John Paul Mifsud- Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications

Dove: Evolution of a Brand

1. In February 2000 Uniliver embraced a five year strategy to downsize (re-organize) the 1,600 brand to 400.  The elected brands were defined as ‘Master brands’, and were meant to serve as umbrella identities over a range of products.  The company took the decision to reduce the number of brands to gain control over its products.  In the case of Dove, the brand served as umbrella brand for a wide range of health and beauty products.  To gain control, the company shifted from a decentralized branding strategy, led by brand managers, to a more centralized strategy.  The company developed two major groups. One was responsible for brand development (idea behind the brand) which was centralized while another team was developed, responsible for brand building around the major regions in which Unilever operated.

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2. The first product developed by Dove was called a beauty bar, launched in 1957.  The message claimed by the company was “Dove soap doesn’t dry your skin because it’s one-quarter cleansing cream”. Later they changed the slogan from “cleansing cream” to “moisturizing cream”.  By the 2000, the brand depended on the claims of functional superiority.  In February 2000 the brand was tapped to become a Masterbrand.  The brand had to endorse a different image to cap the whole range of products (personal care products) that were to fall under the Dove brand.  The notion of communicating functional superiority ...

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