Integrated marketing communication was firstly defined by American Association of Advertising Agencies in 1989 as an approach to reaching the goal of a marketing campaign by integrating all different promotional methods which can reinforce each other. IMC uses both traditional and non-traditional channels to achieve it unified aim by allowing all elements support each other. By the application of IMC, the company can process surplus value, competitive advantages, and loyal customers. There are many successful cases such as KFC, McDonalds, Apple and so on. Here, we use Dove (toiletries) as a case analysis to introduce its all aspects of the application of IMC.
Background
Dove is owned by Unilever in the UK. Its products are sold in more than 80 countries.
The products include body washes, beauty bars, hair care, face care products and so on.
Dove’s corporate vision is to “imagine a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety.” This vision have been used to their billboards ,advertisements, videos, workshops and book publication that Dove help women found herself natural beauty form their different hair, age, skin colour, to body shapes. Dove’s print and digital advertisements are breaking the limited definition our society has placed on beauty and raise people’s awareness that tried to be promote women natural beauty. Dove is not only helping to improve women’s self-esteem across the world, but is also showcasing real life women beauty and happiness as the standard we should all strive to achieve.(2015 Catch themes)
According to Gina Crisanti, one of women who were photographed for the campaign. “It (the Champaign) encourages the viewer to let go of society’s narrow fantastical idea of beauty, and embrace beautiful reality.
Conclusion
IMC emphasises targeting customers and potential customers at the core by using public relationships, event, advertising, and social media to form a closer relationship with customers. The company need to be exposed to the public actively to achieve public positive cognitive response. Customers are intended to form the demand of purchase by such positive cognitive. The company should apply to IMC to form a good reputation by all means. Customers are intended to be loyal to the brand through the company build a tight bond between the firm and its customers. A good IMC plan should make a good business in its targeting market when it can achieve its business goal by fully mobilizing all positive factors.
Reference
http://www.vitaminimc.com/2013/04/dove-a-real-approach-to-beauty-advertising/
Marketing Management Blog 
Good Blog
Dove is one of the leading brand in recent times.The company uses target marketing to target women to start using Dove. Company uses advertisiment and othere social media to reach customers to make it more attractive dove had a real life campaning to show people how it can change people s life after using dove this a very good stragtey used to gain customer s trust and loyalty.IMC also adds an added advantage to the company to reach millions of people.But, with real life campaing it brings customers closer.Personally how far can dove use this technique to convience the customers?
Overall good blog
Good luck
LikeLike
Good blog.!! Indeed, IMC is very essential for any organisation. ! Every blog has some points on IMC. I guess you have elaborated more about Dove most influence advertising campaign and various medium of channel.
The link below shows the new advertisement campaign of New Dove Pro-age
LikeLike
Love this video and the example of positioning the product.
LikeLike
The Dove campaign is an excellent example of an Integrated Marketing Campaign executed to perfection, this campaign touched consumers on an emotional level. In 2004 Dove commissioned a global report, ‘The Real Truth About Beauty’ to understand the relationship women have with beauty, which was the main subject behind the campaign. By conveying messages that are of significant value, consumers are encouraged to offer attitudinal and behavioural responses, and Dove’s research highlighted a universal issue: that beauty-related pressure increases whilst body confidence decreases as girls and women grow older. By addressing an issue relevant to their customer base, Dove has executed a successful integrated marketing campaign that resonates and creates an emotional connection with their customers.
LikeLike
Hi there. Nice Blog!Dove’s corporate vision is to“imagine a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety.” This vision has been deciphered into their print and TV notices that now include genuine ladies that are not quite the same as their hair, age, skin shading, to body shapes. Dove’s print and advanced ads are standing up to the thin definition our general public has put on magnificence and trying to widen that definition to be more comprehensive of all ladies. In the “Genuine Beauty Sketches” feature, Dove is not trying to offer antiperspirant or body wash, but rather certainty.
The other highlighted features on their YouTube direct demonstrate that ladies in America should be sold confidence, not items.
Dove is not just making progress in serving to enhance ladies’ self-regard over the world, but on the other hand is changing the substance of magnificence publicizing. They are stripping without end the fake layer of as well – slight models and supplanting it with the characteristics of their buyers. Why has it taken this long for an organization to understand that ladies need to be enabled by their magnificence items, not made to feel they need to take cover behind them?
