Building Purpose Driven Communication for Dove Hair Care in India
With Damage & Repair as its core offering, Dove’s equity rests in its ability to provide superior care. However, this functional promise was being eroded by competition playing on a similar ground. Hair has been a category where purpose-driven communication has remained unoriginal and has focused on the old narratives of inclusivity and exploring diversity.
Through this study, Dove wanted to evolve this current expression of the brand’s purpose and swiftly take the movement forward. Dove had identified a special story that highlighted the perceptive issue of unfair treatment of hair by women across the globe. For the Indian audience, the team wanted to understand how women are giving in to societal biases around hair ideals, regardless of fast progressive shifts otherwise.
Consumer Insights
Indian women are critical of their hair. In a 2018 survey, 81% of women in Indian claimed dissatisfaction with their hair. In 2021 not much had changed – women struggle with beautiful hair ideals and lose confidence on the daily. Our research unlocked the emotion around hair through stories that were most relatable; it defined the behavior change required and provided the recommendations for communication forward.
Strategic Recommendations
Our research identified that the purpose story does have the potential to shift hair biases and hair ideals. It forced women to take a stock of their own hair ideals. While there was merit in narrating the ideal story, it was imperative for the brand to weave in the functionality of the product. Since hair is a means to an end, the outcome and the result is extremely crucial.