Dove Soap Marketing Plan

1. Introduction

Dove today is in 80 countries making women beautiful everyday and enabling them to
enjoy their own brand of beauty by providing a wide range of personal care, hair care,
and skin care products. Dove launched first in the US in 1957. Dove is one of the leading
brands of Unilever globally. Dove is known to be a keeper of promises and has given real
products to women all over the world. Dove believes that beauty - feeling and looking
your personal best - is the result of proper care. Dove always aims to deliver products
which tangibly improve the condition of skin or hair and give a pleasurable experience of
care, because when you look and feel beautiful, it makes you feel happier. Its a feeling
every woman should experience every day. From the beginning Dove has always
celebrated real women at the heart of everything the brand does and believes. Real
beauty embraces diversity - no woman is or should feel excluded from the world of
beauty that the brand represents. Real women are the brands true inspiration.
Dove got women to experience the real Dove difference, with the Face Test campaign.
Thousands of women across the country put their soap, and Dove, to the test. They all
had the same answer Dove made their skin soft. Irrespective of seasons, our skin needs
moisturizing. With 1/4th moisturizing cream, Dove bars washes provide a complete
moisture care. With 1/4th moisturizing cream blended with cleansers, Dove Bar cleanses
your skin without drying it, which no soap can promise.

2. Current Market Situation

Dove is a moisturizing soap by Unilever Bangladesh Limited. Doves brand growth is

increasing day by day. Now it is being most popular bathing bar for women in the whole
country. Dove is an international brand and available in more than 80 countries. Dove
has recently been voted as UK womens favorite personal care brand, with over a third of
British women purchasing its products. Currently its market share is growing. Marketing
mix strategies i.e. Four Ps of marketing strategies are describing below.
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2.1 Product
Irrespective of seasons, our skin needs moisturizing. With 1/4th
moisturizing cream, Dove Bars provides a complete moisture care.
Dove makes skin softer. In Bangladesh Dove beauty bars are available
in three variants in two sizes, 90 ml and 135 ml.

Dove White Beauty Bar: Contains 1/4th moisturizing cream and

mild cleansers that leave skin clean, soft and smooth.

Dove Pink Beauty Bar: Contains1/4thmoisturizing cream richly blended with its mildest
cleansers, no other beauty bar has more skin-natural moisturizers than Dove. Everyday
moisture is the key to beautiful skin.

Dove Fresh Moisture Beauty Bar: Contains an ultra-light hydrating formula and the
crisp, soothing scent of cucumber and green tea. Provides a refreshing, uplifting
sensation for once skin.

2.2 Price
Price is only one P among 4Ps that genrate some revenue for the cpmpany and rest all
incurred some cost of the company. Unilever usually practised value-based pricing
strategy for the products. Dove soaps 90ml bars price 75 taka and 135ml bars price is
98 taka. Dove soaps target consumers are middle to upper-income women.

2.3 Promotion
For the brand recognization and sales promotion Dove use different types of media for
promotion and advertisement such as Print Media, Broadcasting Media, Display Media
and Internet Media. Dove telecast advertisement in Radio, Television, Billboards,
Newspapers, Magazines, Facebook, Twitter etc. In the Television ads Dove shows Dove
is better than soap. And you can prove it. Wash one side of your face with soap. Use
Dove on the other. Feel the moisturizing, softer, smoother Dove difference. You'll never
wash with soap again. So Dove told us that Dove is a better than a soap. Its not an
ordinary soap. Its totally different than others. Sometimes dove give various sales
promotions to the customer via Facebook, Twitter, Television and Radio. They give
discounts and other free items with every purchase or bundle purchase of Dove soap.
2.4 Placement
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Dove soap follows common distribution system. That means company to wholesaler to
retailer to consumer. It has made his strategy like that in every small or big shop
customer will be able to find out the product. Unilever has mass distribution channel
whole over the country. So in every small or big shop, super shop has Dove soap is
available. This distribution network directly covers cities million consumers.

3. Competitive Analysis
There are very few competitors of Dove soap are available in the market. Dove is a
higher quality and costly than other local soaps. Dove soaps competitors are Lux,
Sandalina, Olay and Nivea. Lux is Doves internal competitor which is also owned by
Unilever Bangladesh Limited. Sandalina is a local soap which can be a tough competitor
for Dove. Now-a-days Olay and Nivea give a tough competition. Olay and Nivea is
imported soap.

