1 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Marketing Research Project: Dove Aerosol Soap Cheston Harrington Sarah Berlin Emily D’Angelo Orean Findley Matthew Bishop MKTG 441.101 Scott Hample Due: 12/12/2013 2 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Overview of the Existing Organization Unilever is one of the world’s top manufacturers of packaged consumer goods. It was founded in 1930 by the merger of the Dutch margarine company Margarine Unie and the British soap maker Lever Brothers. The company sells a vast array of products including deodorants, soaps, perfumes, margarine, tea, and frozen foods. Their mission is “meeting the everyday needs of people everywhere.” They sell their products in more than 150 countries and employ approximately 295,000 people. Unilever is one of the world’s top three food firms and is the second to largest packaged consumer goods company. They sell hundreds of brands, including Dove, Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Hellman, and Lipton ("Unilever”). One of Unilever’s top brands is Dove. Dove is a toiletries brand that believes that beauty is the result of proper care. Their goal is to embrace diversity by promoting their brand using “real women” so that no woman should feel left out from the world of beauty that the Dove brand stands for. Dove was founded in 1957 when it introduced the beauty cleansing bar. What made the cleansing bar unique was its patented blend of mild cleansers that contained a quarter moisturizing cream. Dove’s Beauty Bar offers a deeper clean than your average soap, as it also leaves skin soft and smooth. Dove is considered to be the #1 dermatologist recommended brand in the United States, Canada, and France. Today, the Dove brand has expanded to offer a wide range of products including body washes, facial cleansers, deodorants, shampoos, conditioners, hair styling products, and hand and body lotions (“Dove”). A Description of the New Product or Service The new product we are preparing to introduce is aerosol soap. It is similar to spray­on deodorant or dry shampoo. The most important difference between our product and aerosol deodorant 3 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
is that deodorant does not actually leave one clean, but rather just covers up the stench of body odor. In contrast, our product actually eliminates the germs that produce body odor in addition to leaving users with a fresh scent. Its intended use is to “freshen up” perhaps after a stressful day at the office before meeting family or friends for dinner, etc. or after a light workout at the gym. It is not intended to replace traditional bathing, and we still recommend users bathe in a timely manner following use of the product. Aerosol was chosen as the most effective way to apply the product because one can easily cover a large area of the body quickly and prevents consumers from using too much of the product at once. The aerosol soap will be marketed under the Dove brand name, including original Dove for women and the more recent line of products Dove for Men, and will utilize the existing scents and packaging associated with the brand. Importance of Marketing to our Selected Organization’s Success Having a marketing plan for a product has many different advantages and without marketing, it would be extremely difficult to get our product noticed. The importance of marketing to our product success starts with recognition. Without recognition our product will not get any sales leading to no revenue and profits for our company. Marketing campaigns will spread the word about our product leading to an increase in sales. Once the product is marketed, other things will take place such as word­of­mouth which will make our product even more noticeable. Secondly, without marketing our product, our consumers will never learn about our brand name and image. The more consumers get accustomed to our product and company, and then there is a better chance for our sales and business to grow. Once we get consumers comfortable with our product, the next step for us is to have them trust our product and company. Without brand loyalty and trust, our product will not get very many sales in the market thus focusing in on the importance of marketing. Another great importance of marketing is 4 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
being able to compete with other brands and products out on the market. We want to be able to compete with other brands because we believe we will have the best product. Competitors are also good because then we will be able to find our competitive advantage and even make improvements. Another importance of marketing is to be able to reach into different segments of the market such as online users. Website development and online advertisements will help with getting a different customer base a chance to buy our product. Without the sales developed from marketing, we would not have any money to develop our product. SWOTT Analysis Strengths Aerosol spray cleanser is our product which leaves you clean while smelling fresh. The strengths that our product poses are a diverse and brand targeted market. To all the people who use the aerosol soap to freshen up their bodies will be clean while simultaneously keeping them smelling fresh. Due to the demographics of people who use sprays, ranges to target people from a wide range of ages. Also, the amount of people who want spray that does not dry their skin out or leave it oily would be attracted to aerosol spray. The innovative technology that our aerosol product possesses would be an improvement of