Client: Mattel

Campaign: Barbie

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Executive Summary

Culture Cloud recognizes the value of ethnic and cultural diversity in today’s society. In

addition, there is an awareness that while society is becoming more diverse, many individuals

feel that they are not being valued by companies because they are racially, ethnically, and

culturally different. Therefore, Culture Cloud’s main goal is to develop a strong relationship

between companies and their customers. The firm develops these relationships by helping

companies reach out to ethnically and culturally diverse audiences in order to gain profit. As a

result, customers will be provided with the sense of worth and respect regardless of ethnic and

cultural differences.

Starting January 2016, Culture Cloud will be in the process of launching a new Barbie

doll line entitled, “I Can Be Me”. The “I Can Be Me” line will be similar to American Girl’s

“Truly Me” doll line where young girls can go online and customize their dolls to have the

resemblance as themselves. Physical features such as skin color, eye color, body shape, and hair

texture can be adjusted to the doll, or a full-body photo of the consumer can be uploaded for

convenience. In addition to customizing dolls, young girls can design their own clothes for both

the doll and for themselves so they would definitely match.

The goal for the “I Can Be Me” line is to instill positive messages of beauty and diversity

in young minority girls in the age range of 5-10 years old from low-income families who love

dolls. Since society is becoming more diverse ethnically and physically, there should be dolls

that will help young girls learn that they are beautiful, and it is okay to be themselves.

In the upcoming year, starting March one of Culture Cloud’s marketing strategies will

include advertising. There is collaboration with major children’s television networks such as

Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Qubo to have commercials during breaks in shows.

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Another strategy will be initiated during the month of December where there will be a 25%

discount on dolls and doll accessories during the Christmas season. In addition to the 25%

discount, Culture Cloud will offer $50 gift voucher to young girls who make the honor roll. The

third strategy will be a new website and an app where young girls can register their dolls, and

their dolls are now avatars. The website will allow young girls to create their own virtual world

and play fun and educational games that will have important lessons such as hygiene, health,

careers, social skills, and culture.

Current Marketing Situation

Internal Situation

Established in 1944 by Ukrainian Immigrants Elliott and Ruth Handler, Mattel is one of

the biggest and most well-known toy manufacturers in the world. In 2013, the company has been

ranked number two on Corporate Responsibility’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens and has been

considered one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere. In addition, Mattel also

has a global philanthropy organization called the Mattel Children’s Foundation whose goal is to

provide children “the opportunity to play in enriching, exciting, and stimulating environments”

(Mattel Inc., “Social Impact,” 2012). Because of their philanthropy, Mattel is already partnered

with various organizations such as Make-A-Wish, the Special Olympics, Playworks, and Save

the Children.

While Mattel manufactures numerous toy lines, Barbie is the most recognized toy line

of the company. Barbie promises the following three qualities for developing children:

creativity, exploration, and problem-solving. In addition, the doll line encourages children to be

the person they want to be whether it is a doctor, a chef, a fashion designer, etc. Barbie has also

collaborated with the Girl Scouts and developed the “I Can Be” Program to ensure that girls can

achieve their dreams and goals (Girl Scouts, “I Can Be Anything!").

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External

America is getting more and more diverse. According to data from the Census Bureau,

minorities made up 37% of the United States population in 2012. In addition, the minority

population in the U.S. is expected to increase to 57% in 2060 (“U.S. Census Bureau Projections

Show a Slower Growing, Older, More Diverse Nation a Half Century from Now,” 2012).

Throughout the years, the Barbie doll line has had its share of controversy regarding racial and

ethnic diversity. One of Barbie’s competitors is Mattel’s recent doll line titled Monster High.

Monster High’s dolls have a colorful and diverse set of characters that get their inspiration from

global legends such as Dracula, the Abominable Snowman, and the Creature from the Black

Lagoon.

Illustration 1. (Monster High Dolls List, 2015)

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The doll line is becoming increasingly popular with girls between the ages of six and nine (Kim,

“Some Moms Call for Barbie’s Retirement as Diverse Competition Steps in”).

Another external factor is the advancement of technology. According to Mattel’s 2014

annual report, the advancement of technology causes children to outgrow toys at younger ages

which results in the “children getting old younger” phenomenon (“Mattel 2014 Annual Report”).

Other major toy manufacturers such as Hasbro and MGA Entertainment are keeping up with the

latest technologies. Therefore, as technology advances, the Barbie doll line is at risk of losing

sales.

SWOT Analysis

One of Mattel’s biggest strengths is its philanthropy efforts to make sure that each child

around the world has the opportunity to play in positive environments. The company’s

partnerships with organizations such as Make-A-Wish, the Special Olympics, and Save the

Children cover the general audience of children. Mattel also has been named one of the most

Illustration 2. (Barbie and Stardoll Launch Doll Line, 2011)

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ethical companies in the world by Ethisphere. The Barbie doll line’s main strength is the ongoing

empowering message that it sends to girls about achieving goals and dreams whether it be a

doctor, a teacher, a chef, etc. Despite Barbie’s empowering message of success and dreams,

Mattel is struggling to keep their famous doll line due to the lack of ethnic and cultural diversity

in the products. The following video from Wall Street Journal will explain Barbie’s recent

decline in sales.

