Brand managers the world over are understandably jealous. Imagine having the gumption to unearth and expose some of the neuroses women have about themselves, create a sensitive and believable marketing campaign, and then - yes - inspire change. In 2004, Unilever's Dove dared to launch this as its new positioning.

It worked. And in 2005, the brand continues to excel in its role as marketer-turned-social activist, while, naturally, never losing sight of the core business. "What we're getting a lot better at now is incorporating the Campaign for Real Beauty message along with the product-specific, product-superiority kind of message," says Sharon MacLeod, Dove's brand manager, of its evolution this year.

The love-your-beauty attitude has worked well with its new brand extensions, which included the launch of new body care, facial moisturizers and hair products. On the social side, the Dove Self-Esteem Fund was launched in January. The fund provides support for organizations that aim to broaden the definition of beauty, like the recently launched www.realme.ca body image Web site created in partnership with the National Eating Disorder Information Centre.

"They seem to have opened their eyes to what a consumer is versus what a consumer wishes [they were]," says Philippe Garneau, ECD of Toronto-based GWP Brand Engineering. "Advertising used to be about holding up the mirror that says you're the most beautiful. This one holds up a mirror that...says 'good enough.'"

Garneau adds that the brand has also done something "brave" this year, moving from snapshots of faces, to showing the women's body from head to toe. "What they did [during last year's campaign] was ask the viewer to challenge their own assumptions. [This year they've] said: 'Job done, now let's celebrate the answer you have.' They've now gained permission to celebrate the thorny issue that they tackled in the first phase."

That connection has managed to move the brand beyond simply awareness to creating an affinity with the consumer, says Dove's MacLeod. "[Women] are really connected to the brand, and in a way that it's not just 'I like their message'; they're starting to see now that we're really doing things that are working toward social change." That strategy is key to the brand's success. "The way we see it is that people buy brands first. They access a brand through products," she adds.

And sales prove it: "We've experienced strong double-digit growth in every new category that we're in," says Mark Wakefield, marketing director. Brand recognition is also strong. During its brand tracking, consumers were asked if they recognized the Dove blue bird logo. "Ninety percent of people recognized it," he says. "Just slightly behind the Nike swoosh."

Moving forward, the plan is to continue focusing on the successful formula.

"We'll continue to evolve the campaign and we'll continue to listen to what women are asking for from us," says MacLeod.