LikeLike
Interesting Blog!
I am almost satisfyed with your blog and agree with it as well.. your blog basically, indicated some key points which are the essential part of the Communication process.
According to my understanding, Integrated marketing communication is not just the term, instead, it has a greater meaning and really a vast concept. It uses many tools to work effectively and positively for the company.
Furthermore, As we all know, that we all are surrouded by products and marketing campaigns and as a result, some products do well in the market and some not. I will not say, that it is solely based on the communication which has reached the customers by the different marketing strategies but Yes, 70%-80% it is based on the type and depth of the communication of the company with the customers.
Customers these days are wise enough to judge, what is right for them and what is wrong for them. so, they choose the product very carefully after analysing the brand, goodwill, type of marketing, needs etc.
communication is the only process to induce the customers to make the purchase by attracting them by communicating the features and information regarding the product.
Many Thanks,
Aditya Choudhary
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great blog and great marketing campaign by Dove
This is an excellent example of a successful IMC campaign.
I think what really resonates with consumers watching the video is the relate-ability of the subject matter. I think we are our own greatest critics, whether it be how we perceive our looks or our abilities and its refreshing that a brand has taken a view to promote self-esteem building as their mission in this campaign.
Dove’s research discovered that less than 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. The aim of this campaign was to change public perceptions of beauty and to challenge beauty stereotypes. It was very much a public relations exercise and a very successful one a that.
Dove’s strategy is to use the positive feelings created by enhancing self-esteem, bringing beauty to everyone and promoting positive self-image as a public relations tool. Its use of existing technologies such as youtube and the power of social media further enhances the story and takes it to the target audience. I think its ingenious what Dove has done here. In the process they have told a very consistent and powerful story that build brand equity.
When Dove was putting this campaign together they would have had to consider a number of things:
The consumer’s decision process is influenced by what their peers think – the use of social media would have been very important here. To a lesser extent the price of the product and the skin type of the women using it. Most importantly however they needed to consider the consumers’ own body image! Body image has been shaped by media to something that is unattainable (Hollywood and fashion magazines). The campaign is about reshaping these views by targeting their need for self-esteem (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs).
Lastly, what Dove has done here is it has associated the positive feelings of improved self-esteem with its own product. So women using their product are more likely to feel better about themselves after using it. By doing this Dove is building brand awareness and brand equity (positive feeling for the brand).
https://www.marketingmag.com.au/hubs-c/acasestudyinintegrationthedovecampaignforrealbeauty/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Its good blog.
In my opinion you could have more added information about dove’s marketing.
One of the popular product in Unilever is Dove and it holds highest market share of Unilever.
As you said,Dove real beauty campaign was a success and also so many critics were raised on this campaign.Overall you tries to make it good.
LikeLike
Nice blog guys, integrated marketing communication can also be defined as a cross-functional process that creates and nourishing profitable relationships with customer and other stakeholders by strategically controlling the messages sent to these groups. (Duncan, 2002)
It involves integration both horizontal and vertical. This means across various methods of communication and from the marketer down through the marketing channel respectively. With this, it is true that IMC is becoming more widespread within all types of marketing and advertising organization. Global competition tends to increase the necessity for more integrated communication strategies.
LikeLike
Nice blog and video.
I am agreed that one goal by all means. From your blog, It shows that to achieve the goal by using many others different promotional methods. By using the knowledge of surplus value, competitive advantages and loyal customers apply into the integrated marketing communication. Dove’s corporate had promoted its products by using a lot of media choices. It was using the concept of natural beauty to attract more consumers.
Dove’s corporate had successful to share the awareness and knowledge of consumers, its’ advertisements had successful to attract consumers to purchase. As a company, it need to know about the cost of the advertisement and the schedule of advertisement, So company have to find one which one the media is the most effective method to promote. Many different methods are able to promote a company’s goal, but if company is able to efficiency use the capital to have advertising, so that it may help company to save cost.
In product lifecycle stages, Dove’s corporate is considering growth because company keep share the positive cognitive. So what will cause Dove’s corporate become maturity stage?
