Case Study: Unilever’s Dove Dives into Male Grooming

Male grooming is more than a concept: It’s a burgeoning global business.

The global market for men’s grooming products is projected to exceed $33.2 billion by 2015, according to a new Global Industry Analysts, Inc. report, which attributes the growth to a new crop of products that appeal to “metrosexual males” and those who just want to look good.

For the last couple of years, marketers of lotions, potions and cleansers have stepped up product introductions for men, debuting a variety of items ranging from hair and skincare products to pre- and post-shave moisturizers, deodorants and fragrances. Avon, Beiersdorf, Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, Procter & Gamble and other consumer products giants have jumped into the men’s grooming game. Unilever tapped into its successful Dove franchise and launched a men’s line of Dove products (Dove Men+Care) in December 2009 in the U.S.

Kathy O’Brien, Vice President and General Manager of Unilever Skin in the U.S., led the launch and is responsible for the company’s AXE, Dove, Caress, Lever 2000, Suave, Vaseline, Pond’s and Q-tips brands. I recently spoke with Kathy about Unilever’s approach to marketing Dove to men.

eMarketer: In preparing to launch the Dove Men+Care line, can you share a few insights about what Unilever learned from its research about men’s willingness to embrace personal care/skincare products? What made Unilever believe that men ages 38 to 50 would be receptive to a line like this?

Kathy: We know that while men’s overall interest in personal care is not as strong as women, men are becoming more sophisticated in grooming desires, but still want a simple routine. We also know that 51% of men are already using women’s skin care products and many men trust and use Dove.

The Dove Men+Care Global Study revealed that despite reaching a stage in their lives where they are comfortable with who they are, they do not always have comfortable skin to match. We found that men’s number one skin complaint is dry skin. Many of them even said that they think it’s from their socks, when in reality it’s harsh cleansers that cause their skin to lose moisture.

We leveraged the Dove brand cleansing and moisturizing heritage to create new Dove Men+Care, which is clinically proven to fight skin dryness with no irritation or tightness. It’s the brand’s first ever product line designed specifically for men’s needs, and it provides the cleansing and refreshment we know men want combined with Dove moisturizers to literally provide total skin comfort.

eMarketer: The campaign kicked off around the Super Bowl. What did it involve?

Kathy: We launched in a big way with our 45-second Super Bowl commercial, “Manthem,” which offered us the platform to entertain and engage a captive audience of over 100 million consumers effectively reaching both men and women.

It’s a 360-degree campaign supported by advertising, public relations, promotions, mobile, digital and social media. We will have a significant presence in platforms where we can engage and interact with our target male consumers and the women in their lives who are, many times, the primary shopper in the household. We understand our core audience and plan to interact with men in places where they live and play using language that resonates with them.

Social media was an integral piece of our plans leading up to, during and following the Super Bowl. We are also leveraging our existing Facebook and Twitter platforms throughout the campaign to communicate with our consumers, extend our messaging and drive awareness of our product benefits.

eMarketer: Can you share initial findings or observations about how men have responded to the new line–receptivity, engagement with the brand via social media, etc.? Where are you getting the most traction and feedback from men?

Kathy: Dove Men+Care launched in December and we are excited how the products have performed so far. Initial results are showing early success and exceeding our target expectations in terms of sales.

The social media response to Dove Men+Care overall has been very positive. We have been leveraging our existing online and social media assets such as Facebook and Twitter, the latter of which where most mentions and interactions with men have been.

Men’s Twitter discussions have centered around their reactions to the Super Bowl commercial or the products themselves. We have found that men have responded very positively to the new line, especially those who have actually tried the product. One interesting anecdote we’ve heard is that they love that the smell isn’t over the top.

eMarketer: Are you finding that men are largely influenced by the women in their lives when it comes to these types of purchases?

Kathy: In our marketing plans for the Dove Men+Care launch, we have been working to engage and interact with our target male consumers and the women in their lives – as they are many times the primary shopper in the household.

To reach and resonate with men, we’re leveraging Unilever’s proven success in men’s, which is based on consumer insights and innovation with Dove’s proven heritage in skin cleansing and moisturizing. The real growth opportunity in men’s care is outside of shaving: Male-specific toiletries are growing faster than shaving hardware.

Each of Unilever brands tailors their efforts to reflect the unique interests and needs of its audience. With Dove Men+Care, we are speaking to men whose life experiences, such as professional and financial success, or fatherhood, have allowed them to reach a level of comfort in themselves, but they haven’t found a product that offers total skin comfort. Dove Men+Care is specifically formulated for our target men’s needs to provide cleansing and refreshment we know men want combined with Dove moisturizers to literally provide total skin comfort.

eMarketer: Any plans for a Dove “Real Masculinity” campaign, kind of like the one Unilever did for women a couple of years ago with the campaign for “Real Beauty”?

Kathy: Dove wants everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin and we realize this has different interpretations for men and women. For women, we understand it’s about celebrating real beauty. For Dove Men+Care, it’s about celebrating the unsung moments where men are most comfortable with themselves, including literally being comfortable in their own skin.