Marketing strategy for Dove soap targeting men

Marketing Plan: Dove Soap for Men

Discuss the type of product the company will offer and identify its primary characteristics.

In the past, Dove products are primarily associated with "soap" and deodorant, or washes and body moisturizers. Most people have associated Dove products with natural beauty products for women, which allow women to feel like natural women, not associated with a particular "mode" of women, such as the quintessential thin, model type figure. In fact, Dove has primarily been associated with the anything goes type woman; any size, any color. However, Dove Soap for Men is a new type of product, offering a line of products that the man who already feels comfortable in his skin can use to actually feel "comfortable." This point is key; surveys conducted by the company demonstrate that the target population for the company already feels "comfortable" from a physical standpoint, but not actually comfortable, meaning most men have difficulty with the texture of their skin, so they are looking for better quality products. It is important to note that the characteristics of Dove for Men make this product more than just a soap; the new line of products include three separate body washes, two separate bar soaps and a unique scrubbing instrument mean can use to help moisturize their skin. This product is marketed especially toward men who may have been using women's products or a combination of products to try to balance out their skin. These products are made to help men feel confident about the texture and appearance of their skin.

2. Discuss the product branding strategy.

A branding strategy is critical to the success of any marketing plan. The brand helps define the products name, symbol and design or combination of these goods so they are instantly recognizable to the customer. Dove itself is a brand. People are familiar with the logo, and well familiar with the name. Branding is not just important for people to recognize a name however, or a symbol. It is essential for people to recognize a product so that it stands apart from others in a line of similar products. The brand of Dove helps differentiate the Dove product from other products like Axe and Old Spice for example, which also offer soap products to men. Branding is about helping the customer not just choosing the product, but helping the customer think the product is the best and only possible choice on the market. It makes other products seem impractical and implausible if done correctly. Most people are already familiar with the line of products and branding strategy that is used to help women feel comfortable in their own skin. The men's line takes an opposite approach. Since Dove is essentially the "brand" the branding approach is to target men that are "comfortable in their own skin" according to Dove representatives, and who want to use the best possible product to protect their skin and keep it moisturized and healthy. It is for men that are not afraid to use products with the best possible ingredients that are healthy and skin conditioning.

The men's products are a characteristically grey/green color that comes in a trim packaging that will appear crisp and clean to men. The smell is crisp and clean. The design is not as feminine as the packaging for men. The package makes a simple yet bold statement that screams, "Masculine." Not sexy or seductive like some of the other male products on the market; rather the product is much subtler in its approach. It is the perfect counter to the natural beauty of the female Dove product.

3. Discuss how the product fits within a product line and the depth and breadth of the line.

Dove offers an extensive product line including women's natural beauty products whose aims include a real people ad campaign including busting beauty stereotypes. The goals of Dove including rewarding people for stepping away from the traditional model stereotypes, and helping people feel comfortable in their own skin. For men, this means having moisturized, feel good and confident skin that matches how they feel about themselves on the inside For women, this means feeling good on the inside so this matches how great they already looks on the outside.

4. Explain how the product and target market strategies fit with the organizational strategy.

According to Kathy O'Brien, VP and GM of Unilever Skin in the U.S., who helped launch Dove brand, the product and target market strategies for Dove fit with the overall strategy for the organization which included providing a natural product that helped with important social causes which included helping boost quality skin care, and promote social causes which include boosting self-esteem. The primary target market for Dove products was women, who looked for a product that promoted their self-esteem. Many of the target market that purchased Dove products were also family members that would be purchases for their other family members. They wanted a product their male counterparts would also enjoy. 51% of the men surveyed by Unilever reported they already used women's skin care products because they were more moisturizing (Elkin, 2006). Because of this Dove knew what they were getting into before they marketed. They knew women would by the product for the men in their life because the product already made them feel so good; the product would also make their husbands feel good.

The men didn't have to worry about feeling feminine, because now the branding promoted a more masculine feel for men. And, the men could by for their ladies and mom's, because the product supported a natural looking woman. Who wouldn't want that? Dove researchers supported a Dove Men & Care Global study which showed many of the male would-be buyers had reached a stage in their lives where "they are comfortable with who they are, but did not always have comfortable skin to match; in fact their number one complaint was dry skin." (Elkin, 2006). This supported the use of a natural cleansing product even more, one that was specifically rated for men's needs. And, the company launched the product around a male sporting event, the Super Bowl, where the company knew it would attract a lot of attention from its target audience. The entire strategy was entirely brilliant. The campaign, referred to as a 360 campaign, supported by various platforms that engaged both male consumers and their female counterparts, including the shoppers in the home, was brilliant, because it allowed the organization to interact with the target audience in an environment they were comfortable with, and it allowed the target market to engage with another potential buyer, with another product…Dove for women (Elkin, 2006). The strategy worked.