Target audience

In a high competitive market, Dove and Le Petit Marseillais are trying to different from one another thanks to different ways; one of them is the target they choose to focus on.

Dove’s main audience is women of all ages and shapes. It is clear, according to their advertisement campaign that Dove commits itself to help women feeling better about them. This positioning is very different from its competitors, Le Petit Marseillais, who is targeting every member of the family, from mother to father and kids.

In order to get more market share, Dove is now trying to reach a more specific segment of the population: older women. Indeed, experts have shown that women in the +50 age category are prime targets and a fast growing market.

Le Petit Marseillais’ new strategy is to focus more and more on the women segment. For instance, in 2012, le Petit Marseillais lauched a new anti-cellulite product that is clearly targeting only women and it is offering a new range of hair product for women.

Moreover, from a demographic, Le Petit Marseillais is addressing its products to the middle class, while Dove qualified itself as a “premium” brand.

                                                                                                     Camille

http://www.journaldunet.com/economie/face-a-face/dove-petit-marseillais/2-marketing.shtml

http://www.e-marketing.fr/Marketing-Magazine/Article/Pour-Dove-la-beaute-n-a-pas-d-age-18497-1.htm

http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Market-Trends/Dove-targets-older-women

Porter’s 5 forces

DOVE:

Le Petit Marseillais:

                                                                                                Anais

Sources: http://www.unilever.fr/nos-marques/
              http://www.lepetitmarseillais.com/
              http://browse.feedreader.com/c/Marketing_Mixx/200837842

POP / POD approach

On this post we wanted to establish the positioning of Dove and Le Petit Marseillais via the « Point of Differentiation » and « Point of Parity » which set these brands apart from the competition.

                                                                                                              Hervé

Source: http://www.lepetitmarseillais.com/produits/douches-soins
            http://www.fr.dove.com/fr/

Market and compétition

This blog highlights two competitors on the soap market but, there are not the only two actors of a very huge and competitiveness market.

Actually, the market of shower gel is an increasing market in France, representing around 600 millions Euros in 2012, which growths around 4% a year.

This amount attracts a lot of players into the market. In France, the major actor is one of the companies chosen in our blog: Le Petit Marseillais reaches 15% of the market.

The major competitor in this market for Le Petit Marseillais is TAHITI with 14% of market shares. Then, there is Ushaia with 9% of the market share. These two companies choose to communicate on the virtues of far away and exotic countries.

There is also an other type of companies that choose a very different way to communicate: it is the case of Axe. Axe has close to 10% of the market in France thanks to a communication very Young orientated for boy and young man showing the Axe shower gel not as a shower gel but as a seduction’s advantage.

Dove earns around 5% of the market that is close to competitors like MonSavon, Sanex or Cadum which are products quite similar.

So, in this very competitive market, Le Petit Marseillais appears like the leader and Dove like the challenger. But, there are other variables to take into account. Dove is implemented all around the world (80 countries) whereas Le Petit Marseillais realizes only 10% of is sells abroad.

                                         

                                                                                                               Baptiste

http://geldouche.net

http://www.journaldunet.com

SWOT ANALYSIS

                                                                                                  Anaïs & Camille

Advertising

Image le petit marseillais

Le petit Marseillais has a kind of very traditional advertising. Actually, the promise of Le petit Marseillais is the virtues olfactory and hydrating of the product. The communication is based on the vegetal origins of products which are kind of ecologic. The advertising insists on the myth of the petit marseillais which is a very old product and very traditional product in France. The core of the advertising is the product.

Image dove

Dove has a communication more different that generally seen in the media. They choose to show to promote their products every type of women, voluptuous, with imperfections, really different than super skinny models that are seen on the magazines. The fact is That 80% of women want to loose weight and the message of Dove is: you can be confident and you have to, real women are like you no like all the skinny models on the magazines. The core of the product is the consumer.