LikeLike
Great blog,
Very clear and concise explanation of IMC. You have appropriately explained how Unilever is using multiple platforms and unique strategies to promote its Dove brand across 80 countries. It is important to understand and appreciate Unilever’s strategies to promote its brand to people from different cultural background around the world.
LikeLike
Hello Blogger,
A very interesting blog. This is a really popular video and dove advertisement towards women’s beauty has gained alot of attention. In the present generation, where cosmetics is in demand and plastic surgery is the latest trend, women are blinded by mannequins and do not embrace their own natural beauty. Dove has very well targeted women, as women are more sensitive and crazy, when it comes to beauty. It is portrayed in a simple way and sends out a strong message. This Ad also reflects on a self esteem of a women. It is beautifully presented and like minded people are definitely going to support it. So the whole thing behind this Advertisement is to get in the minds of Women and make them love Dove for its message, not for the product.
Really nice blog. Thank you !
LikeLike
Good job guys. The concept of beauty is redefined in the marketing campaign of a successful brand that is competing in an extremely competitive market.
LikeLike
The editing of comments is horrible in word press!! And this is due to the extensive communications strategy that directly addresses a huge segment of the population. Not only does it increase our understanding of the perception of beauty, It has an immense and immediate connect with the audience. Marketing manipulation at its best. The conclusion was a bit weak and the flow of the narration was shaky. great job otherwise.
LikeLike
I am huge fan of the work that Dove does on behalf of women. I’ve seen the video many times before and it always brings a tear to my eyes. Unfortunately as much I appreciate and respect the work that is being done I do not use any Dove products at all in my home. My step-daughter does but I don’t. When the brand was first introduced, many many years ago now I did try it, the soap, body wash, etc, etc, but it doesn’t work for me, so I stopped using it. So for me, personally no amount of great marketing will get me to continue to buy a product if it doesn’t suit my skin type or just doesn’t work for me. Actually, some of the products I don’t like at all.
In saying that, if the products worked for me, I would definitely have continued buying the products and stayed loyal to the brand, I am bit of sucker like that. Dove have been great at bringing the ‘moments that matter’ to life in their ads, especially those that pull at our heart strings and are soo relevant to women of all backgrounds, ages, shapes and sizes.
I do believe that a well thought through IMC can do wonders for a brand, especially when they tap into the emotional aspects for women and Dove has had great success with the campaigns.
LikeLike
If we consider the Dove Real Beauty campaign as being successful, I wonder, apart from a fantastic idea, what happened behind the scenes?
Overall, all levels including senior management must have given the green lights to the campaign and to the relevant channels chosen by understanding IMC and the consistent message.
This requires integrating the core idea of the campaign into the mindsets of the company on all levels, everyone speaks and lives the same message. Often a brand book including all visual and linguistically standards is put in place and used. A clear marketing strategy and communication objectives must be set, with the long term view. The message must add value to the brand and possibly use areas of the brands strengths and the competitor’s weakness’s. From a financial side, a budget must be set and targets placed. Regular, for example weekly analysis would keep a track of progress made and priorities put in place. A campaign such as Dove Real Beauty does put the consumers first. The IMC is communicating the customer’s values and beliefs, involving the consumers as much as possible from the start to the finish. This campaign build relationships and delivered the brand values. Each tool build strong lasting relationships with consumers, though the appropriate communication channel. Based on the above, all information about the customer needs to be stored and analysed to further develop and remain flexible when communicating.
LikeLike
Thanks for your blog. The title makes integrated marketing communication sound so simple…. However IMC couldn’t be more complicated in practise. The ultimate outcome of a good IMC for a company is a simple brand that consumer will recognises and can associate with, so I think the title is well thought. What I really like about dove campaign is the focus on the ideal of what the products create to consumers. In today’s society body imagine is a really critical issue particularly for the younger generation. There is a constant barrage of advertisement and promotion of celebrities, actor’s and sportsmen and women who portray the “ideal” body type. As one of those teenagers without the ideal body type it was tough to look at those people and there perfect image and realise that you were nothing like that, making it hard to be proud of who you are. Dove IMC campaigns focus on “inner beauty” so it creates an idea of what the products are for and what you get if you buy a dove product. It really touches on the social issue confronting people. I believe by focusing on consumers needs and offering a solution or a belief as a solution to an issue that consumer are faced with, it will generate a level of brand loyalty beyond the delivered outcome of their products. In addition generating a global brand is challenging with the many diverse nations in the world, however the issue dove is tackling is something that cross’s borders well. A really encouraging marketing campaign.
