Premiumisation, new markets and competitive dynamics
One aspect that hasn’t changed regardless of the pandemic is the fact that “the key drivers of the personal care industry globally are as they have been for the last 10 or 20 years. Broadly, in emerging markets, there are very strong effects of continued income growth, urbanisation and social change.” Premiumisation is a major growth area, as well as encouraging consumers to use a portfolio of products from a single category.
They also noted that any category linked to socialising or looking good has performed worse, whereas those pertaining to self care or staying safe are on the rise. “In both of those sets of categories, I think there will be a lingering effect for some time. I think social interaction, going to offices, that kind of thing is not going to snap back to the status quo ante immediately.”
The greatest growth opportunities for the brand remain in emerging markets, for which the brand generally has a smaller market share, Latin America being the exception. In addition, “the Dove Men+Care brand is still not as fully developed in all emerging markets as the mother brand, the white brand.” In addition, men’s grooming is “has not reached its full potential in those markets, and that is also another area where Dove is very strong.”
Looking at the competition, Nivea and Olay were highlighted as the main rivals, with Simple being noted as a strong player in the UK. However, when it comes to their strengths, the specialist mentioned that: “In terms of leveraging the brand, the efficiency of leveraging a single global brand across multiple product categories, I think Nivea, and to a lesser extent Olay, are very good examples of doing that, and at least in the case of Nivea, are very much feared by the Unilever team.”
Other topics covered include an analysis of the Connected 4 Growth initiative, Dove’s digital marketing direction, and premiumisation of Dove.
To access all the human insights from Third Bridge Forum’s Unilever – Dove Brand Global Growth Prospects & Competitive Positioning Interview, click here to view the full transcript.
Related Transcripts
The information used in compiling this document has been obtained by Third Bridge from experts participating in Forum Interviews. Third Bridge does not warrant the accuracy of the information and has not independently verified it. It should not be regarded as a trade recommendation or form the basis of any investment decision.
For any enquiries, please contact sales@thirdbridge.com
