ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, NJ, October 7, 2008 – Self-esteem has become a national crisis in this country. The majority of girls (seven in ten) feel they do not measure up in some way including their looks, performance in school and relationships. Most disturbing is that girls with low self-esteem are engaging in harmful and destructive behavior that can leave a lasting imprint on their lives. These new findings come from Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem, conducted with girls between eight and 17 and commissioned by the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. In response, the Dove® brand is launching its largest effort yet to bring self-esteem programming to girls across the country and to encourage everyone to make a difference in the lives of girls. This new initiative is part of the Dove Self-Esteem Fund goal to reach 5 million girls globally by 2010 with self-esteem programming.
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A GROWING PROBLEM
Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem, commissioned by the Dove® Self-Esteem Fund, reveals that there is a self-esteem crisis in this country that pervades every aspect of a girl’s life including her looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members
“The existing narrow definition of beauty is not only unrealistic and unattainable, but clearly it also creates hang-ups that can lead girls to question their own beauty,” said Philippe Harousseau, U.S. marketing director for Dove. “It’s time to free the next generation from these stereotypes and give girls the tools they need to discover their own definition of beauty.”
The Campaign for Real Beauty lives online at www.campaignforrealbeauty.com. The site houses a variety of tools for improving self-esteem in girls. Visitors can make a donation to uniquely ME! (all donations will directly benefit its self-esteem programs) as well as access and share helpful how-to information. The contents include tips for encouraging self-esteem and a “self-check” quiz, articles by leading self-esteem experts, self-esteem discussion boards and a free downloadable self-esteem building mother-daughter workbook “True You.”
The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty was developed after the brand commissioned a global study that found only two percent of women around the world describe themselves as beautiful. Based on the findings, Dove created a series of advertising campaigns, outreach programs and a Web site. This program was developed to challenge beauty stereotypes and invite women worldwide to join in a discussion about beauty. Responses to the first three phases were overwhelmingly positive; the campaign has served as a catalyst to help change society’s definition of beauty. More than one million women around the world have visited campaignforrealbeauty.com and shared words of encouragement supporting the efforts to widen the narrow definition of beauty. The campaign is being featured in college and post graduate textbooks, documentaries, as well as panels, conferences and other speaking engagements.
About Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem
Real Girls, Real Pressure: A National Report on the State of Self-Esteem was conducted nationally online among 1,029 girls 8 – 17, and is representative of the U.S. based on census indicators (region, ethnicity and parental education.) An additional 3,344 girls 8 – 17 were surveyed in a targeted study that was conducted in 20 major U.S. cities representative of each DMA based on ethnicity and parental education. The research was conducted by StrategyOne, an applied research consulting firm, in collaboration with Ann Kearney-Cooke, PhD.
Methodology: Interviews averaged 15 minutes and were conducted between May 6 and May 28, 2008 using the online field services of ResearchNow.
About the Dove Self-Esteem Awareness Measurement
The Dove Self-Esteem Awareness Measurement was developed to provide an indicator of self-esteem encompassing an overall sense of self-acceptance, confidence and emotional orientation among American girls. Each girl surveyed was assigned a score based on how she rated herself in each of these areas. Based on their individual scores, girls were classified into three groups: high, average and low self-esteem. The high self-esteem group was comprised of girls whose scores fell within the top third of the distribution, the average self-esteem group included girls whose scores fell within the middle third of the distribution and the low self-esteem group included girls whose scores fell within the bottom third of the distribution.
About the Dove Self-Esteem Fund
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund was established as an agent of change to inspire and educate girls and young women about a wider definition of beauty. It is committed to help girls build positive self-esteem and a healthy body image, with a goal of reaching 5 million girls globally by 2010. The Fund is part of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, a global effort designed to widen today’s stereotypical view of beauty.
The Dove Self-Esteem Fund is a global project, which consists of a network of local country initiatives linked in strategy and direction by a global steering group. In each country, the Dove Self-Esteem Fund supports a specific charitable organization to help foster self-esteem. In the U.S., it supports the Boys and Girls Club of America and the Girls Scouts of the USA to help build confidence in girls 8-17 with after-school programs, self-esteem building events and educational resources.
About Campaign for Real Beauty
The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty is a global effort is intended to serve as a starting point for societal change and act as a catalyst for widening the definition and discussion of beauty. Employing various communication vehicles — advertising, www.campaignforealbeauty.com, interactive billboards, panel discussions, and a Self-Esteem Fund — the campaign invites women to join in the discussion about beauty and share their views of it with women around the world. The Campaign for Real Beauty supports the Dove mission: to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging today’s stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves.
About Dove
The Dove mission is to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging today’s stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves. Dove, manufactured by Unilever, is the No. 1 personal wash brand nationwide. One in every three households uses a Dove product, which includes beauty bars, body washes, face care, anti-perspirant/deodorants, body mists, hair care and styling aids. Dove is available nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores.
About Unilever
nilever’s mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good, look good and get more out of life. Each day, around the world, consumers make 160 million decisions to purchase Unilever products.
In the United States, the portfolio includes major brand icons such as: Axe, Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli, Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care products, Hellmann's, Klondike, Knorr, Lipton, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips, Skippy, Slim-Fast, Suave, Sunsilk and Vaseline. All of the preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the communities where we live, work and play, Unilever employs more than 14,000 people in both the United States and Puerto Rico – generating nearly $11 billion in sales in 2007. For more information, visit www.unileverusa.com.