LikeLike
I agree with the reaching the public in relation to successful IMC, this will let customers feel that the brand is really giving what they want and the brand listening to their feedback, public campaigns as well like stands in shopping centres and freebies, form personal experience I have many brands giving freebies at train station and in the same time someone form the booth or the stand is taking suggestions and complains, which is really make a big difference for customer perception to the brand, thanks for the nice read.
LikeLike
Good Blog!!
Dove has been a significant brand in the health and beauty care products industry. It definitely uses all sources of integrated marketing communication starting from print to online. The advertisements are focused on the woman considerably and dove seems to be positioning its products on those grounds. These FMCG brands are quite visible in mostly print media and television ads as for they follow a traditional approach of marketing channels. They are targeting women as for they know that these are the biggest consumers of cosmetics and beauty related products. Dove is always been focused on providing chemically balanced or chemical free products which have no side effects on skin. In terms of visibility, they are mostly predominant in the print advertisements and over the shelves.
LikeLike
Never late, what an excellent blog to come across. The way you defined IMC and the example you have chosen was fantastic. Dove has done really well over the years and it is one of the favorite brand of many. I have watched long time back the video which you have uploaded, and watching one more time was refreshing. Dove helps to care for confidence as you mentioned which is the vision of Dove. I also love the legacy commercial of Dove https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-Aj9KGixvA&list=PL5M8P4RRF7z66ST7oWL8AdbyDVcs_ZHYa
LikeLike
I think it is very clever for Dove to organise this beauty campaign to showcase how special Dove is, comparing to other brands. Before they have this beauty campaign, most people would think it is just a normal brand selling skincare products. Brand awareness was largely developed after this campaign which would increase more loyalty customers. When I shop for soaps now, I do actually think Dove’s is a better product then average, and I am willing to pay a little more to buy it. This shows the importance of using all the techniques from IMC to create competitive advantage. Using single method (e.g. advertisement) is not enough to stand out from the crowd.
LikeLike
Hi, This is a good blog but lacks information. The blog is more in general about IMC but doesn’t cover enough about how it helps Dove. I guess lots more research would be needed in the reflective essay. There are many Dove campaigns would be great if you mentioned some of them.
http://www.dove.us/Social-Mission/campaign-for-real-beauty.aspx
All the best !!
LikeLike
Thanks for the post. I love the marketing strategy of the Dove brand, the ads always manage to grab my attention and give me goosebumps. There’s something spectacular about being able to speak right to the heart of your target audience using integrated marketing communication and building a brand around a feeling instead relying on traditional marketing methods.
My favourite campaign was the #onebeautifulthought campaign run by Dove France. You can read about it and watch the ad, here – http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/03/30/dove-one-beautiful-thought-campaign_n_6964000.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000046&ir=Australia
LikeLike
thanks for your interesting blog. Use good example can more understand what is IMC, beacuse Dove has been a significant brand in the health and beauty care products company. We can know that Integrated Marketing Communications requires a lot of effort it delivers many benefits. It can create competitive advantage, boost sales and profits, while saving money, time and stress. In addition,IMC wraps communications around customers and helps them move through the various stages of the buying process. The organisation simultaneously consolidates its image, develops a dialogue and nurtures its relationship with customers.This ‘Relationship Marketing’ cements a bond of loyalty with customers which can protect them from the inevitable onslaught of competition. The ability to keep a customer for life is a powerful competitive advantage.
LikeLike
Good blog
The aim of IMC is to make a connection with the consumers. I think Dove campaign made a connection with audience with the involvement of real women. Dove decided to go with general people rather than any celebrities. This way customers related themselves in a better way with the advertisement and the concept. Moreover by reading dove article’s I came to know that dove actually took the initiative to promote awareness about women beauty rather than just doing a product promotion.