One way to solve the issue of diversity in Barbie products is to create and launch a

product line called “I Can Be Me”. The “I Can Be Me” product line is similar to American Girl’s

“Truly Me” dolls in which girls can customize their Barbie dolls to have the same resemblance

as themselves. Online, girls can adjust their doll’s skin color, eye color, hair texture, body shape,

etc. Another option that girls have is that they can take a picture of themselves, and the

customizing program can automatically adjust the doll’s appearance. The option of photo

uploads is not a new concept since the doll company, My Twinn has already incorporated it into

the process of creating a doll. Below, is step five of the process of making a doll using My

Twinn’s website.

(Wall Street Journal, 2014)

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Along with customizing their dolls, girls can also create their own clothes for their dolls and for

themselves. Culture Cloud is also looking into an opportunity to create both a website and an

app on which girls can also play with their dolls in a virtual world and learn about topics such as

careers, manners, beauty, modesty, community diversity, creativity, etc. We will collaborate with

organizations such as the Body Positive, Beauty Redefined, About Face, and the Dove Self

Esteem Project in order to fund the product. We are also considering celebrities such as Tyra

Banks, Meghan Trainor, Mindy Kaling, Adele, Lupita Nyongo, and India Arie for their

endorsement of the product line. In return, if these campaigns and celebrities endorse the “I Can

be Me” doll line, Culture Cloud will make sure, that the campaigns and celebrities continue to

conduct research, provide educational programs, and gain more recognition by providing grants

and offering free service when they use the new Barbie doll line.

One threat to Barbie is other major toy manufacturers such as Hasbro and MGA

Entertainment due to their ability to adapt to the technological changes. As sales in Mattel have

declined, Hasbro’s sales have risen, due to licensing with popular movie and television

franchises such as Marvel, Disney Princesses, Transformers, and Star Wars (LaMonica, "Is

Illustration 3. (MyTwinn, 2015)

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Barbie dead?,” 2015). Below is a graph that represents the difference between Mattel’s sales and

Hasbro’s sales.

Target Market, Customer Analysis, Positioning

Consumers

Geographically, the target is mainly urban neighborhoods that are struggling

economically in North America (United States, Mexico, and Canada). According to the

American Psychological Association, there is a link between socioeconomic status and

psychological health. Children with a lower socioeconomic status have negative psychological

outcomes such as low self-esteem (“Children, Youth, Families, and Socioeconomic Status,”

n.d.). Below is the general description of the target market for the “I Can be Me” doll line.

Table 1. (LaMonica, 2015)

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Positioning

Barbie is the most well-known, long-running brand of dolls. Along with its fame and

longevity, Barbie is also affordable, compared to American Girl dolls and Monsters High. In

addition, the Barbie doll line encourages young girls to achieve their future goals and aspirations

and provide a variety of career paths such as doctors, beauticians, musicians, etc.

Objectives and Issues

Here are the following objectives that will lead to steady growth and long-term success

for Mattel and the Barbie doll line.

Marketing Objective: By July 2016, conduct surveys for target audience and

by December 2016, develop and introduce “I Can Be Me” product line.

Young Girlsages 5-10minoritiesenjoy playing with dollsknow how to use technologybelong to lower-middle/working class families

Families

have young girls in householdwant to enstill positive messages in children (healthy body image, high self-esteem, cultural uniqueness)lower-middle/working classlive in poor, urban neighborhoods in North America

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Financial Objective: Achieve total revenue of at least $200,000 by the end of

2016. Sell $6,000 worth of dolls every month and $1,000 of doll accessories

every month.

Societal Objective: Advocate healthy body image by collaborating with

organizations such as the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the Girl Scouts, and

Body Positive. Gaining sponsorships and recognition from talk shows, such as

the Doctors, Dr. Oz and Dr.Phil. Advocate cultural diversity by collaborating

with the following organizations:

UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural

Organization)

NAACP (Nation Association for the Advancement of Colored

People)

NCAIAN (National Caucus of American Indian/Alaskan Native

School Board Members)

NCLR (National Council of La Raza)

National CAPACD (National Coalition for Asian Pacific

American Community Development)

Involve schools to educate young girls about healthy body image and

cultural diversity by starting after school workshops and giving away free

dolls to girls, receiving grants based on the amount of participation in the

workshops.

Marketing Strategy

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Initially, Culture Cloud wants to give a message that would remind young girls that

each of them is special. Since the doll line will be introduced in December 2016, 25% discounts

on dolls and doll clothing will be issued at the beginning of the Christmas season. Culture Cloud

will also apply the discounts on birthdays. To complement the doll line with technology, there

will also be a website and an app where girls can register their dolls, and their dolls are now

avatars. In addition, girls who use the website and the app can create their own virtual world and

play various fun and educational games where girls can learn about health, hygiene, careers,

social skills, and culture. There is also a feature where parents can determine how long their

child can play on the website or app. This will give more opportunities for families to spend

personal, quality time.

