Thanks, everyone, for a wonderful first session. To pull the thread (not to be confused with Twitter threads) on two thoughts from tonight’s discussion:
- Our philosophy about marketers delivering value, and
- Our reading about ensuring agile social media management…
Check out this fantastic example of a brand that’s doing both: Dove’s #KeepTheGrey activation.
In this case, Dove is delivering value by showing how the brand lives its values–and by encouraging its audience and customer base to do the same.
Based on our reading, what do you think were some of the other keys to delivering this activation? What do you think success looks like for Dove in this case? Share in the comments!
I vividly remember when COVID-19 originally surfaced and I was tasked with managing our content on the COVID taskforce workstream. While speed to market with content became more critical than ever, it was equally important to ensure that our messaging wasn’t tone deaf. Most of our competitors were using negative words in their messaging – infusing a sense of fear, chaos and uncertainty in an effort to garner attention and grab headlines. I was tasked with ensuring our tone was that of optimism and partnership, that we were here to navigate this uncertainty with them. Tailoring our messaging in response to external events seems obvious and minor but it was impactful and, surprisingly enough, not all companies were doing it. I think that, in addition to having agile social media management as you mentioned, Dove also took the approach of adapting their content to the times. Not only did the they make a bold statement in changing their logo to gray and making a monetary donation to the cause, they took a pivotal stance at a time when more and more companies are making advancements in social equity and imbedding DEI into corporate strategy as a whole.
In a very interesting turn of events it looks like the fast food restaurant Wendy’s has joined the #keepthegray outpouring of support for Ms. Laflamme https://www.theglobeandmail.com/amp/canada/article-wendys-grey-hair-laflamme/ (you’ll see the iconic red haired Wendy having gone gray for the post in solidarity. It’s a little surprising to see this from a totally unrelated industry that has nothing really to do with beauty or beauty products. Wendy’s has been very savvy online and I have to say, perhaps because it’s sort of out of left field, this move doesn’t feel bandwagon or like they are trying to glom on to Dove’s campaign, but rather that they are doing it out of genuine solidarity. Sometimes, maybe, it makes sense to keep an eye on trends that have nothing to do with your industry and to join in solidarity, but I think this has to be done delicately. For me, the Wendy’s addition is a nice touch, but I can see how it could have easily seemed like trying to jump on a popular hashtag for their own gain.
During the last few semesters, we have discussed concepts about brand stories, brand image, and how crucial it’s for a brand to stick to its core values to stand tall in the crowd. Dove is a brand that supports and celebrates diversity in natural beauty, ditching the superficial industry-set beauty standards for five decades. I think Dove and all its marketing campaigns are exceptional because they deliver the same social message every time but differently and more intensely.
For instance, check their other successful social campaigns, #speakbeautiful, #realbeauty #crowncampaign, and now #keepthegray; they all create lasting connections with their audience worldwide by endorsing natural beauty in real women.
Reflecting on one of the social media foundation strategies, the content and context of any marketing & social media campaigns should always be cohesive with the brand values, which sets a brand apart.
For me, the agility to address any social beauty bias, ageism in this case, and align it to the USP of the brand. (real beauty) is precisely what a successful campaign looks like!
More power to breaking beauty stereotypes!
Brands that stay in do so because they know what their consumers really care about. In any case, I think it’s exceptionally fitting that a personal care brand like Dove goes beyond the basic idea of “look prettier with our products” and focuses much more on staying healthy and being the best you that you can be. Ads that target our emotional side are always a lot more successful, because humans connect through emotions they can relate to. In this case, I think that standing for a cause that means something and has topical relevance shows that Dove cares for much more than just selling product, they care about their consumers- and consumers want to care back as a result. Usually, I’m inclined to believe brands make these marketing campaigns because they know the value that’ll come out of it rather than genuinely having aligning views- but I don’t know how much it really matters whether it’s authentic or not. Women should not be seen as less beautiful or “useless” when they start to age, and having any type of media that resonates with this belief can only lead to positive impact on our culture. So props to Dove!
It’s been a trend as of late for brands to get into more activism. Instead of simply advertising, brands have been showing off that they care about issues, the environment, etc. This is due to an increasing trend of consumers being more loyal to brands that care about more than earning profits. Dove is one of those companies that has been doing this from the beginning and has been doing it successfully. Their ads say more than just being beautiful. Their ads focus primarily on being healthy and the best “you” you can possibly be. The most recent advertisement, #KeeyTheGrey, showcases this. This brand was built on diversity and inclusion so it comes to no surprise that they jumped on this hashtag right away. Other brands tried to jump on the bandwagon after they saw the hashtag gaining some traction. However, Dove makes the strongest statement since it goes hand and hand with their branding.
Dove’s success was larger than the brand’s main goal of selling product, but to inspire women who have been told their age makes them less than. This social message was broad however when presented by a large brand in the beauty industry such as Dove, the awareness and spread of information can be greater. Dove wanted to begin the conversation that not many of us talk about which would be corporate companies finding older women less vital to the workplace. Turning profiles to grayscale shows the impact and stand many are taking across the nation on such a topic in a meaningful way. Women’s beauty and knowledge should be recognized as they mature, not discriminated against for showing their greys.
It can seem less genuine if the campaign isn’t handled properly. We see Dove using emotional ads t to reach their target audience ta and infer the brand ethos of being a product not about beauty but health in general. We see other cases when company join the fray of a topic and fall flat in how it was executed but trail and error I feel never hurts. Unless it tones deaf to the situation. Dove uses current events that was not on anyone radar and construct campaign organic way to collect possible ads.
Hi Professor Jaindl,
I think this campaign was executed beautifully. They didn’t send their followers anywhere to make a purchase but provided them with a way to engage with their campaign in a unique way. Older women are more likely to think of the brand when they make a purchase, because they can see themselves. Because Dove is known for their campaigns aimed at redefining beauty, it comes off authentic; whereas a beauty brand who has only posted thin, young models, excluding minorities, it could feel like they are just hopping on to a trend.
Dove has always stayed true as a brand, they have always reinforced beauty, confidence and being beautiful in your own natural skin. I think this campaign really shows the realness of the world and what happens to women over time. Dove has always used “real” life people to relate to their audience versus influencers to maintain their brand loyalty and stay authentic. I love that Dove’s messaging is to embrace yourself and that they touch base on something ALL females go through, going grey. The timing of this campaign in support of Lisa LaFlamme is exceptional to help females across the world who may be going through the same thing. Dove continues to show that they are loyal to diversity and inclusion, and I believe this campaign will help drive more customer loyalty and even help many females who have been struggling with their self-esteem due to their grey hairs.
Dove has yet again taken a stance and stayed true to its values by standing up for women and making them feel beautiful. This campaign was successful for the brand because they actually took action and encouraged others to take action as well. I think Dove was very agile in their approach and was able to create a social media campaign that was relevant and valuable to the situation at the time. Given that this is a sensitive topic, Dove did a great job at monitoring online conversations and kept the focus on empowering women and boosting their self-confidence.