DIGITAL MARKETING

DOVE WAC

SAKSHAM SHARMA
16021141093
1. What was Doves market positioning in 1950? What was its positioning in
2007?

In 1950, doves market positioning had as a goal to create an image that would place
the brand in the consumers brain and maximize the benefit to the company. The first
Doves product was created in 1957 with an ad message different from the traditional
ones. The company slogan says that the product is much better for your skin than the
regular soaps. In fact, the product wasnt positioned in the market as soap, which was
clear when the company published that suddenly soap is old-fashioned.

Many of the ads introduced the image of cream emphasizing its moisturizing quality,
which is a signature that drives Doves image up to now. As a result, the term

Dove also preferred to have normal women test Dove products rather than models or
famous people. The idea behind that is to create an image of honesty and to provoke
people to reflect about the product.

Moreover, in the first decade, Dove advertising focused primarily on the facial benefits
of the product. The ads typically showed a face of a woman as she washed.

In 2007, the marketing positioning still emphasize the characteristics of the product,
however the company start to associated its image to regular women. The idea is to
connect the product with the target market showing that the product was made for
ordinary people. This strategy was part of the idea to strengthen the product into a
specific segment as a way to differentiate the product even more.

2. How did Unilever organize to do product category management and brand

management in 2000? What was the corresponding structure after 2000? How
was brand meaning controlled before 2000 and how was it controlled at the time
of the case?
Before 2000, Unilever was big producer but lack a global identity. The brand
management was extremely complicated as well with a decentralized style. Unilever
offered multiple brands for the same category and each one was led by a different
manager, which meant that each brand was separated business, competing and
canibilizing the companys own products.

Each brand manager was responsible for the related brand tasks to achieve profitability.
These tasks included the delivery of profit targets, design of strategy, and power over
marketing decisions.

The lack of unified global identity caused difficult to plan and long-term strategy and
international growth of the company. Furthermore, this led to slow performance over
many years as well and promoted a fragile and non-effective corporate strategy.

The corresponding structure after 2000, drawn based on Path to Growth plan, tried to
bring sharpen the Unilevers focus on the needs of its clients. The company employed
responsibilities for Brand Development groups and Brand Building groups.

Brand Development was centralized and global, while Brand Building was decentralized
and based on the regions in which the managers operate.

Brand Development managers ware responsible for developing the brand plan, which
includes innovative ideas. The group responsibilities were also to build market share,
brand health, and creating value in the category. The group was also responsible for
television advertising strategy. They were located in the areas where the brand has the
strongest position. With this strategic plan, Unilever was able to focus on core products
and brands.

Brand Building groups were located around the world. The managers goals were to
bring the brand to the consumers. They were accountable for the growth, profit and
short-term market share in the specific market. This strategy permitted them to create
their marketing strategy and to command budget at the local level.

The managers reported to a general manager who reported to a regional manager.

3. Spend a little time searching blogs, using Google blog search, Technorati,
Blog Runner, or any other blog search engines, to get a sense of what people are
saying about Dove today. What does this discussion contribute to the meaning of
the brand?

In fact, the brand has become associated to a product with a particular characteristic
that moisturize the womens skin. This positioning has provoked some criticism but it
also created a strong image for the company.

In one of the blogs, the executive director of Women In Media & News and author of
Reality Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV, believes that Dove's
message is at odds with its products, and that the company is capitalizing on women's
poor body images.

This discussion talks about more for the meaning of the brand since it sparks a huge
debate about the product and its positioning in the market. Some people may think
more about the product and its relation with the consumer. These thoughts can
contribute to enhance the image that the company wants to associate to the product.

4. Footnote 1 of the case leads you to a blogger who asks, with reference to
the age of YouTube advertising, Is marketing now cheap, fast and out of
control? Footnote 2 refers to Dove as having started a conversation that they
dont have control of. In When Tush comes to Dove Seth Stevenson writes
about the risky bet that dove is making. Do you see risks for the Dove brand
today?
Most women have positive opinions about Dove, which means Dove has successfully
reached its consumer target market. Therefore, there is little risk for Dove to carry out its
marketing campaign through social Medias. The idea of using ordinary women as a
substitute of famous actresses helps build the concept that the Dove brand delivers,
however not everybody likes this idea.

One risk that Dove should consider is the impact of people carrying bad or false facts
about the product. Thus, non-potential consumers can speak in a negative way about a
brand and this can impact on the consumers decision.

However, when customers speak about a brand in a positive or negative way, it helps to
enhance the brand loyalty and the consumer awareness.

Other possible risk that comes from Doves advertisements is to open a front of
criticisms from the competitors since they are using an open platform that anybody can
post on.