Culture Cloud will use various forms of media in order to spread information of the

new doll line. There is some collaboration with major children’s television networks such as

Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Qubo, and ABC Family to have advertisements during

commercial breaks, as well as displaying advertisements on the internet. As it is mentioned,

Culture Cloud will offer a 25% off discount on dolls during the Christmas as well as birthdays.

In addition, Culture Cloud will offer a $50 gift voucher for girls who make the honor roll.

Tutorials on how to use the “I Can Be Me” Doll creator can be posted on social media sites such

as Facebook and YouTube. The following pictures are prototypes of what the “I Can Be Me”

doll line will look like.

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Google Analytics will be used to measure website traffic, sales, and revenue. Since there will be

an app, iTunes Connect will be used to measure the sales of apps among Apple customers.

Illustration 4. (Frenchweb, 2011)

Illustration 5. (Black Doll Collecting, 2011)

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Budget

For a twelve-month period, Cloud Culture will spend over $3,000,000 dollars to initiate the I Can

Be Me doll line. Below are the anticipated spending projections.

95000030%

50000016%

1000003%

60000019%

100000032%

I Can Be Me Budget Plan

Toy and Product ManufacturingTechnological DevelopmentAdvertisementCommunity eventsPhilantrophy

Public Attention

Culture Cloud will make sure that Mattel develops a strong relationship with

consumers by participating in community events such as festivals and gatherings that celebrate

Table 2.

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particular ethnic groups such as the Umoja Festival, Asian Fest, Latin Fest, and Pow-wows.

Information tents will provide various materials such as brochures about the new doll line,

coloring books and small toys for the children, candy, keychains, and pens. In addition, a virtual

demonstration on how to create the doll will also be presented at these festivals as a display of a

created doll.

Culture Cloud will also assist Mattel with collaborating with professional organizations

that focuses on minority women such as the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, National

Council of Negro Women Inc., and the National Asian Pacific America Women’s Forum. To

unite the leaders of these professional organizations, Culture Cloud will host a special dinner in

March that will focus on the launch of the “I Can Be Me” doll line. During the dinner, a

presentation of the doll line will be shown, and guests can ask questions and share ideas

concerning the new doll line.

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Timeline

Table 3.

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References

Barbie and Stardoll Launch Doll Line. (2011, November 30). Retrieved December 5, 2015, from

http://www.shoppingblog.com/barbie-and-stardoll-launch-doll-line-113020112

Black Doll Collecting: July 2011. (2011, July 16). Retrieved December 5, 2015, from

http://blackdollcollecting.blogspot.com/2011_07_01_archive.html

Children, Youth, Families, and Socioeconomic Status. (2015, October 2). Retrieved October 2,

2015, from http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-cyf.aspx

Choose from the areas below to customize your My Twinn® doll now! (n.d.). Retrieved

December 5, 2015, from http://www.mytwinn.com/Dolls_2/customdoll/

E-commerce et réalité augmentée, promesse ou mirage ? | FrenchWeb.fr. (2011, February 1).

Retrieved December 5, 2015, from http://www.frenchweb.fr/e-commerce-realite-

augmentee-promesse-mirage/10798

I Can Be Anything! (n.d.). Retrieved I Can Be Anything! (n.d.). Retrieved October 3, 2015, from

http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/beanything/

Kim, S. (2015, July 17). Some Moms Call for Barbie's Retirement as Diverse Competition Steps

in. Retrieved September 19, 2015, from http://abcnews.go.com/Business/moms-call-

barbies-retirement-diverse-competition-steps/story?id=32516949

LaMonica, P. (2015, April 16). Is Barbie dead? Retrieved December 4, 2015, from

http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/16/investing/mattel-barbie-earnings-versus-hasbro/

Mattel 2014 Annual Report. (2015, February 25). Retrieved September 19, 2015, from

http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/MAT/0x0x820303/68C602DD-88F3-47F8-

ABB5-46635E8495D8/Mattel_-_Bookmarked_2014_Annual_Report_Final_.PDF

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Monster High Dolls List. (n.d.). Retrieved December 5, 2015, from

http://www.monsterhighdollslist.com/

Sales of Barbie Dolls Are Less Than Glamorous. (2014, October 16). Retrieved October 17,

2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoVRbvdHhdg

Social Impact. (2012). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from

http://globalcitizenship2012.corporate.mattel.com/social-impact/index.html

U.S. Census Bureau Projections Show a Slower Growing, Older, More Diverse Nation a Half

Century from Now. (2012, December 12). Retrieved October 2, 2015, from

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb12-243.html

Wall Street Journal (2015). Move over Barbie, dolls are undergoing a makeover Available from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzkHm8N7fgov

Wall Street Journal (2014). Sales of Barbie Dolls are less than glamorous Available from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoVRbvdHhdg