MC5080QA: Dove and Unilever: A Powerful Marketing Communication Plan Case Study

Unilever and Dove: Implementing Integrated Marketing Strategy

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Introduction: Dove and Unilever: A Powerful Marketing Communication Plan

Marketing communication helps the business to connect and reach more customers (Krizanova et al., 2019). Dove is one of the leading brands of Unilever which has established itself as a distinctive brand by offering a unique range of products. The products of Dove are marketed to assist individuals in recognising internal beauty and it has positioned itself effectively. With the help of this report, a comprehensive integrated communication strategy will be employed by the Dove. An analysis of the brand and the analysis of the company will be investigated in the report. The aim of this report is to develop brand awareness recognise the target market and build a great image.

Marketing communication objectives

The brand Dove is owned by Unilever, headquartered in the UK. The brand represents a unique idea where no other cosmetic country could offer such an exclusive and diverse range of products. The marketing objectives of Dove are to:

• To increase the brand awareness from 10 % to 20% from June to July ( Bernarto et al., 2020)
• To increase the market share from 5% to 12% from June to July (Percy, 2023)

Marketing communication strategy

MOSAIC is a marketing platform which is utilised to gain better insights and connect with the customers. The platform uses a combination of demographic, lifestyle and behavioural data to develop customer profiles and create targeted marketing campaigns (Muhammedrisaevna et al., 2020).

Dove is a well-known personal care company with a line of goods that includes shampoos, body washes, deodorants and soap bars. The company is renowned for its advertising efforts that encourage women to have a favourable perception of their bodies and to feel confident in themselves. A few components of Dove's marketing message are listed below: Since its inception in 2004, Dove's Real Beauty campaign has served as a lynchpin of its marketing strategy. Instead of the customarily airbrushed and idealised images that are popular in beauty advertising, the campaign uses pictures of actual women of various ages, races, and body types.

• Demographic segmentation: The business can divide the market into groups according to factors like age, income, education, and occupation (Sheth, 2021). For instance, they could go for high-society people between the ages of 18 and 35 who are employed or housewives.
• Market segmentation based on values, personality, and lifestyle is known as psychographic segmentation. They may choose to target those who value status and prestige, lead a busy life, and are ambitious.
• Behavioural segmentation based on customer behaviour includes factors including usage frequency, brand loyalty, and purchase propensity. For instance, they could go after customers who routinely buy expensive cosmetics and are brand loyal.

The business may create tailored marketing efforts that respond to the unique needs, wants, and preferences of each consumer segment by utilising the MOSAIC framework. For instance, they can employ email personalisation for devoted clients and experiential marketing to develop brand experiences that appeal to consumers that are adventurous and ambitious (Laurie and Mortimer, 2019). They can also utilise digital advertising to target affluent people on social media sites.

Differentiation

By highlighting the use of natural components in its products and eschewing the use of harsh chemicals that can harm skin and hair, Dove sets itself apart from its rivals. By including actual women in their advertising campaigns, the firm also emphasises encouraging people to accept their natural beauty (Nurmayanti et al., 2021). Dove distinguishes itself from competitors by providing a variety of products that are catered to various skin and hair types, enabling customers to select the products that are most effective for them.

Positioning

Dove markets itself as a high-end personal care company with a line of luxurious goods that are kind and nutritious to the skin and hair (Nurmayanti et al., 2021). Customers trust the brand since it emphasises the use of natural components and shuns the use of harsh chemicals. Dove positions itself as a company that encourages people to appreciate their natural beauty and fosters a good body image. The goal of its marketing efforts is to position Dove as a company that is concerned about its customers' well-being by encouraging them to feel confident and beautiful in their skin.

