The "Dove Campaign for Real Beauty"

Client: Unilever “Dove” brand

Client Need

The client had identified the need to drive business growth on one of its key international brands: “Dove”. It was critical for the client that this growth was driven by internal forces and so the “Dove” Global brand team was brought together to develop the “Dove Manifesto”, while at the same time, exposing the team to cutting edge leadership development work and bringing them together as “one team”

TWP Solution

Our solution was to design a 3-stage leadership development and team dynamics program that focused on five key areas:

• Willingness to challenge my own beliefs and way of looking at the world
• Willingness to risk
• Challenging the status quo
• Business Strategy development
• Building a global, virtual and cross functional team

The Program

The program involved the 20 members of the Global Team, including the external advertising agency. Team members came from a variety of countries and disciplines. The program lasted a period of five months, split into four key elements:

1. Pre-work (Virtual)
   The participants were given pre-work assignments that asked them to consider significant issues regarding leadership, and their own personal capabilities. The pre-work was all posted on a community website so that all participants could see it and begin to interact with each other, thereby enhancing “team” relationships before they actually met.
   
   
2. Core Workshop (Residential)
   The first workshop comprised of five major elements:
   • Self Awareness – Experiential leadership sessions designed to raise the participants’ awareness of how they are currently participating and leading. Key leadership concepts, such as commitment, responsibility, risking, win/win and the willingness to think global and challenge the status quo were introduced
   • Change Management – Participants were given specific tools that supported their capability to drive change projects through an organization. The methodology was Accelerating Change & Transition ACT
   • Business Strategy – This piece was delivered in conjunction with a professor from Harvard Business School.
   • Outdoor Challenge Day – The team took part in an outdoor “Ropes” day, where they experienced “risk” and “contribution” first hand !
   • Community Service Project – The team had a limited amount of time in which to plan a Community Service assignment. The assignment had to be planned and organized during the ‘virtual’ third module and then carried out at the residential fourth module.
   
   The “Dove” Global team left the workshop with clarity and alignment regarding the new Dove Manifesto” and, crucially, a renewed sense of commitment to each other and the business. Each team member left with clear accountabilities regarding the work required by them in order to bring this “Dove Manifesto” to life. In addition they also had very clear action plans aimed at developing their own personal leadership with regard to a self-selected business and personal goal.
   
   
3. Workplace Application with Coaching (Workplace)
   The team then had four months in which to develop the Manifesto, operating as a virtual global team. During this period they received TWP coaching to keep them on track regarding their progress on the Manifesto and their own personal leadership development plan.
   
   
4. Program Completion (Residential)
   The second workshop focused on:
   • The preparation and presentation of the team and personal results that had been created. The “Dove Manifesto” work was presented to an internal team of Senior Unilever Managers who all agreed that this was not only a breakthrough piece of work but that it had been developed in an extremely impressive time frame considering the virtual and multi-national nature of the team.
   • The execution of the Community Service day that had been organized during module three. The team had arranged to take 30 under-privileged children to a circus and then teach them circus skills.
     
     
5. Results
   The “Dove Manifesto” had produced the world famous and award winning advertising and promotional campaign:
   
   “The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty”
   
   This piece of work has been widely praised not only for delivering spectacular brand growth but also in helping to redefine the portrayal of women in advertising

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