Dove Advertising Campaign Essay Sample
After much outrage from consumers that followed the Dove ad there needs to be quick steps taken to rectify the situation. First, a real heartfelt apology from CEO Suzzy Sammons would be a good start. An apology is the least Dove can do. Yet it’s important for them to do it the right way. Admitting your wrong is the first step they should own up to their mistake and acknowledge that what they did was wrong. Another way companies miss the mark on issuing apologies is simply publishing a checked over typed up memo. For instance after the Kendall Jenner Pepsi commercial that was using protest movements for commercial gain. Instead of owning up to the mistake they simply said “Pepsi was trying to project a global message of unity, peace and understanding. Clearly, we missed the mark and apologize.” They didn’t even bring up why the commercial was controversial and wan’t to avoid this situation at all costs. The head of the company should sit in front of a camera and apologize to women and admit the new product's issue. This apology should not be written or read off a prompt and should be a sincere statement by Suzzy. This should cool down some reasonably upset consumers and will show valued customers that you didn’t mean any intentional harm.
Next on the docket is to donate to a women's empowerment charity. Some ideas that we have are Global Fund for Women, Equality Now, and Women Deliver. These are all incredible charities that do wonderful things for women across the globe. Being charitable is a great way to show consumers that you really care about the mistake you made. Furthermore it can get you in good standing with consumers that are still disturbed by the new product. Something that we want to avoid is putting a bandaid on a broken bone and Dove should heavily consider donating a large sum to one if not multiple charities that help empower women.
Now that we have done some clean-up from the outrage. We can now focus on how to rebuild relationships with consumers that were hurt by the insensitive ad. We believe the focal point of our upcoming ads should be about women who are comfortable in their own bodies. Our ad should show how women's beauty comes in all colors, shapes and sizes. The apparel company Aerie ran an ad that we think we could take some notes from. For the last couple years they have continued to break down traditional beauty standards by using the hashtag “AerieReal”. They began to stop using photoshop on their models' pictures. They also published a YouTube series called “Real Talk”. The show gives models a chance to talk about how it makes them feel to not be photoshopped. This ad has seemed to help them gain womens respect, consequently this had made the money more revenue over the last couple years. In fact over the past year Aerie has increased their sales by 32%. As you can see an ad that relates with women positively can increase brand image as well as increase profits over time.
Motivating customers is a great way to keep them coming back to Dove and sends out an outstanding message to consumers. Another ad that we can look at is the commercial done by global brand Nike. They created a humorous ad named “Better For IT” where it’s different women working out and their inner thoughts while doing their distinct workouts. They seem to be down on themselves saying quotes such as, “Oh good, a bunch of models right in front of me,” or, “Don’t mind me over here with my little baby weights...baby arms.” They poke fun at themselves and then continue to go even harder and finish their activity. The advertisement was so successful that it inspired its own show Margot vs. Lilly which keeps things light but teaches people the importance of mental perspective. These ads motivate people to keep going and we believe that a similar ad could be great for Dove especially after the last offensive ad.
Finally, an ad that inspires people, especially women, could pay off greatly. For this we can look at an ad from Bumble the ad is named, “The Ball is in Her Court”. Superstar tennis player Serina Williams stars in the commercial and she says encouraging quotes like, “The world will tell you that you're not strong enough to play. They’ll tell you that your story doesn’t matter. The world will tell you that you should "be a lady." This ad moves the needle by motivating women and telling them they achieve their goals. The ad was well received and applauded by consumers. An ad that makes you inspired makes you feel and that is what this type of ad can do. We think a popular woman leader in one of our ads could be an excellent way to get the consumers attention. Moreover, a strong inspiring message and we could see a gain in customers.
With a sincere apology and a considerable donation to a women's empowerment group. We know that an ad that shows empowerment, motivation, and inspires women would be the next perfect advertisement for Dove.
