Competitive Environment cont.
5. Marketing Objectives
6. Target Segment and Justification
7. Target Segment and Justification cont.
8. Media Resources and Strategy
9. Media Resources and Strategy cont.
10. Positioning and Message Strategy
11. Positioning and Message Strategy cont.
12. Positioning and Message Strategy cont.
13. Test of Message and Media Approaches
14. Test of Message and Media Approaches cont.
15. Guidelines for Implementation
16. Evaluation of Effectiveness
17. Conclusion
18-20. Reference Cited Page
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Product and Competitive Environment
The Dove brand name has always been known as a beauty product used around
the world. The Dove Company has created “The True Beauty Campaign” that is
sweeping the nation. The Dove beauty product exceeds the United States and has
expanded to Australia, France, Germany as well as sixteen other countries around the
globe. The campaign targets women of all ages, races and backgrounds. Dove is trying
to tear away from the well in-grained notion of “beauty”. Beauty shouldn’t be defined by
Hollywood’s standards. The Dove product ranges from lotions to hair care and beyond.
Dove has been a very successful product and has only become more successful after
the launch of “True Beauty” in 2004. Overtime, many other competitors have been
successful in the beauty market industry. Companies such as Avon, Mary Kay Inc.,
CoverGirl and Saint Ives have been strong in their advertisement efforts.
1.) Avon: Avon has been around for 125 year and is “the world’s largest direct
seller and a leading beauty company, Avon has more than $10 billion in
annual revenue. Its product line includes beauty, fashion and home products”.
2.) Mary Kay Inc. : Mary Kay Ash designed and created Mary Kay Inc. Her sole
purpose for this product was to “measure the lives that have been touched
and give hope”. She is now one of the most famous women entrepreneurs in
America.
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3.) CoverGirl: Leading makeup brand with over nine different award winning
makeup applications from base to lip gloss. This company plays up the
average woman beauty while using celebrity endorsements.
4.) Saint Ives: Known for numerous skin exfoliating products. Saint Ives uses all
natural ingredients and herbs in their famous product.
Dove seems to be a product in a league of its own. However, there are many
other beauty products that are in close competition. Dove focuses on more of the
beauty of the skin, using lotions and other products to give the body a more
natural look. Some of these other beauty products such as Mary Kay Inc. and
CoverGirl use foundations and makeup to cover the skin. Since the beauty
product market has many competitors, Dove is stepping up and targeting the
Hispanic Market audience as well. Dove has products for men, but mainly
focuses on the female inner beauty. The target age group spans from young preteens to the elderly woman. The top Hispanic targeted age groups vary based on
the product. In Hispanic Social Media Insights the number of Hispanics to use the
internet via face book has sky rocketed. The Dove campaign has branched out
from the stiff competition and begun advertising on online media sites.
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Age of Hispanic Facebook Users 2009-2013
Marketing Objectives
The Dove Company has begun to target more of the Hispanic Market in the
United States as well as in other countries. If you take a look at many other beauty
product companies, they focus on primarily Caucasian women followed closely by
African American women. Dove has expanded their market to Hispanic women. In the
picture below, two of the four women are of Hispanic origin. Dove has made an effort to
target the Hispanic/Latina market.
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Two Hispanic women on the right
Dove targeted the Hispanic women that would be most susceptible to the “True
Beauty Campaign” and then found their age group. Classifying certain age groups
helped break down the marketing strategies. Younger US Hispanic girls are more likely
to be susceptible to the campaign. Older US Hispanic women are set in their values and
don’t think that they need to follow any type of beauty trend.
Target Segment and Justification
The target segmentation for Dove, are the Hispanic women who use any type of
beauty product. "The Dove campaign was…rooted in a powerful human and cultural
insight: that beauty has heretofore been defined by the media and is actually defined
much differently by real women," said Ty Montague, Chair of the 2006 Grand EFFIE
judging panel. When someone from the Hispanic market finds a product that they like
they tend to be loyal to that product. In 2009 the Festival of Media, held in Valencia
Spain, gave praise to and awarded Dove for standing up for the fact that “It was
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obvious that traditional creative advertising was not conveying the idea that "Real
Beauty" does not always come in a size two” (Michael Bush).
