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Running head: CASE STUDY

Case Study: Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty

Amanda Page

Chapman University

CASE STUDY 2

Case Study: Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty

Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty started out with a global study based on beauty. The

campaign utilized a statistic from the study which states that only two percent of women

consider themselves beautiful (Dove). They strategically used this statistic to get a conversation

started about beauty. Dove has shed light on the idea that certain aspects of the media’s portrayal

of beauty are unattainable. Instead of focusing on unrealistic body standards, Dove focuses on

self-esteem and happiness. Doing so has both increased their sales of products and the

confidence of women. Dove really knows their target audience. They segment the audience by

both gender and age. Women – old and young – are being recognized in Dove’s various

advertisements and projects. The aim of this campaign is to celebrate the different physiques of

women and cherish those unique qualities.

Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty has been a success for a variety of reasons. For

starters, the company’s channel selection was very smart. They attacked social media as a whole,

starting conversations on Facebook and YouTube. Dove encouraged people to join in the

movement by sharing their stories online. Their YouTube advertisement, Dove Real Beauty

Sketches, generated over 160 million views worldwide. The advertisement emotionally tied

viewers to the brand, by being both relatable and empowering. The Real Beauty Campaign has

also included the Ad Makeover App, where you can displace feel-bad ads on Facebook with

positive quotes like “be your beautiful self” (Best Marketing, 2015). Dove overbid negative

search terms like “I hate my body” and “plastic surgery” so that during the launch of the

campaign, Dove’s positive ads would be displayed instead. Ultimately, Dove has ignited a fire in

the marketing world and beyond, as will be discussed below.

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Discussion Questions

1. Did the Dove campaign accurately assess the perceived barriers of their target audience

in their Real Beauty campaign?

2. What were the intended objectives of the Dove campaign and how were they

accomplished?

3. How did Dove go about creating competitive superiority? What appeals were used?

4. Are there any ways in which Dove’s campaign has been unsuccessful? What

controversies have been raised?

Response to Discussion Questions

1. Overall, the Dove campaign accurately assessed the perceived barriers of the target

audience. Many women feel like they are not beautiful, and feel like they are all alone.

Dove recognized this fear and made it completely normal to acknowledge these beliefs

and unite with other women. Dove also hit upon one’s need for affirmation. Ultimately,

Dove is not just selling soap and lotion, but rather acceptance and validation.

From their bold advertisements with normal-sized models wearing their real

curves, Dove immediately puts out an image of strength and pride. They squashed the

stigma that comes with talking about beauty. Because many people are afraid to publicly

announce their self-esteem issues, Dove created an online forum where people can get

advice and read lifestyle articles. Dove created a voice for people on the shyer side, and

utilized social media platforms to spread awareness. Instead of verbally pledging to love

themselves, people can write #ChooseBeautiful online via social media and instantly be

surrounded by thousands of others doing the same thing. Dove has a YouTube channel

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where people can watch videos about confidence, as well as Facebook and Twitter pages.

Additionally, Dove brings the support directly to their consumers. Dove hosts self-esteem

workshops for young girls, and provides online toolkits for those looking to help others in

their community. Dove has made sharing one’s opinion and making a positive impact on

others much easier.

2. Dove had quite a few objectives for their campaign. Firstly, there was a major behavior

objective in which the company wanted to increase sales of Dove beauty products. They

did so by creating an entirely new image for the brand – an image of confidence and a

more truthful beauty. Dove started out with a bang, putting up billboards around the

world of regular women in undergarments – not your average models. These

advertisements were interactive, as passers-by could vote on whether the photo was

“wrinkled or wonderful”, “fat or fab” (Russell, 2014). The results of the questions were

updated and displayed on the billboard, ultimately shoving the question of beauty in the

world’s face.

Hand in hand, both behavior and belief objectives were utilized to attain their

goals. Dove increased media coverage, created a strong social media campaign, and made

unique commercials. Ads were seen on billboards, magazines, television, and the internet.

Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty was discussed on talk shows like The Ellen Show and

Good Morning America. Not only did they incorporate opinion leaders like Oprah and

Ellen into the discussion, but one of their commercials aired during the Super Bowl for

millions to see. Dove also wanted to create discussion about the meaning of beauty. This

was achieved by creating blog spaces and activities on the Campaign for Real Beauty

website, so consumers could support the movement and have a safe space to talk.

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3. Dove somewhat utilized a benefit to cost superiority in which they emphasized the

benefits of their products. They have repositioned themselves from a beauty brand to a

personal care brand. Dove also created partnerships with Girls & Boys Club of America,

Girl Scouts, and other organizations to start discussions about body image and positivity.

In doing so, they have created a positive image of the brand. Every other beauty brand

would therefore be viewed as bad for presenting unrealistic portrayals of beauty.

Additionally, Dove encourages people to get involved with the Self Esteem Project, and

provides resources for the community about bullying and body image. Dove sneakily

places themselves above other brands by presenting themselves as “do-gooders”.

Consumers like to feel like they are being morally correct and ethical, so Dove’s

campaign fits well with one’s need to promote positivity and be socially responsible. The

campaign’s positive emotional appeals and logical appeals have ultimately helped to

create support for their products.

4. Many of Dove’s critics were first to point out their association with hypocritical

companies. The brand’s owner, Unilever, is the parent company of Slim Fast, Axe, and

Fair & Lovely Skin-lightening Cream. These other brands/products owned by Unilever

sell a negative image of beauty and materialism. Slim Fast has been criticized for its

image about the necessity of being thin, while Axe has been given the cold shoulder for

being sexist. Fair & Lovely Skin-lightening Cream encourages dark-skinned women in

other countries to become more Western – ultimately telling them that their natural

beauty is not good enough. With such contradictory messages, Dove has received a bit of

backlash. Having said that, I think that the negativity should be redirected toward

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Unilever, as it is the owner of such conflicting brands. Dove does not have control over

the branding image of Unilever’s other companies.

Putting the Unilever issue aside, Dove has still faced some criticism. Dove’s

products have been criticized for putting out conflicting messages. While they sell soap

and body wash that nourish one’s natural beauty, they also sell firming creams –

ultimately suggesting that cellulite needs to go. Others say that Dove’s advertisements

only focus on a small subset of women. However, from the beginning Dove has shown

women of different body types in their ads. They have also expanded their reach by

showing women of different ages and ethnicities. Either way, whether the response is

positive or negative, Dove is provoking society to talk about female empowerment. Since

the launch of Dove’s campaign in 2004, other companies have begun to talk about

beauty, power, and feminism. Always has come out with its “#LikeaGirl” movement that

challenges the negative connotation associated with the phrase “you throw like a girl”,

while Pantene has moved toward a “#NotSorry” direction, highlighting the fact that

women tend to over-apologize in situations (Russell, 2014).

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References

Case study: Dove’s ‘Ad Makeover’ brings positive ad messages (and overbidding) to Facebook.

(2015). Retrieved from http://www.best-marketing.eu/dove-ad-makeover-case-study/

Lee, N. R., & Kotler, P. (2011). Social marketing: Influencing behaviors for good (4th ed.). Los

Angeles, CA: Sage. ISBN: 978-1-41298149.

Russell, M. (2014, July 9). How Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty Ushered in New Age of

Female Empowerment. Retrieved from

http://www.visiblemeasures.com/2014/07/09/how-doves-campaign-for-real-beauty-

ushered-in-new-age-of-female-empowerment/

The Dove® Campaign for Real Beauty. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dove.us/Social-

Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx