Nivea – Managing Brand Portfolio

Case Issues

• Balance sub-brands and umbrella brands• Make Nivea more contemporary while retaining

heritage• Building and retaining brand associations for

sub-brands• Make marketing of sub-brands consistent• Corporate branding – Is it necessary?– How can we proceed?

Nivea Brand Inventory & Brand Portfolio

• nivea brand inventory.xlsx

Nivea’s Brand Image• Rich set of Brand Associations (Strength)– Care, mildness, reliability, gentleness, protection, high

quality, feel-good factor– The Nivea Woman: reflected in Ad’s as “clean, fresh and

natural”• Used by entire family (Favorability)– A universal, unisex acceptance satisfying multiple needs– Strongly associated with shared family experiences:

Mother & child relationships, family vacations on the beach

• Caretaker of Skin (Uniqueness)– Caring & protective: Nivea Sun, Mens range

Nivea Crème: Brand Personality Drivers

• Product-related CharacteristicsProduct Category

Package Price Attributes

Multipurpose Skin Care cream

Dark Blue Tin, Logo and name in white lettering (BLOCK and cursive combination)

Reasonably priced

Distinctive colors (dark blue & white) used in packaging, ‘Nivea’ name: snow white color of crème, water-in-oil emulsion

• Non-product related characteristicsUser

ImagerySymbol Age Ad-style

Childhood, Entire family, Uni-sex

Famous blue tin with white lettering, Nivea Weather Calendar, Blue Beach ball

“since childhood” product, introduced into Germany in 1912

-Promoted basic themes of skin care and protection-Simple, plain, informative-Shared family-experiences: mother & child relationships, family vacations at the beach

Nivea Crème Brand Personality Scale (The Big Five)

• Sincerity– Down-to-earth: family-oriented– Honest: sincere, real, caring, mild, gentle– Wholesome: natural, classic, original, high-quality– Cheerful: sentimental, friendly, warm, happy, feel-good

• Excitement– Spirited: lively, clean, fresh

• Competence– Reliable: trustworthy, protective

• Sophistication– Reflects styles of time, modernized– Charming: gentle

Nivea’s Sources of Equity•NIVEA Crème ‘s unique water in oil emulsion - snow-white

in color

•Nivea name from Latin word- “nives” - snow

•Nivea products - blue color background with white lettering - extended from the NIVEA Crème tin

•Nivea’s core brand associations – “mildness and caring”- Correlated with the key skin needs of consumers

•Enjoyed high degree of confidence & goodwill- Reliability, quality and honesty.

•Nivea’s brand associations fit with the values of the consumer - Desire for fairness, authenticity, openness and belonging

•Nivea name - synonymous with skin care & protection

Variation of brand image and equity across product classes

• Nivea - Exploited the strength of NIVEA Crème brand associations and transferred it to other product classes

• New products

- Positioned with a promise to contain the core brand associations of NIVEA Crème

- With some new benefit provided by the product

• 1992 : Nivea crème - largest contributor to total revenues(22%)– The newer product lines had each made significant contributions of their own

• 1996-2006- Diversified and consolidated

- Successfully carried brand associations of Nivea crème

- Global presence

- Established Nivea as a skin care brand

- Rather than only a skin cream brand.

Brand Associations of Core Brand extended across the product class

• Nivea Sun – the new Nivea Sun makes the sun gentle

• Nivea For Men- Less alcohol, more care

• Nivea Shower and Bath-Delightfully Gentle and creamily mild

• Nivea Hair - Entire care for frequently washed hair

• Nivea Deo-The deo that even cares for your skin

• Nivea Body• Target : People in need of moisturizer• 1. Nivea Milk : long term storage of moisture• 2. Nivea Lotion :Specialized skin care acc to

different skin types• Print ad headline: “A first choice twice”• Tagline : “What your skin needs to be beautiful”• 1990- “Your skin tells you what kind of care it

needs”

• Nivea Visage• Target : women (European)• 1.Nivea Geisicht(Nivea face) : cleansing milk, tonic and

moisturizing lotion• Ad campaign tag line : “The mildest way to cleanse your

face”• 2.Nivea Viso : moisturizing cream rich of precious

components like jojoba oil• Italian TV commercial : “Discover the beauty of your face”• 3.Nivea Visage liposome crème : Science in all confidence

• Nivea Sun• Target : People who enjoy sun but need protection• Variety of SPF factors and after-sun products• 1986 :Emotional appeal through ad : “Tanning

with care instead of tanning with burn. The new Nivea sun- your skin should be important to you”

• 1988 : “ Nivea Sun. Tanning without problems”

• Nivea Men• Target : Men(European)• After shave balm : alcoholic water & moisturizing• Print ad Tag line : “Less alcohol, more care”• 1980s, “the Couple” ad for Nivea After shave

balm• 1991- highlights APG factor, mildness, caring.• Barber ad

• Nivea Shower and Bath• High quality mild caring benefits• 1991-Nivea Crème shower :soft and caressing

feeling of showering• Ad “ care you can feel. Nivea crème shower,

the feeling of gentle care”• “when freshness becomes like a caress”

• Nivea hair care• Multipurpose shampoo and

conditioner• Pflege Shampoo and Pflege

Spulung : aligned with mildness and care qualities for daily hair care

• Print ad headline : “The entire care for frequently washed hair”

Nivea deo• Deo crème• Nivea deo • TV : “ Now there is deodorant that guarantees

you not only secure efficacy, but also extra mildness. Because its from Nivea. New Nivea Deodorant

• Print ad : “The harmony of mildness and efficacy” , “The deodorant that even cares for your skin”