The largest target audience for beauty products in the United States ranges from
teenagers to adults. However, beauty products are creating innovative ways to stop the
aging process. When Dove targets the Hispanic audience they tend to target the
younger girls. Elderly Hispanic women are set in their ways and values. Makeup or a
beauty product seems to be the last thing that they would ever want to purchase, or
even need. The older Hispanic women find more value in the beauty of spirit and their
own ideals than the beauty that is seen on the outside.
While men are also targeted in the “True Beauty Campaign” Hispanic Men are
not typically targeted. The stereotypical white, feminine man will be a very small portion
of the targeted market. Hispanic men are in no way targeted for Dove products. It isn’t
that the company doesn’t care about this certain audience; it is that their product
typically appeals to women.
To keep the loyalty of their customers, Dove has given back to the community
and helped sponsored their cliental. Dove gives out scholarships to Dove product user
to further their education, to help make their own life as beauty as possible. Dove has
also teamed with celebrities that appeal to the young teen audience. Justin Bieber is an
idol that almost every young girl from pre-teen to young adult follows. US Hispanic girls
that Dove target are also loyal to Justin Bieber and his music. What better way to
encourage this specific audience of girls to buy their product than to include their
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celebrity crush.
Justin Bieber spotted at an event sponsored by
Dove
Media Resources and Strategy
After reviewing the Florida State Center for Hispanic Marketing Communications
department, I have learned that even some of our very own faculty has work with
“leading global equity and innovation initiatives for the Dove deodorant business”.
Outside of our University, Dove has done a lot to target specific audiences. Dove
has always taken pride In their riveting and creative commercials. One of the most
recent and effective “True Beauty” Dove commercials shows a very plain woman who is
covered in make up and touched up by computer programming to make her look
beautiful. While the woman in the commercial is not Hispanic, Dove researched the type
of woman that this commercial would appeal to. Hispanic women as young as middle
school age, may feel the need to cover up their skin and try to be something that they
aren’t.
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http://youtu.be/iYhCn0jf46U - image from Dove “True Beauty” Evolution Campaign
This next commercial however, targets all audiences. Throughout the commercial
there are three different Hispanic children in the commercial. Dove wants to be relatable
to all diversities and cultures. The little Hispanic girls in the commercial are supposed to
appeal not only to girls their age but all Hispanic women. The little Hispanic girl is
supposed to represent the little girl that lives inside every woman. Even older Hispanic
women were able to relate to this commercial after watching it in a focus group. No
matter the age, true beauty is more than just skin deep.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1731400614466797113# - true beauty
clip
Another innovative way the Dove has teamed up with Hispanic Marketers is
through creative billboards. In this billboard that is seen across the country. There are
women of all different races on the advertisement including two Hispanic women. The
two women are placed on the right side of the billboard; this is typically the spot where
the audience’s eye is drawn. The two women are flaunting their natural beautiful curves.
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Both Hispanic women are naturally beautiful and have no need for superficial products.
The purpose of these billboards is to relate to women of all ages and of any race.
National Billboard
Hispanic Marketers have also tried to help Dove appeal to an older
audience. This next image has appeared in numerous commercials and online
advertisements. The woman on the left is an older Hispanic woman. She is
beautiful and comfortable in her skin. It is hard to look at the image and not be
able to relate to it.
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Positioning and Message Strategy
Dove has been a beauty product that has been apart of many women’s lives for
years. The “True Beauty” Campaigned that surfaced a few years ago has helped Dove
relate to women that would never have been a loyal product user before. With the help
of Hispanic marketing professionals they can relate to the US Hispanic Market.