past products which did not meet a clean and fresh smelling body. Our aerosol soap has great product distinction as the technology in our innovative product would gain popularity through the performance of the soap. The specific in the use of the spray would be appealing to athletes or the people in the workforce as they are subject to sweat by inactive throughout the day. Our aerosol dry spray has various strengths that benefit our selling points. Opportunities 5 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Our product poses many opportunities as the targeted market is segmented into groups. The fact that our product can serve to various customer groups gives us the opportunity to make a culture out of the aerosol spray. The aerosol spray can create industry innovation that can make way for future products that stem off of our aerosol dry cleaning spray. The aerosol spray will be able to create diversity into other markets by keeping a dry cleaning spray while still being able to leave you smelling fresh and not covered up by a fragrance. By doing this our market growth will be fast with innovative new products and technology based body cleaners. The complexities and qualities of our product will allow horizontal integration into the markets whereas we are entering a competitive market with many competitors in the aerosol fresh smelling spray. Yet our innovation of adding the cleansing aspect of the spray allows our product to be diverse in its performance and uses. In turn this will also eliminate any smells or add a smell while cleansing. Weaknesses and Threats As a company we also understand that our product contains a weakness due to the industry's competitive market. Due to the ability to imitate our product other company also will have a competitive advantage as they can improve on our already existing product. With this many players in our market and industry, improvement on our product will have to be done in order to compete with the most popular and quality products. Strategic position will have to be taken in order to either improve on an already existing product, while creating new innovation that will allow integration into other market with new technology in cleansing and fresh smelling products. The entry into a new market gives threats from already existing brands. The market demand will be relied on to avoid easy substitution for our products. This poses a threat to the future of the growth of the product. The threat of competitive innovation to make product improvises can be accessed by competition in this market. 6 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Trends The culture behind the aerosol spray for smelling fresh has a market that has improved the markets products. Companies such as Old Spice have entered into this market with a spray that leaves you smelling fresh. Yet the description the spray does not clean the person at the same time. These type of spray gained popularity by athletes as deodorant sprays of people who either worked or did physical activity throughout their day. Our product would gain a trend as it pertains to all people who need whether a quick wash or to be fresh smelling. It is unlike cologne where you spray a stronger amount on your body in order to clean you at the same time. The Marketing Research Approach Prior to the launch of the Dry Aerosol Soap Unilever product Dove will conduct two studies. The Primary study will be a Double Blind study supported by a secondary Trial and Survey study. Both studies will be conducted on randomly selected participants to best and most accurately represent the consumer target market. a. Primary Research Method The first will be a double blind study in which two randomly selected groups from a variety of age and gender will test the new Dove Aerosol Soap Spray against other primary competitors including Lever 200, Degree, Old Spice, Secret, Suave and Axe. Participants in the study will test 1 of each product over the course of a week, each day the participants will provide feedback as to how clean and comfortable they felt after a day of work, class, running errands or a workout at the gym. The feedback will then be compiled to compare participant feedback for the Dove Dry Aerosol Soap against its competitors. At the end of the study the participants will be informed which brand they used and on which day. We will then allow the participants to select one brand to continue using. This information 7 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
along with the information recorded over the week will be essential in determining the best Marketing mix to implement. b. Secondary Research Our secondary research consists of studies and analyses compiled from independent organizations about our target market and the hygiene industry. This research will help us decide how to market the product and the right time and place to launch the product. These decisions are crucial to the success of Dove aerosol soap. Purpose The primary study will provide our research and product development team with firsthand and unbiased user feedback which is essential in building buzz and establishing credibility behind the product. The Dove Brand will use this information to determine whether or not to launch a large scale commercial campaign or a smaller product launch to compliment another Dove product. From the primary study we will learn just how effective the product is and develop an understanding of potential consumer perception. The secondary research will provide information essential for the marketing team in developing a marketing tactic to promote the product prior to its initial launch. Issues Facing our Organization Issues facing Unilever come from a variety of sources including consumer preference, environmental, political, economic, and financial factors. As outlined in our Annual Report, we are aware of these issues and work with them as they arise as well as prepare for them in the future. The first risk Unilever faces in the market is consumer preference. A modern consumer is exposed to so many brand choices for his/her constantly changing needs and wants that it is imperative for Unilever “to respond to these changes and to continue to differentiate our brands and products” 8 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
(Unilever Annual Report, 2012). If Unilever does not continue to innovate and modify our products to keep up with the ever­changing market Unilever would fall out of favor with the consumer and our sales figures would decrease. Environmental risks facing Unilever are different in every region in which we do business. These events are unavoidable and are the compromise for being a global brand. Natural disasters can potentially disrupt operations and negatively affect the supply chain if transportation along the supply chain is interrupted. In order to handle unpredictable natural disasters Unilever has a crisis management plan in place. Political and economic issues can disrupt sales and operations in emerging markets. In order to grow our business all over the world, Unilever must cope with the volatility of emerging markets. “In 2012, more than half of Unilever’s turnover came from emerging markets” (Unilever Annual Report, 2012) which proves that it is worth it to expand our business into these areas. In addition to emerging markets in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Turkey, South Africa, China, Mexico and Russia, (Unilever Annual Report, 2012) the European financial crisis poses great risks to Unilever operations. “Uncertainty, lack of confidence and any further deterioration in the situation could lead to lower growth and further recession in Europe and elsewhere” (Unilever Annual Report, 2012). The greatest risk would result “if Eurozone countries were to leave the euro” which would adversely affect our European supply chain, consumers, and suppliers. To offset this risk, Unilever has a contingency plan in place while we continue normal operations (Unilever Annual Report, 2012). Financial risks face our organization because Unilever prepares its consolidated financial statements in euros. Because of this, Unilever “is subject to exchange risks associated with the translation of the underlying net assets and earnings of its foreign subsidiaries” (Unilever Annual Report, 9 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
2012). In addition, differing “currency rates, along with demand cycles, can also result in significant swings in the prices of the raw materials needed to produce our goods” (Unilever Annual Report, 2012). These are common challenges facing global organizations and can be clearly managed. Risk management is essential to the sustenance and growth of Unilever, and that fact is not overlooked. Unilever strives to incorporate a comprehensive risk management plan that effectively protects our assets. Issues Facing Competitors The male and female deodorant market is one with extreme variety. Consumers have the option to choose from a wide variety of brands when shopping for deodorant and/or hygiene products. Therefore most brands in this market face the same issue. How do you gain and maintain market share in an industry with such wide and stiff competition. The primary issue facing each brand including Dove is the variety of the market, as consumers have so many options brands find it difficult to establish brand loyalty. A successful ad campaign and product pricing seems to be the main factor in the purchasing decision of consumers. a. Market Leaders Brands like Axe and more prominently Old Spice who are at the forefront of the Dry Aerosol and/or Body Spray industry have gained significant market share through advertising. Axe and Old Spice are more known for their online and commercial ad campaigns than they are for the actual product. While these brands have gained a greater portion of the market they still face many issues and constant threats from competitors such as Dove. b. Repositioning the Dove Brands 10 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
The Dove brand is one such major competitor in this market, while Dove may not be as extravagant with its marketing concepts the product speaks volumes. The introduction of Doves new Dry Aerosol body spray creates a much greater issue for this industry as this product is unlike any other currently on the market. This innovation, supported by extensive research and a flawless Dove Marketing Campaign will allow the Dove brand to regain the market share currently owned by Axe and Old Spice. Industry Trends The soap and personal hygiene industry generally is witnessing a rebound in sales since the recession of 2008 (“Personal care industry”). The recession actually helped the reemergence of the popularity of bar soap as it reflected a trend to get back to basics and a general assumption that people would get more for their money by using bar soap over alternative forms of soap in liquid or gel form (Penning, 2010). Commercial soap usage is at an all­time high due to the marketing campaigns for hand washing compliance encouraged by the Center for Disease Control and conducted in hospitals, nursing homes, restaurants and day care centers to reduce the spread of germs (“Create your own”). Manufacturers of personal hygiene products such as bar soap are also responding to a higher demand fueled very likely by the spillover effect of this push to reduce the spread of germs in institutional settings. In fact, the global bath and shower market is expected to exceed $12.85 billion in 2015, representing a near 19% increase since 2010. The European Union holds a 54% share in the global market, with Unilever leading the industry with over 17% of the EU market share (“Personal care industry”). An interesting fact, backed by U.S. Census Bureau data, is that the average U.S. citizen spends an average of $325 annually on personal toiletries ("Toiletry/soap industry statistics," 2013). 