Engage Your Audience like Dove Does

With over 54 million views in two months, Dove has a winner in this Real Beauty Sketches video series.

 

I’m not here to argue the merits of the campaign with regard to beauty. In my opinion, however, they’ve struck a chord with the general public. The result is a winning content marketing strategy. They’ve challenged people with how they look at themselves and managed to attach their brand to the process.

I think what they’ve also been able to do is intrigue and the engage the audience. From the moment Gil Zamora announces that he is a forensic artist and that he worked for the San Jose Police Department, the viewer is hooked. From the music selection to the loft gallery feel, there’s a calming and inviting sense about the setting. As participants enter, there’s a mystery surrounding the process and what exactly this has to to do with Dove. As they describe their experience further, one can’t help but think what it would be like to be in their position.

We each have difficulty in seeing ourselves for who we are. We may be too critical with small areas. This exercise allowed some to see themselves in a brief but tangible way through the eyes of a stranger. We each come away wanting to know what that moment of realization must be like.

What are the lessons you see from Dove’s Real Beauty Sketches series? What are the ways your organization can use content to better engage your employees, members, and customers? What are the topics or trends in your industry that your brand could be more effectively associated with?