According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in addition to writing press releases and preparing information for the media, public relations practitioners “also maintain their organization’s corporate image and identity, as well as execute advertising and promotional campaign.”
An example of a promotional campaign is Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty (CFRB). In 2004, Dove’s sales were lost in a crowded market, and the organization turned to Edelman (its PR agency) for a solution.
Before launching the campaign, the PR team had to determine the target audience, create reachable objectives, and design effective tactics. After conducting data from 3,200 women in ten different countries, Dove found that:
- Only 2% of the woman describe themselves as “beautiful”
- 90% of all women 15-64 worldwide want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance (with body weight ranking the highest).
Based on the research, the determined target audience became all women, all ages, and all sizes. After understanding the target audience, the PR team created six reachable objectives, a few of them include:
- Increase sales of Dove beauty products and new product lines
- Create discussion and debate about the true meaning of beauty
- Attract national TV and print media coverage.
Panel discussions, interviews, and advertising campaigns such as “Oversized? Outstanding?” and “Wrinkled? Wonderful?” were tactics designed to pull in the target audience. According to the article, sales increased to $4 billion today from $2.5 billion in its opening campaign year.
The Campaign for Real Beauty did not enter the market quietly, shattering the stereotype of beauty with commercials, billboards, and magazine ads. The question I had was , “HOW did they use PR to set themselves apart from their competitors’ commercials, billboards, and magazine ads?”
To answer this question, here is one of my favorite quotes from Kristen Nelson’s article on the Dove campaign case study:
“Dove wasn’t touting a revolutionary lotion formula with its campaign. Its product formulas didn’t change. And its lotions and creams are much like those of its competitors. The differentiating factor is in the positioning of the product. Dove isn’t selling soap. It is selling acceptance and recognition of beauty in women just as they are. Increased sales of soap and related products are the results of this affirmation of normality in women’s appearances.“
I learned so much about PR just from that quote. Dove was not only selling soaps and lotions, but it was advocating healthy and positive body image. The public’s acceptance and new mindset of Dove caused the sales to increase. This was all accomplished by public relations… NOT by changing or altering the actual product.
According to an article, Dove’s campaign is a success because it:
- Connected with its customers (built relationships!!)
- Offered a solution to its customers’ felt need
- Created a community by being boldly different from the competition (body image, building self-esteem, etc.)
- Freely sharing its content (transparent!!)
Nicely done, Dove.
The Catie Bee 