Conducting surveys of target audiences that Dove wants to work with can be helpful. I
interviewed many different Hispanic women from many different age groups and back
grounds trying to find a common trend.
I asked each woman what persuaded them to buy a certain type of beauty
product.
Marcel, 20 Cuban- “I have never been susceptible to advertisements on
the television. I tend to make up my mind according to the type of product
that I wish to buy. I don’t wear foundation or very much make up at all.”
Celia, 15 Mexican- “I love watching the commercials on tv. The one’s with
famous people like Drew Barrymore and Miranda Cosgrove are fun!
Everyone in my sophomore class wears at least some type of make up, at
least my friends do.”
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Samantha, 49 Puerto Rican- “I base my purchase on what product can
help cover up my wrinkles. Honestly, I don’t care about the price anymore.
I just need something to help my aging slow down a little bit.”
Carmen, 34 Brazilian- “I base my purchase on the price tag. After having
three kids I can’t afford all of these high priced beauty products. I have
always worn make up of some sort, but I would rather invest in nice lotions
and rejuvenating products”.
After my first question was answered, I showed each person the two Dove “True
Beauty” commercials. I then asked them if they felt that they could relate to the
commercial.
Marcel- “See, these are the commercials that I would rather watch. I don’t
like trying to be persuaded to buy makeup from some Barbie look-a-like
that is nothing like me. I feel that this commercial is better for girls like me
than a CoverGirl or Mary Kay kind of advertisement”.
Celia- “The commercials are okay, but not like the ones I like to watch.
There weren’t as many flashy colors or up beat music”.
Samantha- “I do like these commercials. They show how beauty is more
than just a superficial image. This is what women of all ages should watch.
It makes me feel a little bad about trying to cover up my age to be honest”.
Carmen- “I have always loved these commercials. They always make me
cry. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a mom with daughters now or what it
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is. These advertisements show how important it is to feel beautiful just the
way you were made”.
From my questioning, I have learned how differently women think. It is sad to see
how important a physical appearance is for someone as young as Celia. Hispanic
Marketers can learn a lot from personal interviews. The Dove commercials have more
of an impact on three out of the four women than a make up commercial would. Having
personal interacting with a product is very important for advertisers.
Based on my research, Hispanic advertisers can work with Dove to help
target young girls like Celia. High school is a very dramatic and superficial place.
Though she was the youngest girl interviewed she was the most superficial. Celia still
thinks that beauty is only seen by what is on the outside. Advertisers can include more
colorful and upbeat images in their campaign. Dove is an all natural product, therefore
the typically use softer pastels and less lighting. Certain stations like MTV and
Nickelodeon may benefit from a younger population based commercial. Never deviating
from the root of “True beauty” but adding to the importance of being beautiful at any
age.
Test of Message and Media Approaches
Like all other products, Dove makes sure to conduct extensive research before a
product is released. With focus groups comes both positive and negative feedback. A
company that is not involved directly with Dove is used to conduct the research so that
the information is not biased. Dove conducted research based on how girls view
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themselves and the way they look. Shockingly “seven in ten girls believe they are not
good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in
school, and relationships with friends and family members” (Dove, Real Girls).
Dove has also found out that “One in every three households uses a Dove
product, which includes beauty bars, body washes, face care, antiperspiring/deodorants, body mists, hair care and styling aids. Dove is available
nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores” (Dove True Beauty). This information
can be very helpful to US Hispanic Marketers. Knowing that the Dove product is such a
staple in everyday households can lead to new innovative ideas. The next thing that
marketers need to do is maintain consumer loyalty, and to make sure that they continue
to feel that the product is relatable.
The third question I asked the four women was what they thought of the
commercial. More importantly what age group did they think would relate most to the
advertisement?
Marcel- “I think the commercial relates most to middle age women”.
Celia- “Definitely old ladies. Like in their fifties”.
Samantha- “I think this commercial relates to women in their thirties to
later adulthood”.