A buyer persona is a fictitious portrayal of a company's ideal consumer (Qazzafi, 2020). Here is an illustration of a Dove buyer persona :

Name: Sabinah

Demographics:

• Female:
• Age: 25 to 35
• Married with a college degree who works in the corporate sector

Psychographics:

• values well-being and self-care
• is concerned about the environment and sustainability
• Interested in attempting new cosmetics
• use social media regularly
• Interested in diversity and body positivity

Behaviours

• uses natural and organic goods as much as possible
• Shop for skincare and cosmetics both offline and online.
• being ready to pay more for superior goods
• like getting personalised advice on skincare and beauty practices
• Are you keen to interact with brands on social media?

This buyer persona serves as a potential target market for Dove's marketing initiatives. Dove may build marketing strategies that are more individualised and pertinent to their demands by having a thorough grasp of the needs, attitudes, and behaviours of this target group. For instance, Dove should focus on utilising sustainable and eco-friendly packaging for its products and produce social media content that encourages body acceptance and inclusivity. The company can also use its website to provide individualised skincare advice. Dove can increase sales and foster brand loyalty by matching its marketing initiatives to the needs and values of its target market.

Creative strategy

An approach to selling a good or service that goes above and beyond conventional advertising strategies and employs cutting-edge concepts and strategies to grab the attention of the target audience is known as creative marketing. Here are a few components of an inventive marketing plan.

Dove may use a unique marketing approach that highlights its dedication to diversity and inclusion as well as its commitment to producing high-quality products that satisfy the demands of all customers to keep standing out in a crowded market (Falahat et al., 2020).

A distinctive and appealing brand identity can help a product or service stand out from rivals and draw in the target market. The logo of Dove contains the beauty heritage in the minds of the customers.

• Goals: To increase the brand value and market share from June to July.
• Target audience: The main target of the Dove brand will be women. They are more active than the men. The women belong to the age group between 18 and 35. They are targeting those who are very busy with their hectic schedule, that is, working professionals who do not have much time to maintain themselves.
• Developing the content strategy: # LOVE YOUR BODY # DON’T FEEL ASHAMED # BE POSITIVE #
• Leverage influencers: Social media influencers are the significant figures to promote their products (Leung et al., 2022). Partnering with powerful people and groups who share its beliefs could be one of Dove's future strategies. For instance, Dove may collaborate with well-known members of the body Positive movement or join up with groups that support inclusiveness and diversity. They could collaborate with Former Miss Universe Susmita Sen to promote the products. These collaborations might enable Dove to expand its market reach while highlighting its dedication to social responsibility.
• Utilise social media marketing: Social media marketing is one of the most popular strategies to reach customers. By creating a visually compelling as it will; align with the brand values and target audience (Jacobson et al., 2020). Social media could be used by Dove to interact with its audience in fresh and original ways. Dove, as an illustration, might start a social media promotion that invites users to contribute their own unique tales about their encounters with beauty and self-care. This might promote brand loyalty and foster a community of Dove supporters who are fervent about the company and its goals.
• Monitoring the strategy: Dove can design an effective marketing plan that connects with consumers and elevates the brand in a crowded market by highlighting its dedication to diversity and inclusion, creating new goods for underserved markets, and interacting with its target demographic on social media.

Promotion Mix and media selection

The Dove brand will use a variety of marketing communication tools in its promotion mix to build brand awareness and advertise its products. These components consist of:

• Advertising: Dove will advertise their goods through a variety of media, including TV commercials, print ads, and web banner ads. Real women of different ages, sizes, and races are frequently featured in the company's advertising campaigns, underscoring its dedication to diversity and inclusivity.
• Personal Selling: Dove products are widely available and sold via brick-and-mortar stores and internet marketplaces. Sales agents may be utilised to market new items or achieve prominent placement in stores, even though personal selling is not a significant component of Dove's promotion mix.
• Public Relations: The goals of Dove's public relations campaigns are to enhance the brand's reputation and raise consumer awareness of its social and environmental programmes. The "Real Beauty" ad is one of many effective ones that Dove has run to promote a good body image (Mahaputra and Saputra, 2021).
• Sales Promotion: To entice people to try its goods and foster brand loyalty, Dove runs sales campaigns using tools like coupons, discounts, and product samples. For instance, the company could supply free samples in stores or discount rates on new products.
• Social Media marketing : Dove has to create a unified brand identity that is present on all social media channels, including the logo, colour scheme, and voice of the company (Ebrahim, 2020). This will support the development of a recognisable brand identity that appeals to the intended market. To highlight its products and advance its brand values, Dove should employ high-quality pictures and videos on social media sites. This will draw interest and foster a favourable impression in the target market.
• Direct Marketing: Dove employs direct marketing to connect to consumers through email campaigns and tailored offers (Desai and Vidyapeeth, 2019). The company may also run direct mail campaigns to reach particular customer demographics.

The overall goals of Dove's promotion mix are to increase brand recognition, market its products through a variety of channels, and uphold a favourable brand reputation by conducting social and environmental activities. Dove can reach a large audience and establish lasting relationships with its customers by using a variety of marketing communication strategies.

Dove has a significant online presence on Facebook and engages with its audience there in several different ways. Here are some instances of client interaction with Dove on Facebook:

Dove produces and distributes Facebook material that is intended to inform, uplift, and empower its audience (Chen and Lin, 2019). This features articles, videos, and pictures that address a variety of subjects about wellness, beauty, and personal care. Dove uses Facebook to help its customers and provide support. This involves giving prompt, helpful responses to client questions and complaints. By utilising hashtags, producing user-generated content, and taking part in social media campaigns, Dove encourages its customers to post on Facebook about their interactions with its products. This promotes brand engagement and loyalty. On Facebook, Dove has executed several interactive advertisements that invite audience participation and brand engagement (Cheung et al., 2020). For instance, the company has run promotions that invite customers to discuss their experiences, do surveys, and make product feature selections. The brand will create awareness among the customers and it will help them to enhance their brand image.

Campaign Implementation: Facebook campaign

Figure 1: Gantt chart

Measures of campaign outcome

Key performance Indicators are very crucial in evaluating the success of a marketing campaign. The particular KPI which will be utilised depends on the goals and objectives of the campaign. The various KPIs used are

• Reach: The reach of a campaign, whether it is through social media, advertising, or other means, quantifies the number of individuals who have been exposed to it (Ghahremani-Nahr and Nozari, 2021). Dove uses metrics including social media impressions, internet traffic, and video views to determine the campaign's reach. Dove can determine how many individuals have been exposed to its advertising by measuring reach.
• Engagement : Measures of engagement include click-through rates, likes, comments, and shares, which indicate how much interaction there is with the campaign. By monitoring statistics like likes, shares, comments, and click-through rates, Dove will gauge user involvement. Dove can determine how much its customers are engaging with its marketing by monitoring engagement.
• Brand awareness: Brand awareness gauges the extent to which consumers are aware of the brand as a result of the advertising effort. Metrics like search volume, social media mentions, and survey results may be included (Kukartseva et al., 2021). Dove tracks indicators including search volume, social media mentions, and survey responses to gauge brand awareness. Dove can determine how much information its customers are aware of the brand and its products by assessing brand awareness.
• Customer Retention : Dove tracks variables like the percentage of repeat customers and customer loyalty to calculate customer retention. Dove can see how many customers are sticking with its products over time by tracking customer retention.

Dove's KPIs are primarily concerned with determining how its campaigns affect sales, consumer engagement, and brand perception. Dove may assess the effectiveness of its campaigns and make data-driven decisions to enhance its marketing strategy by monitoring these KPIs.

Budget campaign

Table 2: Indicative Budget Plan

The cost of designing and creating the ads involves images, videos, and copy. The costs of running the ads on the social media platforms by targeting the particular demographics are recognised as the target audience for the campaign. The costs per impression can vary depending on the competition of the market. The budget covers the costs of partnering with micro and macro influencers to promote Doive products. Influencers will develop sponsored Dove products and share their personal experiences. The budget is suitable as the company will earn more revenue if they invest in the business. The budget is based on the performance of the campaign and it is made sure that it meets the goals and objectives and delivers a strong ROI.

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