Company

1. Dove is a personal care brand owned by Unilever that was introduced in North America in 1957. Their product line includes skin cleansers, hair care, deodorants, and skin care. Dove is a socially conscious company committed to redefining beauty and creating positive body image trends. Dove products are primarily made from directly estified fatty Isoethionate (a synthetic surfactant), and often contain a skin hydrating cream.

2. Dove has grown from a $2.5 billion brand in 2004 to a $6 billion brand in 2018. Dove products are manufactured in more than 21 countries globally and are being sold & marketed by the parent company Unilever in 190 countries worldwide.

3. Dove has strong brand awareness in the consumer market due to their advertising efforts and are considered a premium, socially conscious brand. They have been awarded over 100 creative and effectiveness awards, including the Global Sustainable Development Goal award in 2018.

4. The primary ingredient in Dove products are synthetic surfactants, which offer many benefits to traditional soaps, including not drying out the skin. Combining these surfactants with cream has given Dove a reputation for being healthy for the skin. Dove’s compelling marketing campaigns that created a strong brand identity revolving around female beauty and self-esteem also separate Dove from their competitors.

Competitors

1.  Doves main competitors are other premium skin care manufacturers who use cream in their products, such as Olay, Neutrogena, and Nivea.

2.  Other competitors include premium skin care manufacturers who do not use cream in their products.

3.  Companies that offer lower-quality skin-care products for price-sensitive consumers are also competitors.

4.  Homemade soaps and other homemade skincare products also offer competition, as they would negate the need for Dove’s products.

Customers

1.  Dove is primarily targeted at women in the 24-40 years age group who are concerned about skin care and have the purchasing power to spend extra for a premium product.

2.  In 2010, Dove launched a new line of male personal-care products aimed at adult men aged 18-34 who are interested in skin care.

3.  These consumers take extra care of their body, hair, and physical/mental wellbeing. They consider Dove a high-quality product that is worth the premium price. They also appreciate the social causes and brand identity that Dove has cultivated centered around female beauty and self-image.

4.  These consumers are motivated to care for their skin and appearance. They view using Dove’s men line products as a form of self-care and are willing to pay more for products specifically branded for men.

Collaborators

1. Dove’s most important business relationship is their relationship to Unilever. They currently have over 400 brands in 190 countries. Unilever is consistently ranked first on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for Food and Beverage, and Dove is considered their number one brand.

2. Dove’s biggest partner in terms of reach is with the World Association for Girl Guides and Scouts (WAGGGS), a global organization representing 10 million girls across 150 countries. Together they also advocate at forums such as Women Deliver, the Commission on the Status of Women, and the UN General Assembly.

3. Dove has a formal academic relationship with the Centre for Appearance Research (CAR). CAR evaluates, pilots, and tests new academic-based programs for Dove. They also broker relationships between Dove and others in the academic world.

4. In 2014, the UK government partnered with Dove to launch their “Be Real” campaign, which focused on causing positive change through education, health, and diversity. This partnership also led to policy changes in the UK that favor Dove.

PEST Analysis:

Political

1.  The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which is the UK’s regulator of advertising across all media, is now requiring that brands disclose their commercial relationship with social influencers, usually with the hashtag “#ad”. The ASA is also restricting certain uses of filters on photos that promote beauty products.

2.  The European Commission has published its European Green Deal​, a far-reaching plan that targets climate-neutrality by 2050 by introducing a set of policy initiatives. The deal includes broad chemical regulations that will begin imposing harsher restrictions on the use of chemicals in products classified as non-essential. This will impact the beauty product industry, as those products are not currently considered essential.

Economic Trends

1.  The soap, bath and shower products U.S. market was expected to continue its slow yet steady sales performance in 2020. However, with the advent of COVID-19, preventing the spread of germs fueled the demand for these products. As a result, the market exceeded $9.0 billion in 2020 retail sales, an increase of 39.9% from 2019

2.  The global bath soap market is primarily driven by the growing awareness among the masses regarding personal hygiene and grooming. The increase in the population and economic growth has resulted in improving living standards, which is propelling the demand for soap across the world. Because of these factors, analyst predict that the market value will increase to $27.2 Billion by 2026.

Social Trends

1.  COVID-19 has put hygiene and wellness at the forefront of consumers’ minds, fueling the demand for soap, bath, and shower products, particularly hand sanitizer and soap. Consumers are now showering/bathing more frequently, contributing to market gains. Long-term sales growth for the market is expected, as many consumers plan to continue to use showering and bathing rituals to manage their mental wellbeing.

2.  Amid mounting environmental awareness, a growing number of consumers are interested in turning to vegan products and are more likely to purchase soaps that are 100% plant based as a result. 8% of the world population identifies as vegan or vegetarian, and that number is expected to grow. However, Dove’s dependance on animal fats as surfactants means that their products cannot be considered vegan.

Technological

1.  Biometric data and AI can be used to understand root causes of skin issues and provide personalized recommendations for skin-care products. Analyst suggest that many consumers are open to the collection and usage of biometric data when it comes to a personalized approach. Specifically, 42% of US adults agree that they’d be willing to share their personal biometric data (eg DNA, skin type) with beauty brands, per Mintel’s 35-market consumer research study (July 2020). Brands can grow profits by charging a price premium on these customized products.

2. New hydrating soap additives are emerging, for example the rosehip oil found in Pai Skincare, or the  hyaluronic acid serum found in Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum. These new additives will be competitive alternatives for the hydrating cream found in Dove’s products.