11 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Specific trends in this industry include development of products geared specifically toward males. The EU has a 45% market share in the global market for male toiletries. The leading company in this target market is Proctor & Gamble which has nearly 46% of the overall global market share (“Personal care industry”). Another growth market in this industry is the production and sale of organic, herbal and natural soap products in answer to a general need for non­toxic personal care products (“Personal care industry”). In conjunction with this trend, the introduction of an aerosol format for spraying the product we are launching will bring with it a host of environmental protocols to ensure to the public that the new product is safe as well as effective. The company will have to make sure that the aerosol production of the soap contains no aluminum zirconium chemicals (or general use of fluorocarbon emissions) which were banned by the FDA in aerosol deodorants back in 1977 (Murphy). The marketing campaign will have to stress that there is no danger in inhaling this aerosol soap. Other environmental concerns which Unilever has been addressing include the overall reduction of packaging, conserving water, reducing other carbon emissions, and stressing recycling (“Personal care industry”). Consumer Trends Consumers were introduced to aerosol body sprays as a practical and faster way to cover up an odor from day to day activities. The introduction of these products has been branded by major companies such as AXE Body Spray and Old Spice. Consumers within the nation have a rapidly growing population as easily and simple have been implemented in various technologies through this current decade. The introduction of Dove Corporation’s Men+Care, along with the original targeted market toward the female population brings attention to the trends of men and women who have an active lifestyle. 12 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Dove is the biggest brand from Unilever which last year had an underlying sales growth of 10.0%, with a vision to improve health and hygiene through innovative technology for public use. Understanding the brand role and trends of Dove aerosol body spray is done by the observation of people’s lives as well as the targeted marketing efforts where it is most meaningful. Due to the fact that Unilever has market superiority with a benchmarking program of 96% in the hygiene industry, competitors’ innovative products have little trends to substitute for its products. In 2012 Unilever was rated by the Global Advantage Group Survey to have an improvement of 70% in the key markets such as Dove hygiene. Dove has a positive self­esteem promotion called “Makes Girls Unstoppable”, in which no girl should stop doing what she loves became of anxiety about her looks. Dove is committed to building positive self­esteem and inspiring all women and girls to reach full potential. In the Men+Care campaign, Dove impacts the odor and guard body washes which are clinically proven to fight skin dryness better than regular men’s body wash. Our product will have a consumer base that is subject to be used by both men and women. Although it would be logical to have a line of different fragrances, our initial products will be the original Dove scent to attract both genders as well as give an insight into unisex fragrances. In the most recent campaign of the “Authority on Man Maintenance”, Dove is targeting the active lifestyle of men. Aerosol Hygiene Trend The trend of an active lifestyle is ever growing in our US culture. From ad campaigns on getting kids active to living active and green to ensure a fit nation. In 2011 according to the official CDC website, 48.4% of people over the age of 18 met the Physical Activity Guidelines for aerobic physical activity, with 24% meeting the muscle­strengthen physical activity guideline requirements. Aerosol body spray has had an increasing trend population as teens; particularly young athletes have been a big 13 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
