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Case Details

Case Code: MKTG360
Case Length: 10 Pages 
Period: 2004-2014    
Pub Date: 2017
Teaching Note: Not Available
Price:Rs.300
Organization : Unilever, Plc .
Industry : Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
Countries : UK 
Themes: Marketing  
/Advertising and Promotions
Case Studies  
Business Strategy
Marketing
Finance
Human Resource Management
IT and Systems
Operations
Economics
Leadership & Entrepreneurship

Dove's 'Real Beauty Sketches' Campaign

 

ABSTRACT

 
This case is about consumer giant Unilever’s ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ marketing campaign for its leading personal care brand Dove. Launched in 2013, the ad campaign used an FBI-trained sketch artist to draw women first based on their own self-perception and then based on that of a stranger. The stranger’s descriptions were regularly more stereotypically attractive and similar to what the subjects actually looked like, thereby driving in Dove’s point that women were often overly critical of their appearances and did not see their true beauty. The concept of this ad was to inspire women to recognize their true beauty, and therefore position Dove as quality brand that knew what woman wanted and needed. The case discusses the impact of the campaign and how it generated a buzz and wide media coverage for the Dove brand, resulting in increased sales of its products. Reportedly, in its first two weeks the campaign attracted an incredible 3.17 million shares, which was more than any other ad had managed in the same period.

However, the campaign also faced criticism. Some critics felt that the campaign enforced a very narrow perception of beauty based on just physical attributes. It positioned beauty as the yardstick by which women measured themselves. Some called the cause-related marketing campaign corporate hypocrisy on the part of Unilever to pander to women so as to sell more products as it reinforced the very issue it claimed to critique in its other brand related ads .
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Issues

The case is structured to achieve the following teaching objectives:
  • Understand the factors that contributed to the success of Unilever’s ‘Real Beauty Sketches’ campaign.
  • Understand the campaign’s strengths, weaknesses, and its impact.
  • Appreciate the importance of market research and application of consumer behavior insights in the development of a marketing strategy.
  • Understand the constraints in targeting women in view of the changing marketing dynamics.
  • Understand the issues and challenges faced in the implementation of a cause-related (societal) marketing campaign.
Contents
INTRODUCTION
ABOUT UNILEVER AND DOVE
CAMPAIGN FOR REAL BEAUTY
THE REAL BEAUTY SKETCHES CAMPAIGN
RESULTS
CRITICISM
LOOKING AHEAD
EXHIBITS

Keywords

‘Real Beauty Sketches’ campaign,Dove,Cause-related marketing,‘Campaign for Real Beauty’,Unilever,Consumer Behaviour,‘Beauty Comes of Age’,Viral Marketing

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