Dove Men+ Care and The Power of Brand Innovation
Dove has positioned themselves as a leader in the women’s cosmetic industry. They’ve created substantial brand awareness both in the United States and around the world.
But could they sell their products to men? Of course not…right? Everything about their brand— from their name, to their logo, to their color palette—is created with women in mind.
Pursuing men, on the other hand, would be disastrous… or so conventional wisdom tells us.
However, that didn’t Dove from doing exactly that. In 2010, they launched a new line of grooming products, Dove Men+Care , specifically targeting men.
To their credit, Dove understood that their existing brand would be a non-starter for men. So they innovated—so far, they’ve been successful. Below are three lessons you can learn from their success:
1) “Disruptive” innovation is the most powerful form of innovation. Dove shook up the market for male grooming products. They also stepped outside of the paradigm they had constructed for themselves as a women’s brand. They generated headlines and caused consumers to do a double-take. How can you disrupt the market for your products and services?
2) Pay close attention to your market—because timing is everything. Dove was well aware of the evolution of the male customer. The market for men’s products had been (and still is) rapidly expanding—and the idea of a product designed to “take care” of men was much more accepted than it would have been 20 years ago. How is your market changing?
3) Think outside the box. Particularly brilliant was Dove’s creation of their well-packaged shower scrub. (See video below.) Not only does it have practical application, but the masculine color palette and package design maximizes its appeal to their target customers. What can you do to make your brand even more appealing to your market?
Now, it’s important to understand that for every successful brand extension, there are many more that fail. Dove Men+Care played their cards just right—and there’s plenty you can learn from their success. Don’t be afraid to disrupt your market when the time is right!
To learn more, take just a moment to watch the video I’ve created on the subject:
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