‘You’re beautiful. Pass it on.’ That’s the kind of message Dove wants women to send with its new Facebook application – one of the first offered on the social network’s newly redesigned site.

Sharon MacLeod, brand building director for Dove, says that Facebook was the perfect place to spread the message. ‘You have all of your friends in one place sharing things they really like, so it seems like an obvious fit,’ she says. The app, which was launched Nov. 3 and is part of Dove’s ‘Pay Beauty Forward’ campaign, allows users to send e-flowers with uplifting messages to their friends, and when they do, a dollar is donated to the Dove Self-Esteem Fund. About 8,000 e-flowers were sent in the first two weeks via the app and the website, paybeautyforward.ca.

Helmed by Capital C, it’s one of several new online initiatives through which Dove is taking full advantage of the digital world. Another is the recent relaunch of dove.ca with a new design and a chameleon window treatment. The site, hosted by MSN, is meant to be a one-stop shop for all things Dove, bringing all the campaigns and aspects of the brand together. It also customizes itself to users, changing its windows depending on where they’ve clicked on past visits.

In October, Dove teamed up with Ogilvy and the Barbarian Group to launch Waking up Hannah, an interactive web video that follows a young woman dealing with the highs and lows of a typical day. ‘The story is relevant for a 20-something woman,’ says MacLeod. ‘The digital space is the perfect place to have that conversation with her, because she spends a lot of time online.’ The site (wakinguphannah.ca), which promotes the Go Fresh line of products, was advertised with a 15-second TV spot and cinema trailer as well as online banner ads and email blasts. Dove already considers it a big success, with about 120,000 hits in the first month.