3/26/14 DAM | Dove Case

1. What is a brand? Why does Unilever want fewer brands? A brand is a way to distinguish different companies through using a name,

logo and personality. A company uses these traits in order to share a unified

message with their consumers in the marketplace with a fully distinct image.

Unilever wants fewer brands because it lacked a unified global identity. It

had managed brands in a relatively decentralized fashion and allowed direction

of these brands to be set by brand managers in each of the geographic regions

in which the brand was marketed. They wanted to consolidate their 1,600 brands

in order to embark on their “Path to Growth.” Instead, they wanted a global brand

unit for the 400 remaining Masterbrand’s that had a global vision and would

inspire cooperation across markets.

2. What was Dove’s market positioning in the 1950s? What is its positioning in 2007?

In the 1950s, Dove’s market position was a soap that doesn’t dry your skin

because it was partly cleansing cream. “Cleansing” was eventually changed to

“moisturizing” but the company focused its position as a functional superiority

with a moisturizing benefit. Since there was dermatological evidence that it would

not dry out your skin the same way regular soap would, the company marketed

that it technically wasn’t soap. They relied on this functional benefit for more than

40 years.

In 2007 Dove’s market positioning was a number one cleansing brand in

the health and beauty sector. Prior to 2007, in the early 2000s, Unilever wanted

to make Dove one of their masterbrands. Unilever needed to establish a meaning

for Dove that could apply to and extend over the entire stable of products.

Therefore, they chose that Dove should stand for a point of view.

In order to accomplish this task of making Dove stand for a point of view,

Dove began their “Campaign for Real Beauty.” This campaign was chosen

through many years of research. Through this research it was found that beauty

advertising and packaging created unattainable standards for women. Dove set

out to change the idea of beauty altogether rather than marketing a functional

product.

3. How did Unilever organize to do product category management and brand management in Unilever before 2000? What was the corresponding structure after 2000?

Before 2000, Unilever created a structure for product category and brand

management by having one brand manager in charge of a multiple brands in a

product category. The brand manager was in charge of designing strategy,

delivering profit targets and daily marketing decisions. Each brand operated

independently and even competed with its like categories. A staff of brand

assistants worked under the policies of a brand manager.

After 2000, Unilever began to split responsibility for a brand between two

groups. One group was in charge of development of the brand and the other was

in charge of building the brand in specific markets. Brand Development was

centralized but targeted globally. Brand Building was decentralized according to

the major geographic regions that Unilever occupied.

The Brand Development created the idea behind a brand, innovating the

brand and evolving this idea in the future. The Brand Building group was in

charge of bringing the brand to life in each geographic marketplace.

4. What was TCFRP ‘Value for the People’? What was the ‘Value for the Brand’?

5. How was brand meaning controlled before 2000 and how is it controlled at the time of the case?

Before 2000, brand meaning was controlled with Dove as a cleanser. This

cleanser had an aspiration for healthier and moisturized skin. This was honest

advertising backed by dermatological research and highlighted the functional

benefits of using Dove rather than soap.

At the time of the case Dove focused on emotions of consumers,

particularly women’s fears of the beauty market. They listened to the market and

collected results to make a talking campaign. They stood for a point of view to

popularize a movement based on helping women to see their personal beauty

that already exists.

6. What were the advantages and disadvantages of TCFRB? If you were Dove brand manager, would you recommend going forward or ending TCFRB? Why?