1. Segmentation:
The market of Axe is segmented on the basis of age, lifestyle, behaviour and geography. The brand promotes itself as a brand of male accessories which aims to groom men and boost their confidence. Axe being a male grooming brand with a very sophisticated package with international appeal attracts the majority of customers from the urban and semi urban areas. The youth in cities and towns are more inclined towards using a deodorant or shaving with a creamy shaving lotion. The company has a huge customer base in the cities that are loyal to the brand and keep using it. Unilever uses intricate networks of distributors who make the Axe products available in the cities and towns. However, the brand is achieving popularity in the rural areas and its demand is increasing. The brand finds a wide acceptance among the young customers aged sixteen to twenty eight. The Axe products like perfumes, deodorants and shaving accessories have a huge base of loyal customers owing to its high quality, affordability and innovative new variants. There are millions of customers who derive customer satisfaction by using Axe products.
The products under the brand name Axe are purchased and used mainly by the middle and upper middle class. Axe is more famous among the teenagers and young bachelors. Hence, the Axe products are used mostly by the bachelors and the working people. Axe is most popular among the customers who spend a lot time outdoor like students and the working people. The brand attracts a large number of customers who want to feel and look fashionable.
Target:
The main target customer segments of Axe are young and stylish male customers. The majority of Axe customers belong to the city and towns who are from middle and upper middle class.
Positioning:
Axe positions itself as a male grooming and beauty product that celebrates the individuality and confidence of the common man. The company claims that its products can help men attract women.
Market communication and research:
Axe utilises a very appealing mode of advertising to promote its brand image. Their media advertisements are often laced with humour, and feature average-looking men with average bodies, who are able to attract a large number of beautiful girls just by using their irresistible deodorants. This light-hearted approach appeals to the men who are therefore more inclined to use the products of that brand. They also engage the usage of unconventional media channels, such as tool kits for mating games, mobile applications and chat rooms –– all to engage young adult males. Their main goal is to go beyond the thirty-second television commercial and develop a deeper kinship with the men.
They also know where to advertise its commercials; it reaches out to the people through the channels that are predominantly male-oriented, such as ESPN and Comedy Central. They are also active in the print media, and give out ads in the Playboy and Rolling Stone magazines.
2. Dove is one of the biggest brands under the Unilever umbrella and positions itself as a premium female beauty product. The company positions the brand as one which recognizes and celebrates the beauty of ordinary women. The advertisements of Dove show that women of varying body shapes (even the plus-sized) and professions enjoying using Dove products. Dove celebrates the confidence of women and urges them to feel proud of their physical features like complexion and body shape.
Market communication and research:
The main aim of Dove’s new market communication strategy is to reach out to the women and change their attitudes and perceptions towards beauty. They had released numerous short films which showed how any woman can be transformed into a supermodel just by the use of right makeup products and beauty professionals. It reinforced the fact that people’s perceptions of beauty are ‘highly distorted’. Their ‘Real Beauty Campaign’ employed female models who were not like the conventional supermodels, and featured were the pictures of full-bodied, curvy and confident women. They also challenged the fact that whether beauty has any age limit or not, and the feedback was hugely positive.
3. The statement stated above illuminates about the power of Unilever to bring about new products and improved versions of existing products. The British Dutch multinational company keeps on satisfying the changing needs of the customers with its new and improved products.
Unilever is known for its superior innovation and research to bring about better variety of products. The multinational company also introduces new products to strengthen its product line to enter new markets and cater to new consumer bases. The brands like Axe and Dove are owned by the company and are worth billions of dollars. They enjoy enviable market share in their respective product categories. They face continuous challenges from the products of the same categories manufactured by international competitors like Procter & Gamble and also from emerging companies. Unilever in order to ensure that its products retain their top market positions carry out continuous research and developments. The research and development laboratories engaging six thousand scientists work to bring about new and better products with superior qualities. The laboratories are located in Bangalore, India; Colworth, the United Kingdom; Port Sunlight, the United Kingdom; Shanghai, China; Trumbull, North America and Vlaardingen, the Netherlands. Unilever while offering products often bundles several products into one product and offers it at discounted prices. This makes the customer feel that the value of the expenditures have increased which enhances customer satisfaction. This again throws light on the capability of the company to form products strategies like bundling to maximize customer satisfaction and cater to their changing needs. For example, the company has launched a new variant of Axe perfumes under the label Axe Gold Temptation. The variant is aimed to satisfy the men looking for new fragrances at affordable prices. The perfume has a great fragrance which is designed to suit the needs of modern man. The latest product under Dove brand is Dove Pink soap bar and shampoo. The products have extra moisturizing cream to cater to the needs of skin and hair of women.