consumer base for body spray products because of the convenience of the product. This is seen by the campaign that Gillette initiated towards young athletes as the name TAG was influenced by a playground game played by children. The spray had revenue of $7.4 million in 2005. By targeting such a broad base of the active and working class of people leaves our product to have a trends analysis in the positive effect from consumers. No matter what ethnic group or age a person is, they are able to use this spray for hygiene purposes. The innovative technology for cleaning a fragrance uses supports the Unilever innovative vision to cater to the targeted consumer base. Target Market a. Demographics The aerosol spray soap has a broad target market, bringing in young sports­oriented teens and digging deep into the young to middle age adult age group encompassing adults who are active and who engage in physical activity to keep in shape. Dove currently markets effectively to men and women and this aerosol soap with the original Dove scent will work for both genders. There is no one occupation that this product is targeting although the ad campaign will target young adults who have an active lifestyle and who must be in control of their hygiene while on the go. This will not be marketed as a high end toiletry so people of all levels of income will be potential consumers of this aerosol soap. The need to be and feel clean is a hygienic reality which cuts across all ethnic groups and people with all levels of education. The ad campaign will prove the product’s effectiveness with people who are sports oriented and whose hygienic needs are extreme, but the actual target market of the aerosol spray soap will be a very broad cross section of teens, young adults and middle aged adults in the general population. b. Social/cultural/lifestyle 14 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Again, the ad campaign will focus on active young adults who are engaged in extreme sporting activities in order to prove that the aerosol spray soap works for the people who put the toughest demands on their hygiene products. These people tend to be socially busy as an extension of their work lives and sporting activities. The buzz that they share about the products they rely on and love (because the products make them clean and feel good) will be central to the marketing campaign for our product. The reality is that the bulk of the consumers who will purchase the product may not match the fit, healthy, and socially with it people who will be featured in the ads because the actual consumers (attracted to the ads) will make up a much broader base than the users shown in the ads. c. Geographic The initial test market will be in North America, including populations in Canada and Mexico. The ad campaigns will need to have variations of all the ads in English, Spanish and French to accommodate the North American base. Assuming a successful test run, global expansion with variations to accommodate cultural diversity will include Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Marketing in warmer climates such as Africa and the Middle East are warranted because there is more of a need to stay hygienically clean in a hotter geographic climate but the marketing will be challenged in some countries where people tend to take fewer showers because there is not as much stigma about body odor elsewhere as there is in North America where water is plentiful and relatively cheap to use. d. Psychographics The initial ad campaign will feature sports oriented adults because this is the population who will demand that aerosol soap be quick and effective. In other words, the most demanding sub population for a hygiene product is the people who sweat the most. If the aerosol soap is a hit with this population, then it should take off in the general population. People who regularly engage in demanding sporting 15 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
activities from jogging to professional team sports make up a psychographic population. These people tend to push themselves “to the limit.” They are physically fit and are viewed often as socially “with it” and open to trying new products. They also tend to be daring and willing to take on new challenges. Dove should market specifically to this population with personalized tweets and social marketing. Dove should challenge them to try this product and see how protected they will be with this aerosol soap. Buying Behaviors a. Customer Needs and Perceptions Our company has one attitude or belief, and that is getting the best and healthiest soap spray product for the consumer’s skin. As stated in the target markets, the interests and hobbies of our consumers will be those who are active and those who are outside. The lifestyle of our users will be young adults who are athletic and play sports. It will be a lifestyle of one who wants a product that makes them feel clean and good about themselves. One of the unique consumer needs for our product will be the need for the aerosol spray to be healthy for the environment as well. With the consumers in our product niche, they will not respond well if the product is not healthy for the environment. b. Purchase Behavior With the start of purchasing behavior, we have set the number of purchases to how active the consumer is outside. The more time they spend outside and the more active they are the more they will use the spray. Due to the fact there are no competitors, we will use our Dove products as a baseline for purchasing behavior data. Consumers purchase Dove products because they care about their body and are concerned about cleanliness. The products are bought at grocery stores, online and at pharmacies such as CVS, Walgreens and Rite­Aid. The product will be bought as a household meaning the family will usually share one. We see the product being bought all year around, with higher sales in the summer 16 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
