NIVEA: Brand Study

"In many countries, consumers are convinced that Nivea is a local brand, a mistake which Beiersdorf, the German makers, take as a compliment."
www.wolff-olins.com.

"The concept is one that spans a great many categories. Coca-Cola as a brand does not have a lot of extendability. Whereas Coke means Coca-Cola, Nivea is not Beiersdorf."

History
The legacy skincare brand Nivea can be easily found in 150 countries around the world. Approaching its 100th birthday, "Nivea" derives from the Latin word "nivius," meaning "snow-white." The first brand to bring skincare products from the privileged elite to the mass market, its initial product offering, Nivea Crème, was created by a team of dermatologists in 1911 who claimed it was "the world's first long-lasting skin cream."

By 1924, Nivea initiated the use of its blue and white tins, still in use today. A brand born of dermatological expertise, consumers continue to associate Nivea with trust, reliability and accessibility. Owned by Beiersdorf AG, an international branded goods company in Germany,

Nivea has grown from one signature product to over 300, encompassing fourteen product categories, which include a vast expanse of sub-brands such as Body, Visage, Beauté, Sun, For Men, Hair Care, and Baby. Through the years, Nivea has found success with new product rollouts by maintaining a rock solid consistency in its brand messaging, both visually and verbally.

Promotions
With its special quality and skincare expertise, NIVEA was bound to become a successful worldwide brand name. Beiersdorf supported the progress of this great brand through the power of innovation and by successfully building up and expanding the brand’s personality.

An important element of NIVEA’s visual identity is the NIVEA colour scheme. In every visual communication the NIVEA brand appears in its world-famous blue and white colour combination. The NIVEA blue surrounding the brand logo is not just any old blue, but a special colour mixed exclusively for NIVEA in a complex development process. More accurately called “Ivocart NIVEA Blue B 65711”, NIVEA blue has depth on the one hand, but on the other looks fresh and gleaming, not drab thus perfectly suiting the NIVEA image.

Brand Values
Over the years, NIVEA - primarily through NIVEA Creme - has acquired a unique, universal brand identity as a caretaker of skin. NIVEA is synonymous with protection and caring for the skin. “Mildness,” “reliability,” “gentleness,” “protection,” “high quality,” and “value for money” are all strongly associated with the NIVEA name.

http://www.beiersdorf.com/controller.aspx?n=55&l=2
http://www.superbrands-brands.com/volII/brand_nivea.htm
http://www.brandchannel.com/features_webwatch.asp?ww_id=219
http://www.icmrindia.org/casestudies/catalogue/Marketing/MKTG087.htm