LikeLike
Great example of an Integrated Marketing Campaign. Dove has connected with its target market on an emotional level. Proving the significance of powerful content marketing in their campaigns. this has helped them garner more and more loyal consumers. Personally I do have useed Dove products and I do not find their product quality exceptional. Although, I am highly impressed by their strong message of empowering women to feel naturally beautiful. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty has managed to make a real change in the way women and young girls perceive beauty. Creating thought-provoking ads, confidence building programmes and messages that cover all definitions of beauty.
I do wonder though, if a brand with its creating “relationship marketing” manages to recruit consumers and attract them to try their product, but ultimately if products are average and do not deliver what is promised, how is the brand going to retain consumers ? and how effective and real are these campaigns in the long run?
http://www.goodguide.com/brands/238193-dove-brand-product-reviews-ratings
LikeLike
Since the topic you selected or presented on blog is quite abstract, I am sure you would have a strong content to back your reflective essay.
However just providing my thoughts so that culd be of some help at hours before submission.
Since IMC is a huge topic picking up one topic is important for our essay as well for the organizatons as well who are willing to practice IMC, utlizing all mediums is not adviced and even utilizing all mediums at the same time is also not adviced.
Another important factor is when should each media be used as a help.
In case of Dove, what I discovered is apart from Advetisements, Dove is quite active in Public relations as well i.e. they use Public relations effectively, they can be seen engaging themselves in some women upliftment programs as well as many beauty programms for good causes. More information can be gained from the link given below-:
http://www.newsgeneration.com/2014/04/11/pr-case-study-dove-real-beauty/
As this event carried out by Dove can be seen as an activity to extend their market share and creating a positive image in the people. As soaps belong to chemical & cosmetics industry it is very important to have a positive brand image in the society.
Good luck for your essay!
LikeLike
Dove is a very interesting example – their recent campaigns – which you have cited have been very successful. I also wonder outside of the marketing tactics you have listed – what parts of the marketing management framework they utilise as part of their IMC? For example does pricing play a heavy factor in support of their IMC. They are not a premium product – so to me it would seem that the marketing tactics they have chosen, particularly the messaging (beauty for everyone) – is supporting a clear pricing strategy also?
LikeLike
Hi there! Interesting blog
We all know that dove is one of the worlds leading brand. This company uses target marketing to target marketing to target the women all around the world. As we all know that integrated marketing communication is very important for any organisation and dove campaign is an excellent example for this.It touched consumers on an emotional level.
Dove’s research discovered that less than 2% of women considered themselves beautiful. The aim of this campaign was to change public perceptions of beauty and to challenge beauty stereotypes. It was very much a public relations exercise and a very successful one a that.
I do believe that a well thought through IMC can do wonders for a brand, especially when they tap into the emotional aspects for women and Dove has had great success with the campaigns.
This link shows the recent advertisement of dove that changed every women thought.
LikeLike
Dove has always been an innovated brand in marketing strategy and ideas. The video showing in the blog, I watched it before and to be honest, I was impressed by the idea and the message they are send through the ads. Dove does good job on delivering their message and want to create a specific brand image inside consumers’ mind, these two campaign showing in the blog and the comments delivering a clear message for female consumers to know that they need to be confident with themselves which can create a special relationship between Dove and its consumers.
LikeLike
Very interesting blog and thanks for write.
According to this blog,I think IMS gets many features such as :
Emphasis on communication and win-win: integrated marketing communications using outside-in job method, they first understanding of customers and consumers, and allow yourself to adapt to the needs of the consumers, for different customers in different transmission.It argues that companies seek with customers and other interested relationship (employees, investors, community, mass media, government, industry, etc.) communication and win-win, encourage them to respond, establish long-term interests.
Emphasizes the integration of internal and external: integrated marketing communications “such as advertising, public relations, marketing, consumer buying behavior, employee communications, etc. We’ve looked at as a whole separate, emphasize the enterprise internal and external resources integration, to achieve the maximization of the communication effect. The external integration requires enterprise to all products, all the spread of foreign market integrating various means and channels, and design to prioritize and optimize the combination of a variety of transmission methods. Internal integration should make every employee involved in the marketing communication, various functional departments can cooperate.
LikeLike
Good blog! Always loved dove campaigns, reason being they connect with the audience on a personal level.Some of the key objective that i felt all their ads portray are: Positive self-image, beauty is the source to confidence,their products deliver real care and that beauty is for everyone. By celebrating unconventional beauty, they provide emotional touch through the power of social media.