and spring. The product is just like any aerosol bug spray but it provides cleanliness removing germs and having a nice smell as soap would. Our primary source for news and advertising is focused on TV advertisements and coupons in the newspaper. With no competitor, our product will be bought by consumers who have never bought anything like it. Competition Analysis Dove aerosol spray is a product that is used for hygienic purposes. Unilever is top producer of packaged consumer goods worldwide. Product brands from Unilever deliver to 190 countries through Africa, Asia, North America, Western Europe, and Asia and Latin America. The company offers a variety of products to several categories ranging from dressings to ice cream and beverages. Other products offered are personal and home care. Best sellers of Unilever include Hellmann’s, Knorr, Sunsilk, LUX and also Dove. Unilever is the operating arm of Netherlands­based Unilever N.V. Competition for Unilever includes, The Proctor and Gamble Company, as well as Nestle S.A., and Reckitt Benckiser Group plc. For our specific product of Dove aerosol body cleanser and spray, our competition would be other brands and companies such as AXE body spray and Old Spice, which are two of the top brands in the competitive market of aerosol body spray because of its technological aspect. Other competitors would be able to easily adopt a certain new technology from our product. a. Competitive Landscape With our product our competitive landscape would be other brands that offer a body spray product as well as other hygiene products. Our competitive landscape ranges from, soaps, body sprays, and other various fragrance sprays that would partly substitute for the smell good aspect of the body spray. Top brands that specifically make body spray out of an aerosol container wouldn't have 17 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
technology of the cleansing aspect of our product, yet would prove to be difficult in relying on for future progress. Consumer product preferences and Strategies Consumers in the Hygiene product market are very particular and/or sensitive to changes in the market and changes to the actual product. While all brands in the hygiene product industry strive for product differentiation it is difficult to do so as most deodorant or body spray products essentially serve the same person. In terms to consumer preference the product attributes, price and more interestingly advertising are the more significant determinants of sales by market share leaders like Axe and Old Spice. a. Attributes Men’s Hygiene products such as Old Spice and Axe offer deodorants and body sprays that reduce odors caused by sweat. The Dove Dry Aerosol body spray is not unique in its purpose as like most other products it offers those same features with much needed innovation. The new Dove formula eliminates microbes that create odor as we sweat. Unlike other brands on the market to offer products that cover or mask odor, the new Dove formula will eliminate odor for true long lasting freshness. b. Pricing The price point of the New Dove Dry Aerosol body spray will be consistent with most other body spray products currently on the market. Most consumers in this market are loyal to a particular brand and the willingness to switch brands is low as price is not the primary purchasing factor. As we aim to have successful penetration of the market with this new product a generous price point along with substantial promotion and coupon budget will properly position this new product. c. Advertising 18 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Brands like Old Spice and Axe are very well known for their commercial and Social Media ads, as consumers recognize these ads in store that recognition translates into brand loyalty and repeat purchases. To achieve this same type of recognition and position the new Dove Dry Aerosol Body Spray as a strong and viable competitor we invest heavily into commercial advertising and online social media campaigns. In the hygiene product industry advertising is clearly the primary factor in obtaining a significant market share. Customer Satisfaction/Customer Loyalty Customer expectations of Dove products are consistent with their current advertisements. Commercials highlight the moisturizing qualities of their soaps and body washes. In a small, informal survey of users of Dove products, all stated that soft, clean skin was an expected benefit of choosing Dove products over their competitors. In comparison to their competitors, Dove users expected their products to be made of natural ingredients and be less harmful to their skin. Some competitors identified in the soap market were Suave, Softsoap, and Irish Spring soaps and body washes. Suave and Softsoap focus on the scents they offer. Irish Spring users expect to feel refreshed and clean. Our product, aerosol soap, would also offer the moisturizing benefits unique to Dove, but would focus more on the ability of the product to leave the user feeling clean and dry, while still emphasizing the use of natural ingredients. Consumers generally rate themselves as ‘very satisfied’ with Dove products. This classification meant that users’ expectations were always met or exceeded by Dove products. Consumers surveyed said they would be unlikely to switch products for something temporary like if a competitor were on sale or offered a coupon, but one consumer noted that if Dove’s prices were to rise significantly they might be forced to switch. This also supports another consumer’s view of Dove as the “best of the cheap.” 