On the heels of its popular "Campaign for Real Beauty" campaign, Dove has launched a new online community for women that offers entertainment, blogs, advice and advertising.
In 2004, the soap brand, owned by Unilever, made headlines for using ordinary-looking - in some cases, heavyset - women in its ads instead of the skinny models typical of beauty ads. Driving enormous publicity and coverage on "The View," "Entertainment Tonight," and "Ellen," the ads contributed to the debate about the best way to promote self-esteem in younger girls.
Dove.msn.com's biggest draw is its original programming, such as the recently launched miniseries, "Fresh Takes." In that series, singer Alicia Keys stars in three-minute episodes that follow the life of three young women. The minishow has been running online and on television during MTV's "The Hills."
The new digital channel is intended to strengthen the link between the "Real Beauty" cause and Dove's line of products.
"How do you recognize, in a graceful way, the conversation for 'Campaign for Real Beauty' and the products?," J.P. Maheu, chief digital officer at Ogilvy North America, which helped create the new Dove site, asked in The Wall Street Journal.
But, according to the Journal, one of the challenges for the website is whether consumers will turn to Dove for information and advice when the brand is obviously also trying hawking specific products. The site includes experts' advice on women's empowerment and skin care alongside product displays and free sample offers.
The Journal article also questioned whether women will relate to the subtle branding approach in the "Real Beauty" campaign. Tens of millions of people viewed Dove's "Evolution" online video on YouTube and other online video-sharing sites, yet the video wasn't surrounded by any product mentions.
"It's challenging when you put things out on YouTube to engage that consumer with the product messages," said Gayle Troberman, MSN's general manager of branded entertainment. "The video provoked debates...but how do you get the product message in there?"
The Journal also noted that Dove.msn.com will be competing against other online communities targeting women, including Glam Media and iVillage. Competitor, Procter & Gamble, sponsors Capessa.com, focusing on parenting, pregnancy and weight loss.
Driving traffic to their websites has been a challenge for other brands. Dove is hoping that teaming up with MSN will help address that issue.
On the brighter side, the Journal noted that brand-driven online communities can break through. One success has been "In the MotherHood," a social-marketing site from Sprint and Unilever's Suave. At the site, mothers submit short scripts about their lives and see them acted out by Hollywood actresses such as Leah Remini and Jenny McCarthy. So far the web series has had 15 million views.
Discussion Question: What do you think of Dove's website for women? What's the key to making these advertiser-funded online communities both informative and entertaining - yet also get brand messages through?