4. SWOT Analysis
The SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat) analysis is a useful tool for an
industry. An internal survey is required for strength and weakness and an external survey
is required for opportunity and threat. Dove soaps SWOT analyses are summarizes.
4.1 Strengths

1. Brand wisdom and widespread distribution.

2. Competitive Price.
3. Growth in cascade product.
4. Brand devotion.
5. Adequate to encourage consumer to feel and look their best.
6. Wide range of crossroads that finish appeal to every last (predicate) ages.
7. Effective advertising, free publicity.

4.2 Weaknesses
1. High level of competition.
2 .High levels of expensive advertising needed and maintained.
3. Special offers counter vigorous on growth.
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4. Soap bars undergo from ageing image.

5. Some products are seen as a compassion product not essential use.
6. Widespread distribution and snitch loyalty means that market growth is difficult.
7. Some consumers are let down on performance.

4.3 Opportunities

1. Target markets not yet capitalized teens.

2. Continuous innovation.
3. Eco-friendly market segment/natural products.
4. Target teen specific concerns (medicated flake off opportunities)
5. Target male customers.
6. Long pending opportunity of tapping into the market developing beauty products for
men.
7. Unified advertising technique used by Dove.

4.4 Threats

1. New launch of other brands with similar products.

2. Recent recession (less available income)
3. Consumer allergies.
4. Decline in Bath products.
5. Environmental awareness.
6. Dove faces tough competition from Olay, Nivea, and Lux.
7. Olay, Nivea both are getting stronger as they grow and their market is also expanding.

5. Objective and Issues

Dove develops its marketing objectives very carefully as it is devoted to expand the
definition of beauty for all women for the reason that they believe real beauty comes
from your inner self. All successful marketing strategies were basically due to wisely
planned marketing objectives of Dove which we are going to discuss here. Our main
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target customers are women. Now we will target male consumers also. The main
objectives are:

New target segment: male.

To be a focus for nationwide TV and print media reporting.
To increase sales by 30 percent in upcoming 6 months.
To increase brand awareness among people.
Increasing the distribution channels in more than 80 percent retailers
shop and supermarkets.
Increase more advertisement campaigns.
Maintain a good public relationship.
Maintain the brand image by providing good product and service.

6. Marketing Strategy
Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, including Evolution. Doves marketing strategy is based
on positioning of product differentiation. Dove is better quality soap. Unilever usually
practice value-based pricing. Dove soaps price is higher than other brands soap and
competitors. So our target consumers are middle to upper-income women who need a
better quality soap for both body and face. Usually other brands soaps are not good
enough for our face as our face skins are very sensitive. Dove is a right choice for our
face and also for our body.

Positioning

We are positioning dove as the high quality, moisturizing soap which can be used
anywhere in body and face. Everyone can use dove soap easily even if they have very
sensitive skin. This differentiates dove soap by other brands soap.

Marketing communication strategy

Dove has a strong brand image whole over the world. Everyone knows about the Dove.
For creating awareness among people and sales promotions we will use all kind of media
such as Print media (Newspapers, Magazines), Display media (Bill Board, Signs),
Broadcasting media (Radio, Television), and Online media (Company Websites, Facebook,
Twitter, Google ad-sense) etc. for advertisement. We also use short time sale promotions
like buy 3 get 1 free bundle offer, 10-25 % extra free, 5-10 taka discounts, free other
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Unilever products such as mini packs of Sunsilk shampoo, vaseline etc. We start Dove
campaign for women. We use door to door marketing, free sampling and feedback and
arrange several seminars in various places and colleges and universities. We also try to
sponsor some reality shows where women will be highlighted. At last, we are planning to
make Bangladeshi model and actress Joya Ahsan as our brand ambassador. We are
making agreement on it. These attempts will help us to achieve our goals and objectives.

7. Action Program

Dove soap is a renewed soap and most popular in the world. Dove soap launch many
years ago in our country. Everyone knows about it very well. For reorganization and set
up in our consumer minds we will start our promotional activities. For year 2014, we
divide the year by 6 steps and take step for 2 months. The action programs we will use
over the year to achieve our goals are summaries below.