Carmen- “I think that this commercial can relate to women of any age.
The true beauty concept doesn’t have an age limit”.
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Guidelines for Implementation
After all of the information is collected from the research conclusions can begin to
form. Sometimes there might not even be a need for the specific product in the market
at the time. If US Hispanic women are surveyed and feel no need for the product at all,
why would the company try to sell it? On the other hand, the focus groups, surveys and
other types of research can lead to positive outcomes.
Once all of the research is collected and read over carefully, Dove can begin to
work with the US Hispanic advertising teams to create effective commercials and other
means of advertisements. All of the media research studies that were conducted can
contribute to how the advertisers create an effective way to market.
If a certain age group wasn’t susceptible to the product the company would want
to stray away from that target audience. Being able to separate the various target
market groups can help in the long run. Dove has been able to effectively implement
their products in the beauty product market for generations. Implementing a new
product can be different. That is why all of the research that is done is very important to
the outcome of the product.
Evaluation of Effectiveness
To be able to test the effectiveness of the Dove products, an evaluation of all
steps in the production process needs to be done.
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1.) Collect all research materials and reevaluate the findings. Being able to reconduct a specific survey or focus group is importance to the outcome of the
product.
2.) Be sure to have each group that was tested in the right age classification and
race group. Making sure that each participant is in the right group will have a
huge impact on if the product will be successful or not.
3.) Take time to read each result from each group. The advertising companies
can only create an effective product from correct findings. Evaluating how
important a product is can help Dove pick the right product and where to
advertise it.
4.) Create an effective sales pitch for the product. Commercials and other forms
of advertisements will be needed to help the consumer want to purchase the
product.
5.) Once the product is in stores the advertising company needs to be able to
keep it there. Making sure that the consumer will become loyal to the product.
Brand loyalty is almost, if not more, important than the product itself.
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Conclusion
This research paper has helped me to realize how much work goes into the
advertisements for a product. Before this paper I wasn’t aware of all of the ways
research can help the prosperity of a product. Conducting surveys and focus groups
can also help when outside sources are needed to give input. I enjoyed the interviews
and learned a lot from the various ages of Hispanic women. This paper has taught me
what it would be like to be an actual US Hispanic advertiser.
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Resources Cited (APA):
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<http://www.dove.ca/en/default.aspx#/cfrb/arti_meetjess.aspx>.
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<http://www.avoncompany.com/corporatecitizenship/corporateresponsibility/whoweare/
awardsandrecognition/casestudies.html#Mexico>.
Ash, Mary K. "Mary Kay Ash." Mary Kay. 2007. 3 Apr. 2011.
<http://www.marykay.com/company/companyfounder/default.aspx >.
Gille, Kat . "COMPANY & PRODUCT." Inimitable Notions from Kat G.. 11 Dec. 2010. 1 Apr.
2011. <http://katgillespie.wordpress.com/>.
"CoverGirl ." CoverGirl.
2010.<http://www.covergirl.com/?gclid=CPH9waS0mKgCFchI2godmxDMCQ>.
"Natural Philosophy." Saint Ives. 3 Apr. 2011. <http://www.stives.com/Natural-Commitment/
>.
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"Hispanic Social Relations and Media." HispanicPRblog. 23 Mar. 2011. 7 Apr. 2011.
<http://www.hispanicprblog.com/hispanic-social-mediainsights/facebook%E2%80%99s-diversification-drives-continued-growth.html >.
"Grand EFFIE Goes to Doves Real Beauty Campaign." Marketing Vox. 8 Jun. 2006. 2 Apr.
2011. <http://www.marketingvox.com/grand_effie_goes_to_doves_real_beauty021934/>.
Bush, Michael . "Festival of Media Case Study." Ad Age Media Works. 28 May. 2009. 18
Mar. 2011. <http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/festival-media-case-study-dove-chinas-ugly-betty/136902/ >.
"Dove." Wix.Com. 5 Apr. 2011.
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