Marketing + Branding Fail: Dove

Every now and then, I’ve been known to go into what some may call a no holds barred, all out chocolate binge – if it’s chocolate and I see it, I eat it. A few weeks ago, a large box of Dove chocolates, which belonged to my brother (sorry, Chris), caught my eye and ultimately fell victim to my hunger.

As I happily snacked on bite-sized chocolate after chocolate, I noticed that the wrappers had what first appeared to be some kind of inspirational quote / thought printed on the inside. Always looking for a little inspiration, I investigated further.

To my stomach’s dismay, I ceased my chocolate-infused bender after reading one of the “inspirational” quotes that was printed so proudly on the shiny silver wrapper. This “fail” was too good to pass up, so I grabbed my iPhone and got a shot (via Best Camera, of course) to share with all of you.

Do you see anything wrong with this quote?

Some of the most rewarding moments in my life have stemmed from instances when I forced myself to venture outside of my comfort zone. Even though I may not always achieve this “gratifying discomfort” on a daily basis, I will tell you with certainty that it is something I think about every morning. Dove’s use of mediocrity in the “once a week” request neither inspires nor entices me; it actually leaves me feeling somewhat bothered.

Simply put, I do not want to be marketed to in this manner.

But, before I go off on some rant about why this is Dove’s problem, I would do well to remember (thanks, Mom) that the problem most likely does not simply fall on the other party’s shoulders, in this case, on Dove. Plato is attributed to having said, “The life which is unexamined is not worth living.” With that, what have we (consumers) done to allow brands / companies to feel that these lukewarm attempts to inspire us are acceptable?

If a company is going to brand itself as “the _____ for mediocre people,” well, count me out – I’m not interested in your halfhearted attitude towards your product, your target audience, and so on. I want a company / brand that challenges me to go barreling down a snowy mountain at breakneck speeds, to run 6 miles while the rest of my timezone is hitting the snooze button, or even something as simple as looking someone in the eye and saying “hi” as we walk the familiar streets around our homes / places of work.

I want to feel as though I am being called to engage as much as possible – not once a week – in whatever activity or product is being recommended. Though Dove was calling for consumers to do something totally unrelated to its chocolate, the brand interaction left me feeling very uninspired, which then transcends to its chocolate.

Please, make companies / brands earn your respect before they get access to your time, money, and loyalty.

I’m sure that was not my last run-in with Dove (well, Mars Inc. really) chocolate, but I will most definitely reach for the other options when given the choice.

– RP