EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of conducting this research is to compare marketing strategies of two different brands Dove and Sure. Dove is the popular brand that is owned by Unilever and Sure is owned by P&G. Both these companies are offering amazing quality goods and services to wide range of consumers globally. Study is based on secondary research where scholar has considered books and journals for finding marketing strategies of both these companies. Results show that advertisement method is being used by Dove in order to promote its deodorant product whereas social media platform is used by Sure for its promotion. These marketing efforts of both these companies support businesses in gaining attention of large audience and improving its market image as well. Study summarizes that pricing strategy of business needed to be made by looking at buying behavior and spending capacity of target audience. This may help in retaining consumers in the brand for longer duration and gaining competitive advantage as well.
INTRODUCTION
Marketing can be defined as efforts of business for promoting brand and raising its awareness in the mind of consumers. In the recent competitive environment companies need to make effective marketing strategies so that it can sustain in market for longer duration. Sure and Dove are two main brands that are taken into consideration for the present study (Varadarajan, 2020). Dove came into existents in 1957, it has covered 40.5% market share and has raised its revenues by 18% as compared to last year. It is highly competitive brand in market. Sure being a brand of P&G is very popular and came into market in 2005. It has generated 1.9 bn revenues in 2005. Present study is going to compare Dove and Sure’s target segment and marketing activities.
FINDING
This is the main chapter that uses secondary research method for comparing marketing efforts of deodorant for women product of Dove and Sure.
Target Market
Targeting is the main element of marketing, companies need to gather attention of right consumers those who take interest in company’s products and retain with brand for longer duration. Dove is the popular brand that provides cosmetic, personalized items to large consumers globally (Ibrahim & Harrison, 2020). The main target market of Dove is female people age between 18 to 35. Women always emphasis on their health and facer, they like to look nice. They always aim to smell great hence like to buy deodorant of nice company that has great fragrance and result. Dove is implementing demographic segmentation strategy in which it focuses more on age, gender and occupation of consumers. Dove is targeting high and middle income people. Though product of Dove is little costly but it can be afforded by both these target group members (Nhu, 2020).
Sure is the great brand which is owned by P&G. Sure and Dove are biggest competitors, they both provides deodorants to women. The main target market of Sure is female candidates, these female consumers look for their skin, health and beauty. They are ready to pay more for the quality deodorant. Company is targeting people on the criteria of education and life style. Lifestyle of consumers influence their buying choice hence it targets women with modern life style and use deodorant often (Krasteva, 2020).
Product
Levitt’s model is considered as great framework that is applied by many companies or product stratification. Dove offers beauty bar product as its core product. Apart from this, it provides conditioners, shampoo etc. Deodorant and soap are highly demanded product of Dove. Deodorant product of Dove has great motorizations feature, it seems nice in context to its designing. After sales service of Dove is considered as augmented product. Dove has great customer service team that works to resolve complains of buyers frequently, it ensures offering great after sales service to each consumer. Dove offers guarantee to its products so that consumers feel great. On other hand Sure which is the competitor of Dove offers soap, shampoo as its core products (Pavithra, 2020). Company’s products have great packaging which attracts many consumers towards the brand. Sure always pay emphasis on quick delivery of products so that consumers do not raise any complain related to late delivery.
Dove has build up emotional connection with its buyers. This emotional connection makes consumer loyal towards Dove. It promotes its brand in a manner so that women get connected, it presents skin sensitiveness feature of deodorant so that female consumers get attracted towards the brand. Whereas Sure always concentrates on building trust of buyers hence it focuses on quick response and giving amazing customer shopping experience (Singh, 2020).
Aakar model describes the brand personality and compare one’s personality with other brand. Dove has raised its personality as honest brand on other hand Sure has developed its cheerful personality. Excitement is another personality feature, Dove has spirited personality whereas imaginative personality is holds by Sure. Dove has reliable feature as its competence personality and Sure builds successful personality. Dove has build up its sophistication personality whereas Sure always emphasis on charming personality. When it comes to ruggedness then Sure seems as outdoorsy and Dove seems as tough personality.
Price
Price is considered as major element that has great influence over the consumer’s choice and marketing outcome of business unit. Premium pricing strategy is being considered by Dove. It always charges high prices from its target consumers for the deodorant product. Dove always emphasis on offering quality item hence it reveals that company is offering value for money hence charging premium prices for deodorant product is worthy. Women like to get skin sensitive products and for that they can spend more (Khan, 2020).
Sure is taking support of skimming pricing tactic in which it looks at the pocket of buyers and offer products at affordable rates. It offers quality products to women t affordable rates that is why high number of consumers are connected with the brand since longer duration.
Dove sells its products through online channels as well and charges high prices on this platform whereas Sure is charging low prices when it sells its deodorant product on online platform. Sure always keep its prices nominal for in stores and Dove always keep it high in order to gain competitive advantage.
| Dove | Sure | |
| 80 ml | 25 | 20 |
| 200ml | 74 | 69 |
| 100ml | 233 | 183 |
It can be summarizes that premium pricing of Dove help the firm in gaining competitive advantage whereas skimming pricing strategy of Sure help business in attracting new consumers and retaining them in firm for longer duration (Colbert, 2020).
Place
Dove is taking assistance of traditional offline distribution channel, this is helpful for company to reach to large audience and sell them product. Furthermore, Dove also uses other distribution channels such as online. Dove has developed strong distribution and supply network chain which help business in reaching to large consumers. Dove supplies its deodorant products for women through wholesalers.
Sure being a brand of P&G uses retail distribution channel. It sells its deodorant products to retailers and retailer sells it to end consumers. Furthermore, Sure deliver its deodorant products to super markets and other major hyper markets. This becomes easy for consumers to get their desired products on time. This placing strategy of Sure aids business to gain attention of large audience.
Promotion
Promotion is considered as most essential element of marketing that aids business in enhances awareness of consumers. Dove is taking assistances of district promotional strategy. It always concentrates on real world and target people accordingly. Firm involves beauties those really exist in real world in order to promote its product. Dove also organizes promotional campaign so that large number of consumers can get to know about its deodorant products and take interest in buying it (Cheglakova et.al., 2020). Dove is using advertisement method through TV or radio channels in order to promote its products and services. This is the best way through which enterprise develop relationship with consumers and make them aware with its products.
Sure always take assistance of social media platform for promoting the brand. It has great presence over Facebook, Twitter and other social sites. It uploads it’s amazing videos on these sites and circulate to large number of customers. Furthermore, sales campaign is another promotion strategy that is used by Sure (Khan, 2020). By this way firm enhances interaction with this consumers and make them ready to buy this deodorant products. Strong media presence of Sure helps business in promoting its products in the global market in significant manner.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
- Guarantee is products is feature of Dove and Sure ensure great product designing. Premium pricing is used by Dove and Skimming is used by Sure. TV radio advertisement is used by Dove and social media is used by Sure for promotion. Online stores of Dove are performing well and Sure concentrates more on in store selling.
- 4P’s of both Dove and Sure for Deodorant products help business in developing its presence in the market and attracting new consumers. Honest personality of Dove and cheerful personality of Sure retain their consumers in the firm for longer duration. 4P’s marketing efforts support companies in gaining high profit and developing global presence in market.
- Dove and Sure both make huge investment in their marketing activities so that it can perform well in market and can attract new buyers continuously.
- Dove is using traditional promotional strategy hence there is need to improve its promotional strategy and must develop social media presence. Sure should improve its pricing tactics and must design new rewards programs for its consumers so that people take more interest to buy its products.
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