19 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Dove products are sold in drugstores and supermarkets nationwide and are viewed as high­quality products in comparison to other brands sold in the same market. Because consumers are satisfied with Dove products they are likely to recommend them to friends and family. Sampling Plan Hypotheses ● Consumers who are active for more than thirty minutes a day will buy more products than those who do not. ● Customers who have a gym membership will buy at least one product a month. ● Most of the people who buy the product will be under 40 years old. Plan/Survey We will take surveys and interviews on many different variables. The variables being: male or female, how many minutes a day are they active, do they have a gym membership, and their age. Once we find the people that fit into our interview type, we will see if we can get even more data and information on them. How: In order to conduct the most efficient survey connecting directly with the Dove brand consumers we will distribute an online survey using social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter. We will also send email blasts to all known consumers but we expect a higher number of returned surveys and more conclusive results to stem from our Social Media segment. Who: As this product is primarily designed for young Men between the ages of 16­25, we will target consumers within that age group who “like” or “follow” the Dove brand on Facebook or Twitter. The 20 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
ideal email or survey respondent will come from an athletic background as they are a current high school or collegiate athletes. The target market also includes former collegiate athletes that have entered the workforce but still maintain an active lifestyle. Quota: To accurately represent a variety of respondents from a variety of athletics and professional backgrounds we hope to have a minimum of 200 respondents in the 5 categories listed below. This will total 1,000 survey respondents. : 1. High School Athletes 2. Collegiate Athletes 3. Former Collegiate Athletes 4. Active Working Professionals 5. Active Non­Collegiate Athletes 1. Have you heard of the Dove brand? YES NO 2. Are you a current Dove customer? YES NO 3. If you could describe the Dove brand in one word what would it be? 4. When new personal care products enter the market, how likely are you to try them? a. very likely b. somewhat likely c. neutral d. somewhat unlikely e. very unlikely 5. Dove is contemplating coming out with a dry soap, which is an aerosol spray that contains a mix of soap and deodorant. Its purpose would be to give the body a quick and easy clean up in­between showering. How likely are you to try it? 21 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
a. very likely b. somewhat likely c. neutral d. somewhat unlikely e. very unlikely 6. Overall, what would be the THREE most important factors in trying Dove dry soap? a. product safety b. low cost c. product effectiveness d. positive reviews e. appealing packaging f. creative advertising g. recognized brand name h. shopping convenience i. don’t know j. other 7. How much would you expect to pay for a 6 oz. can of Dove dry soap? 8. How often do you think you would you use Dove dry soap? a. 1 time/week
b. 2 times/week
c. 3­4 times/week d. 5+ times/week 9. In your opinion, what would be the best way to advertise Dove dry soap? a. television b. radio c. magazine d. newspaper e. Internet f. store display g. other 10. What is your gender? MALE FEMALE 22 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
11. What are 3 negative aspects of aerosol hygiene products? 12. Do you feel clean after applying body spray? 13. Did you play a sport in high school? If yes, what sport? 14. Did you play a sport at the collegiate level? If yes, what sport? 15. Do your hobbies include athletic activities? If yes, please list below 16. Do you jog/workout before or after work? 17. How many miles a week do you jog? 18. Do you prefer to jog in the morning, mid­day or at night? 19. What current deodorant or body spray brands do you use? 20. What do you like about these brands? 23 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Survey Summary A recent anonymous survey was conducted studying a random sample of men and woman across a variety of demographics, to gauge consumer preference of hygiene products based on multiple factors. These factors included but were not limited to; gender, Brand, Product Type, Income and Brand Advertising. Using the data from the survey we ran several pivot tables most accurately displaying consumer feelings towards the brands its products and their preference based on factors such as age, gender and income. Each member of the research team was tasked to analyze findings from the survey to draw a solid conclusion and make recommendation for the Dove brand product line or the advertising of the brand in its entirety. Brand vs. Gender Out of 54 women 30 were dissatisfied with the product responding 3.85 on a scale from 1 to 10. Out of 46 men who responded to the survey 16 responded with an average of 3.85 on a scale from 1 to 10. This means that Dove needs to reevaluate their product because changes need to be made to it to increase satisfaction rates. Dove should probably change their packaging to increase customer satisfaction. Income vs. Type The pivot table for income v. type shows that 65 out of the 100 people surveyed used body spray over deodorant and body wash. The people using the body spray were on a wide range of incomes. It does not seem like you can indicate what a person’s income is from if it is proven that they use body spray. The good thing about the body spray is that it is bought and used by all incomes giving us a larger target market. 24 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