The target of both companies is the same: women between 25 and 45 with a family, but the way to attract them is totally different. Le petit marseillais highlights the nature and the virtues of a product good for all the family whereas Dove insits on the well being of the Customer: the promise is with dove you feel well in your skin because you are like other women  with imperfection. Finally Dove embraced all the imperfections of the women whereas le petit marseillais insist on the benefits of it core product.

Finally, these two companies communicate a different way; one (le petit marseillais) prefers to insist on the myth and the virtues of its product whereas the other one (Dove) highlight the well being procured by the product and the brand expérience.

                                                                                                             Baptiste

Source :

étude antidote média

lepetitmarseillais.com

Dove.com

Packaging approach

From a packaging point of view “Dove” and “Le petit Marseillais”, are very different and each boast their own brand identity. The main objectives of the packaging are to differentiate themselves, convey a message, reflect the brand value and be easily recognizable on the shelves. 

“Dove” and “le petit Marseillais” have well integrated this concept and applied it to their entire range of beauty care product (Shampoo, body wash…). Both brands have managed to standardize the design of their products while segmenting the different range of product.

Dove packaging:

On Dove packaging the white color predominates. White is the emblematic color of Dove, in fact it is a reminder of the basic concept of the brand: “a product consisting of ¼ of milk”. White refers to the origins of the brand and also contributes to evoke the purity, the simplicity and the light. Otherwise, Dove has introduced a code system on each product in order to segment the product benefits, the intrinsic quality of products and also the consumer needs.

The product’s shape and size is unique to each product line. In fact, Dove provide sophisticate and elaborate packaging. Dove differentiates himself from its competitors with original packaging and ergonomic shape.
Body Wash product: milk drop
Shampoo product: Long tube with a wide base (compare to the top)
Beauty bar product: Rectangular cardboard (the shape of the product is oval)
Lotion: elongate tube and streaked

The design of the label is simple, we find the logo and the brand on top, and some product information below. Sometimes there is a small drawing in the middle evoking the creamy and soft property of the product.  

Le Petit Marseillais packaging:

Unlike Dove, the packaging of « Le Petit Marseillais » is very colorful. The packaging highlights a single bright and flashy color depending on the scent of the product. The colors on the packaging are used to recall the origins of the brand and its values:  conjure up the nature and the Provence region. Le Petit Marseillais segments its products through the color and the shape of the stopper (for the body wash product).

The shape of the bottles differs slightly from one product line to another. However, the shape is fairly simple compared to the dove product. Body Wash bottles are rectangular with assertive angles while shampoo bottles have slightly rounded angles.

The design of the label is warm/welcoming, we find at the top the logo of the brand and in the middle there is a summary drawing that highlights the ingredients and scents within the bottle. The packaging is playing with the consumer emotion.

                                                                                                                                                      Hervé

Overall presentation

Dove has been created in 1957 in the US with a revolutionary formula for dry and sensitive skin based on moisturisation.  Nowadays, Dove is owned by the giant Unilever and offers a large range of product:

 - Washing and Bathing product
- Hand and body lotion product
- Deodorant product
- Hair care product
- Men care product

Dove is a worldwide brand with strong position on each continent with a turn over around $2.5 billion/ years.  Dove mission is “to help the next generation of women develop a positive relationship with the way they look”. For Dove true beauty lies in all shapes, all sizes and all ages.

Le petit marseillais has been created in 1982 in France in order to bring up to date the famous Marseille soap. Le petit marseillais encounter the success thank to authentic soap with fruity scents reminding of south of France and Mediterranean atmosphere. Since 2006, Le petit marseillais belong to Johnson and Johnson and has develop a large range of product:

-  Washing and Bathing product
- Hand and body lotion product
- Hair care product

 With a turnover over $200 million/years, le petit marseillais is strongly implement in the French market, hence, Leader in France it’s one of the most dynamic brand on this sector.

The French solid and liquid soap and shower gel market can be describe as a hyper-competitive market where the position of the 12 brands constantly move in term of market share. In this very competitive environment, some brands try to differentiate themselves through innovation and marketing strategy. Dove and Le petit marseillais are the two main actors who escaped from the peloton with a strong brand identity.

                                                                                                                                                Hervé