January-February

We will start door-to-door campaign for Dove soap. We will visit a particular area for
advertisement of dove. We also visit some colleges and universities. We will create buzz
marketing by giving free samples to product user, opinion leaders in the society.

March-April

We will start an integrated Print/Media/Online marketing targeting our women

consumers. We will telecast ads in all kind of media such as in Radio, Television,
Newspaper and Bill boards.

May-June

As our multimedia advertisement continuous, we will add consumer sales promotion

such as free same product or alternative product, extra product, discount offer, various
types of contest, raffle draws, scratch cards, coupon etc.

July-August
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We reduced the amount of multimedia advertisements and sales promotions as we will

be well recognized brand in the country.

September-October

We will sponsor a reality show or some short films and drama serials. Sponsor a show
can be a great and big advertisement for our product.

November-December

At the end of the year we will sign Joya Ahsan as our brand ambassador. We will make
some new television ads where Joya will be shown on those ads telling our consumers to
buy Dove soap because she also uses it.

8. Budgets

Based on the assumption Dove soaps budgets are created. Break even analysis and 2
years income statements are given in this section.

8.1 Break Even Analysis

Here we have tried to analyze several price figures to determine the price that best suits
our product and the company. Break-even volume = Fixed/ (Price-Variable cost)
= 800000/ (1800-1632)
= 3333 units.
Price Break-even Expected Total revenue Total cost Profit
volume sales units
Tk. 1800 3333 10000 18000000 17120000 880000
Tk. 2352 2564 18000 42336000 37520000 4816000
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Total Revenue

Profit: Tk. 4816000

30
25 Total Cost
Taka 20
(Lakh) 15
10
5
0
8 Fixed Cost

2564 2 345
Sales Volume in Unit (Thousand)

Fig: Break Even Analysis

8.2 Income Statement

Year 2011 2012

Revenue from Operations 24,500,000 20,900,000

Less: Excise Duty (1,000,000) (900,000)
Net Revenue from Operations 26,500,000 20,000,000
Other Income 250,000 260,000
Total Revenue 26,750,000 20,260,000

Expenses
Cost of materials 9,480,000 7,790,000
Purchase of stock-in-trade 2,485,000 2,690,000
Changes in inventory 95,000 (307,000)
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Employee benefits expenses 1,200,000 1,010,000

Finance costs 16,000 11,000
Depreciation 233,500 229,000
Other expenses 6,250,000 6,110,000
Total Expenses 19,759,500 17,533,000

Profit before tax 6,990,500 2,727,000

Tax Expenses
Current Tax (832,000) (404,000)
Deferred Tax 2,600 (41,100)
Tax adjustment of previous year 8,070 (2,880)
Profit for the Year 6,169,170 2,279,020

9. Controls

Controls help management access result after the plan is implemented identity any
problems or performance variations and initiate corrective action. We are planning tight
control measure to closely monitor quality and customer satisfaction and relationship.
We will take some survey about our product and also take customers feedback. By
customers feedback and survey we can know about our current market position and
how can we improve our product or any other problem the customer may face. By
customers feedback we can take some step for eliminating our problems and improving
our product.

10. References
http://www.unilever.com.bd/brands/personalcarebrands/dove.aspx
http://www.hul.co.in/brands-in-action/detail/Dove/303749/
http://www.scribd.com/doc/53673615/Marketing-Plan-Unilever
http://www.assignmentpoint.com/business/project-report-on-unilever.html
Principles of Marketing- A south Asian Perspective 13 th Edition- Appendix 1 A1- A10
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11. Appendix

According to TotalBeauty.com website Dove soap is no 1 in the US. Dove soap

gets 9.8 out of 10 ratings by Dove users.

No. 1: Dove Soap Bar

Why: The No. 1 soap that tops all is Dove. While readers generally love all the Dove soap
products, readers say this one takes the cake: "This is an amazing bar! It's very
moisturizing and safe to use ANYWHERE on your body because it's unscented and
formulated for sensitive skin. Dove makes this high quality soap for such a cheap price it
just has to be one of my faves!" Another says, no matter what she tries, she "always
comes back to this." Considering how many "started using this after my doctor
recommended it," readers say, "hats off to Dove for creating such an incredible product!"
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