The purpose of this paper is to explore how Dove experienced the corporate social responsibility paradox, which occurs when a CSR campaign hurts the brand’s reputation instead of benefiting it. Dove communicates its corporate social responsibility activities, as part of its marketing strategy, through social media, which caused in some cases criticism and backlash towards the brand. Even though the message from Dove, that everyone is beautiful in their own way, was perceived positively, the way it was being advertised and represented also caused negative consumer responses toward Dove. The advertisement that was criticized and is the object of investigation in this paper, is the body-shaped bottle advertisement, that was published as part of Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign. The analysis of the advertisement will be conducted according to Fairclough’s (1989, 1995) model for critical discourse analysis. The aim of the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) is to explore the visuals, ideology and stereotypes behind the advertisement, what the reason for the negative responses could be, the role of social media in this context and the resulting consequences for Dove.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Theory
2.1 Corporate Social Responsibility and Communication
2.2 CSR of Dove
2.3 Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty
3 Methods and Data
4 Analysis
4.1 „Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes”
4.2 Consequences for Dove
5 Conclusion
Objectives and Research Scope
This paper examines the "corporate social responsibility paradox," exploring how Dove’s attempt to promote body positivity through their "Real Body Bottle" campaign inadvertently triggered negative consumer feedback and brand backlash on social media.
- The intersection of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and modern digital marketing strategies.
- The mechanisms of the CSR paradox in a social media context.
- Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) of the "Real Body Bottle" advertisement campaign.
- The role of consumer perception and social media discourse in shaping brand reputation.
- Evaluation of long-term brand impact versus immediate social media criticism.
Excerpt from the Book
„Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes”
The advertisement for Dove’s limited edition “Real Body Bottles” is 00:46 seconds long and was published as part of Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign. The campaign was launched to celebrate different body shapes, therefore they created seven shapes of bottles meant to resemble different body types of women. Figure 3 shows the different shapes of the bottles offered. The advertisement begins with showing the statement "Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes" in the typical light blue Dove colour. The Dove logo can be seen above this statement. The following scene gives the consumer an insight in the factory where the bottles are being produced. This is also the part where the background music starts, and you hear a man’s voice say, “It’s time now to bring out the pretty people and I D-double-dare you to find the prettier of the ladies here.” (00:02).
The second statement appears after showing machines in the factory, which says “There is no one perfect shape”, again in light blue in front of a white background, but this time without the Dove logo. The next scene (00:07) shows the different templates for the alternative shapes of the bottles. Followed by the third statement “Real beauty breaks moulds”, in the same format as the statement before (00:10). After the statement, now two of the finished plastic bottles in different shapes are being shown and filled with body wash. Leading to the fourth statement “Introducing the Limited Edition Dove Body Wash” (00:20). The next scene shows the result of the differently shaped bottles and how they are transported on the conveyor belt (00:21).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the interplay between corporate social responsibility, marketing strategies, and the emergence of social media as a primary communication channel.
2 Theory: Outlines the theoretical framework of CSR, including Carroll’s pyramid, and defines the concept of the CSR paradox in the context of digital consumer engagement.
2.1 Corporate Social Responsibility and Communication: Details the evolution of CSR as a business concept and discusses how transparency and communication channels affect stakeholder trust.
2.2 CSR of Dove: Examines Dove’s specific corporate social mission, focusing on their goal to change traditional beauty definitions and build self-esteem.
2.3 Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty: Reviews the history and impact of the Real Beauty Campaign, highlighting how it shifted the understanding of cause marketing.
3 Methods and Data: Explains the application of Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework of Critical Discourse Analysis (text, discourse practice, and social practice) used for this research.
4 Analysis: Investigates the specific advertisement content and the resulting discourse on social media platforms.
4.1 „Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes”: Offers a descriptive and critical breakdown of the "Real Body Bottle" video advertisement and the subsequent public criticism.
4.2 Consequences for Dove: Assesses the actual brand impact using market research data to contrast public social media outrage with broader consumer sentiment.
5 Conclusion: Summarizes the findings, noting that while social media can turn small mistakes into massive boycotts, the impact on overall brand reputation may be less severe than perceived online.
Keywords
Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR, CSR Paradox, Dove, Real Beauty Campaign, Critical Discourse Analysis, Social Media, Marketing Strategy, Consumer Perception, Brand Reputation, Body Positivity, Digital Communication, Advertising, Discourse, Stakeholder Engagement
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the "CSR paradox," investigating how well-intentioned corporate social responsibility campaigns can inadvertently damage a brand's reputation when communicated through social media.
What are the primary thematic areas explored?
Key themes include the evolution of CSR practices, the influence of social media on corporate communication, the role of consumer skepticism, and the efficacy of Critical Discourse Analysis in evaluating advertising.
What is the specific research goal?
The goal is to explore why Dove’s "Real Body Bottle" campaign received backlash despite the brand's long-standing commitment to body positivity, and how the company navigated the resulting negative sentiment.
Which methodology is applied?
The author uses Fairclough’s (1989, 1995) three-dimensional framework for Critical Discourse Analysis, evaluating text, discourse practice, and social practice.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the theoretical foundations of CSR, an analysis of Dove's campaign history, a detailed walkthrough of the bottle advertisement, and a concluding evaluation of consumer sentiment post-backlash.
How would you summarize the work in a few keywords?
The work is defined by terms like CSR Paradox, Brand Communication, Critical Discourse Analysis, Social Media Backlash, and Body Positivity.
How does the "Real Body Bottle" campaign specifically exemplify the CSR paradox?
It acts as a paradox because the campaign successfully generated massive awareness for the issue of beauty diversity but created negative consumer attitudes by reducing women's body shapes to inanimate objects.
What does the survey data reveal about the aftermath of the campaign?
Data from Morning Consult showed that despite the loud online criticism, the majority of consumers did not view the brand less favorably, suggesting that social media discourse does not always reflect total market opinion.
- Citation du texte
- Seda Evirgen (Auteur), 2019, Critical Discourse Analysis of Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty Advertisement, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/964875
