Unilever is a global consumer goods company that operates in over 190 countries with over 400 brands. Two of Unilever's most popular personal care brands are Dove and Axe. Dove and Axe use different marketing strategies to appeal to their target demographics - Dove targets women with messages of inclusiveness and real beauty, while Axe targets younger men through humor and sexuality. Both brands have been very successful in boosting Unilever's sales through unconventional and engaging advertising campaigns.

2. 400 Brands
• Sales in 190+ Countries
150 million sales per day
• Operations in 200 Countries

6. Launched in 1983 Introduced in
United States in
2002
Most Popular men
grooming brand
Target : Age 15-25

7. Marketing Strategy
Uses Sex and Humour to
approach target
Appealing
Advertisements
Alluring
Concepts
Approachable
and Catchy
.

8. Attractive
Slogans
• The Axe Effect
• Bom-Chika-Wah-Wah
• Make Love not War
• Even Angels will fall

13. • Completely different product from
Axe
• Formulation of dove bar 1940’s
• Brand speaks to women with
different tone & massage
• Late 1990’s extension of Dove’s
range of products

14. • Started Seven day dove challenge, which attracted women
for trying dove at least for once
• Real beauty Campaign, a great success for all kinds of
women

15. Real Beauty Campaign
• Research revealed only 2% women consider
themselves beautiful
• Phase 1: Asking consumers online about their
looks
• Phase 2: It featured candid and confident
images of curvy, full-bodied women

16. Effective use of
unconventional media
• Integrated multimedia campaign,
combining TV and Print media
• Real time voting for women & displaying
results on giant billboards
• Dove’s website became a crucial component
for initiating dialogue b/w women

17. Question 1: What makes personal marketing work? Why
are Dove and Axe so successful at it?
Unilever use to communicate with its customer and try to solve
their problems. Dove is very famous and profitable brand for
Unilever. In recent years as the result of a marketing
campaign that has consistently generated attraction since
2004. Dove and Axe are the important representative in
Unilever’s personal care division one of its two major product
groups. Unilever understands the importance of personal
marketing and target specific age groups, demographics and
life style. Axe wins abundant advertising awards because of
the using unconventional media channels which were the very
effective and unique way for advertising.

18. Question 2: Can personal marketing go too far in a
company? Why or why not?
Unilever has verity of product for food, home care and personal
care brands. Its method for marketing is very interesting.
Unilever speaks deferent customer but their effort is for
“vitality” mission. By these practices company can manage
brand status and become unique among target market.
Unilever highlights the example of Dove and Axe inter-brand
relationship works. Both the product’s marketing says how
they look and feels which build people’s confidence and self-
esteem. All in all Unilever emphasizes on its marketing and
awareness of its brand and mission which shows long term
planning.

19. Question 3: Is there a conflict of interests in the way
Unilever markets to women and young men? Is it
undoing all the good that might be done in the
“Campaign for Real Beauty” by making women sex
symbols in Axe ads? Discuss.
I do not think that there is any type of conflicts which I see when
I see the advertisement of HUL. They are equally fair and
same for both the gender. Now speaking about AXE yes I
believe that there can be other tactics which the company can
use instead of putting women sex symbol to attract more male
customers. The reason is because the advertisement can be
misleading to male.

20. Although both campaigns have sparkled much controversy
& debate for different reasons, they have been credited
with boosting Unilever’s sales and market share all over
the globe.

21. Disclaimer
Thank You
• Created by Fazal Ahmad, VIT
UNIVERSITY, during a marketing
Internship by Prof. Sameer Mathur, IIM
Lucknow.