Dove Brand Analysis Essay

It is not a secret that Dove is one of the most well-known brands. Surely, in almost every retailer you see the Dove logo and white packaging, that has become the trademark of the company. From their authentic commercials and digital ads, they are everywhere. Dove truly has something going right for them, as they headline a variety of products. Their products are featured in five different categories- which are the Beauty Bar and Body Wash, Haircare products, Deodorants, Lotion, Baby care, and Men care line. Dove is a preferred brand, that has established themselves nationally and globally. 

When Dove first stared in 1957, their target market was women. These women ranged in age from eighteen to thirty-five, and they were interested in health and beauty products. However, Dove has garnered a larger audience, not only for women, but a line tailored to men called “Men+Care”, and one dedicated to babies called “Baby Dove. In addition, men’s skin is completely different from women’s, as baby’s skin is much more sensitive than both men and women. With this in mind, Dove challenged themselves by taking on two new markets. This new change required Dove to study and research these markets because they were in contrast to women. 

In recent years, Dove has incorporated a new slogan into their branch, which is known as “real beauty.” The company completed a study, where they found that many women did not believe or see themselves as beautiful. So, Dove took it upon themselves to rebrand in the marketplace. This really gave Dove a chance to rebuild their company, not just for women ages eighteen to thirty-five, but for the everyday woman period because beauty has “no shape, no size, or color.” This change amongst the company had an immediate effect on the consumption of the Dove Beauty brand. Now, with more women consuming the product, it gave Dove a chance to really validate their message. They did this by incorporating short films and unscripted commercials from everyday women who were using their products, and others who had given their testimonials. 

Dove distributes their product through major retailers, grocery stores, even from their own website. With that being said, it is understood that the company tries to distribute their products to as many retailers and chains as possible. Knowingly, with Dove in so many retail locations, it is hard to not pick up a product while shopping. In today’s market, Dove faces competition with companies such as Olay and Nivea, though Dove’s biggest competitor is Olay. Olay sells similar products to Dove, but they do not have a men’s line or a baby care line. Olay’s products are marketed towards women, yet their target market is defined by skin conditions or problems. For instance, Olay targets skin problems such as hyperpigmentation and fine lines and wrinkles. On the other hand, Dove targets elasticity of the skin and overall health. In this instance, Dove has the greater competitive advantage because it offers a line for everyone, but also it focuses on one’s whole health instead of a subset of health. 

Dove relies heavily on its parent company by the name of “Unilever”. Unilever is the parent company to many brands that we see today. Firstly, in order to correctly make the product, the company has to source out some specific ingredients. Once those ingredients are found, then the product goes into production. Seeing that the machine does the manual labor: the small team of employees oversee the process, work on the equipment, and label the products to be shipped out. Since this process is so refined, it ensures the employees less stress and headache, due to the fact that the employees have more time to focus on the intricate details. Additionally, this process allows the middle-level management to constantly improve the efficiency of the team, while the upper-level management can improve the overall branch.

So, you may ask what exactly makes Dove different? The word “real” in their company slogan resonates with people. This company constantly keeps their loyal customers updated on new progress while simultaneously responding to questions and concerns. Believe it or not, Dove was the original name of the company that started in 1957, however, Dove saw an opportunity to change the name of the company to Dove Beauty. This was in fact a marketing strategy, as it went along with their slogan of “real beauty”, that implied that every woman is beautiful. Not only did this increase sales, but also it broadened the audience from women to girls under the age of eighteen and women over the age of thirty-five. There has been major praise for the company’s new direction, though there have been some criticisms also. 

Dove’s products seem to really align with people’s core values because people are becoming more socially conscience, and they believe this brand is socially conscience as well. From their simple colored packaging, and freshly scented products, Dove remains a top contender for many. Dove is committed to diversity within their company, so they took initiative to create campaigns to stop hair discrimination. In 2019 Dove participated in a campaign, and they discovered that there was bias against women in the workplace who had locs, braids, and naturally curly hair. This motivated Dove to create the CROWN Coalition, which ensures all women can celebrate the individuality of their natural selves. Dove believes in having a diverse environment where everyone can flourish, and this has led them to build a more diverse workplace and consumer base. This company values respect, integrity, and honesty. Year after year, the company grows and thrives in the market, and they continue to encourage workers through their company culture.

If I were to do a recommendation on the company of how become stronger and extend their success, then I would recommend allowing the consumers to really know their product. For example, I would recommend a mini-series on Dove behind the scenes, what it takes to make their product, a sneak peek of a meeting, etc. They could do something every week and share a link via social media to their site for consumers to see. Dove is always continuing to come up with campaigns that are centered around what is going on in present-day culture. Their most recent campaign is called “Dove Self-Esteem Project, which is a mission to build a positive body image also known as self-concept. Dove has continued to innovate throughout the years inserting and removing products based off current customers and potential customer needs. 

In conclusion, Dove has generated enough buzz to become a top producing company. There is almost no place you go, where Dove is not available. Dove’s product line that features five categories has something for everyone. Honestly, Dove has been around for a couple of decades, which is usually unheard of for a company, but Dove’s remarkable product, team, and culture has kept this company going. All in all, Dove is a brand, that established themselves nationally, and with the brilliance of Dove Beauty, they were able to establish themselves globally.