There was a large range of people who used the body wash as far as income goes but not as big of a range as the body spray. As indicated by the statistics, no one over the income level of $84,000 uses body wash. Only 13 out of the 100 people surveyed used body wash. Also noted in the statistics, no one used body wash and deodorant or the body spray. The two people who used multiple cleansers, used deodorant and body spray. With the deodorant, only 22 out of the 100 people surveyed used it. But looking at the statistics, there was a higher rate of high income people that used the deodorant. For example, out of the 22 that used deodorant, only 4 of them were in the income range of $50,000 to $70,000. This indicates that with the body spray, there would be more competition with the higher income prospects. Gender vs. Type The pivot table for gender v. type shows that both men and women prefer body sprays to body wash and deodorant. While both genders preferred body sprays to the other two options by a large margin, males were almost half as likely to prefer deodorant. Females showed no definitive second place preference, as both deodorant and body wash had 7 votes. This is important for our research because our product is an aerosol body wash spray. Since it can be seen that both genders already choose a body spray as their preferred hygiene product, it is likely that they will be interested in the product. It is important to note that as income increases in males, the more likely they are to prefer deodorant to body spray or body wash. This may be important in marketing to affluent males since they are not as likely to already be familiar with a spray as their preferred hygiene product. Since the same amount of women chose body wash and deodorant, there is no observed pattern in income level. 25 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Since body wash was the least preferred type of hygiene product for males, and equally the second least preferred for females, it can be inferred that most respondents probably don't have the time or resources for a full bath or shower in which body wash would be used. By offering soap in the form of their most preferred hygiene product, aerosol body spray, it is likely that consumers would understand the value of a product that allows them the benefits of bathing with the convenience of a quick, easy spray. Brand vs. Gender The pivot table for gender and brand shows that 24 out of 54 male respondents chose brand 2 which is dove for a better preference as opposed to other brands. Yet, only 16 of 46 Female respondents preferred the Dove brand over other brands. This may indicate that the marketing for Dove is more effective on males because of the problems that the brand solves as far as hygiene and feel. Unfortunately the dove brand was unable to attract more than half of the respondents. For the males the desire for the product was mostly ranked at a level of 2 for satisfaction with 6 votes. For women the most voted level of satisfaction was 5, 7 and 8 with 3 respondents for each. The descriptive statistics for the car brand had a median of 2 which indicates that half of the respondent gave a rating above 2 and half gave a rating below 2. This shows very poor results for our brand that our product falls under because of the rate of low scores for satisfaction. According to the mode (1) was chosen the most of participant for each rating. Overall the pivot table of gender and brand satisfaction showed low scores for both genders Conclusion Based on consumer survey responses we’ve concluded that the Dove brand can have significant growth so long as products targeted more towards woman are introduced and the marketing for those 26 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
products are female friendly. The Dove brand is recognized across a variety of demographics and though competition is stiff brand perception remains high and market share can be increased. The Dove brand should take a Brand and Product differentiation approach in order to strategically align itself against competitors. Promoting brand and product uniqueness seem to be the most feasible strategic and advertising approach in this industry. References Create your own business plan. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2013 from http://www.bplans.com/soap_manufacturer_business_plan/market_analysis_summary_fc.php Dove. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2013 from http://www.unilever.com/brands­in­action/detail/Dove/292077/ Fast, S. (June, 2013 21). Exercise or physical activity. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/exercise.htm Murphy, K. (n.d.). Fda regulations for antiperspirant deoderant. Retrieved September 15, 2013 from http://www.ehow.com/print/list_6892408_fda­regulations­antiperspirant­deodorants.html Penning, A. (2010, June 29). The rebuilding of bar soap. Retrieved September 15, 2013 from http://www.gcimagazine.com/marketstrends/segments/bathbody/97428784.html Personal care industry: Market research reports, statistics and analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved September 15, 2013 from http://www.reportlinker.com/ci02134/Personal­Care.html Toiletry/soap industry statistics. (2013, June 05). Retrieved September 15, 2013 from http://www.statisticbrain.com/toiletry­soap­industry­statistics/ 27 MARKETING RESEARCH PROJECT: DOVE AEROSOL SOAP
Unilever. (December, 2012). Annual reports and account 2012. Retrieved from http://www.unilever.com/images/ir_Unilever_AR12_tcm13­348376.pdf Unilever. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2013 from http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/?lid=257 What they contain and are they worth it. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.carefair.com/men/Mens_Body_Sprays_994.html