Dove: Evolution of a Brand

Dove: Evolution of a Brand

1. What is a brand? What does Unilever want fewer of them?

A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.

According to the article, Unilever wants fewer of them because first of all, the global decentralization of the brands brought problems of control. The article also states that the company's brand portfolio had grown in a relatively laissez-faire manner, which resulted in a lack of a unified global identity for Unilever (example of the ice cream). In addition to that, other products categories had also diversified identities. Therefore, Unilever embarked on a five year strategic initiative called "Path to Growth" in order to winnow the 1600 brands down to 400, which would be the selected Masterbrands. These Masterbrands would serve as umbrella identities over a range of product forms, and there would be a global brand unit for each of the Masterbrands.

2. How was brand meaning controlled before 2000 and how is it controlled at the time of the case?

Before 2000, Unilever was the world's largest producer but it lacked a unified global identity. Brand meaning was controlled in a decentralized fashion, in a laissez-faire manner on a global scale.

At the time of the case, brand meaning was strictly controlled by the company. In February 2000, Dove became a Masterbrands and in that role, the meaning of the brand needed to be changed in order to communicate a different message.

3. What risks did the "Real Women" campaign create for Dove?

The brand was being moved to a position that was contrary to its roots.