LikeLike
This is good example of IMC and Dove really can delivery the brand awareness and perception tip the customer. However, in my personal experience, i have try the product but it doesn’t match my perception. I think the marketer should try the product first before thinking the IMC strategy. And the company want to have their produce become more popular, the quality of product should match the perception of the brand.
LikeLike
Thanks for your interesting example of the integrated marketing communications. There are some useful strategies can be developed and learnt by other brands based on the experiences of the Dove, firstly Dove has build the positive brand theme which focus on improving the social status and self-esteem of women. This new publicity center help this brand to increase the recognization among the customers and bring a niche market among the female customers which has driven the brand form a special and positive cognitively status among the competitors. Secondly, using many media channels to increase the communications between the brand and customers, an active communication is beneficial to the company to build a wider brand creation quickly and target to connect with the customers easily and directly through some media tools. In terms of the operations’ experiences, I agree with targeting customers and developing the potential customers both need to be developed by the integrated marketing communications, thus these two major objectives should be achieved through providing the appropriate communication strategies. Increasing the connections between the brand and customers should be considered as the major aim of the integrated marketing communication and layer more concentrations to the customers preferences for the purpose of the forming the customers’ groups and increasing the profits for the company.
LikeLike
Good blog.
Although IMC need cost a lot of effort, but it delivers many benefit. It can create competitive advantage, boost sales and profits. In the meantime, IMC can saving money, time and reduce stress. Dove is a big company whose offers a variety of products, which include products of skin and hair care, body lotions and others.
The Dove brand is famous of its soap. They using Inntegrated marketing communication to let people to know their products. they target all women of all ages and expose them to the entire range of Dove products. Dove is very effective in communicating its entire product line while being able to interact with these publics via their website or sales promotions. All Dove’s products encourage publics interaction with the website and point of sale.
LikeLike
Nice blog.
I agree with your opinion, which is consumer is the key of IMC. Dove is a typical example of IMC. Apple is also an good example.
Application of IMC in Apple:
1. Focusing consumers
When Apple is developing a product, it focuses one point that is customer experience and feeling. If a product technology is not mature enough to provide enough good customer experience, is absolutely do not launch it. For example, some news showed fingerprint recognition will be equipped in Iphone 5, but this function appeared in Iphone 5s. For Mac, Apple’s priciple is making computers can be used when consumers open the packages. So Apple creates the iLife, Iwork and a series of independent applications.
2. The names of products are closely related with marketing
According to the marketing of Iphone 6S, The name of CPU in 6s is called A9, actually many consumers do not know how fast it is, they only know it is much faster than previous CPU like A7. That is enough, it is a really clever marketing method.
3. Transmission of company values
Apple marketing is not independent, which is associated with corporate culture, technology and the value of the user experience. When introducing hardware of a new product, at the end, it will come out the certification picture of energy,which is telling to public: environmental protection. Moreover, In each video, there are people with disabilities to join: Apple products can enhance the quality of their life.
4. Retail store
Apple trains sales persons, there is an important program “Apple Customer Experience”, which includes teaching them how to explore the needs, how to communicate with customers and how to making consumers to buy Apple products.
LikeLike
Dove
This is an interesting company to chose for speaking about IMC. Dove has always been true to its core of original and genuine beauty. The campaigns carried out by Dove have always empowered women and promoted beauty in the sense of simplicity and care.
Most of Dove’s TV commercials were about ‘real women, real beauty’. This soon became its theme for all its commercials and campaigns where they focused on real women and real beauty.
All this started from an advertisement that showed how models are photoshopped to look the way they do. This created a revolution in the beauty world as Dove was the only one
LikeLike
*continuation*
that focused on bringing the truth out and promoting real beauty and care.
LikeLike
Hi, this is a very interesting blog. They have succeeded in creating a positive self image around the world. It is likewise seen that there are no involvement of celebrities in the brand, rather they go for general people. The way you have portrayed IMC in this blog is really good. The goal which they have achieved in their campaign is mainly passing on positive feelings of beauty to the women and they have always focused on it rather than just trying to promote on the product. Imc added a benefit to the company and thereby helped it to reach all the people around the world.
All the best..!!!
LikeLike