A look how an iconic brand Such as Barbie has influenced millions and continues to do till date. The case study talk about the introduction of African American Barbie (titled: Black Barbie) and observes the brand extensions being shaped up due to (often frenzied) consumer behavior. Barbie has literally 'molded' itself to blend with different cultures, go across product categories and retain its 'crown' when it comes to a girl's best friend forever or put simply as 'BFF'.

1. Consumer Behavior
Case Study: Mattel’s Black Barbie
Presented By: Abhinav Mathur (06)

2. Let’s Recall!
2

3. An Introduction…
Inventor: Ruth Handler
Named after Barbara Handler
(Ruth’s daughter)
Inspiration came from a
German doll named “Lilli”
Debuted in 1959 through
Mattel Toy Company
Barbie is available in 150
different countries
Has 45 different nationalities

4. Some examples
from 1959
The 1st Barbie

5. The First Commercial!
5

6. Welcome To ‘Black’ Barbie
6

7. Case
Introduction
1980, line of black
Barbie dolls launched,
with fuller lips, a wider
nose and more
pronounced cheek
bones; designed by
Stacey McBride-Irby
Features BFFs Grace,
Kara and Trichelle

8. Let’s Hear It From Stacey!
Problem with ‘Black’ Barbie
"Why couldn't one of the dolls have a
little short afro, or shorter braids or
something?“
it reinforces the message that there is
something wrong with natural hair.
"Black mothers who want their girls to
love their natural hair have an uphill battle
and these dolls could make it harder,"
McBride-Irby said she originally
designed all the dolls with long hair.
Combing her Barbie's long hair when she
was a girl was the "highlight of my play
experience".
Problem with
‘Black’ Barbie
Aside from the hair…
Dolls' thin frames
Unrealistic body image,
with her long legs, tiny
waist and large breasts
Belief that "black skin
isn't pretty and our hair is
too kinky and short,"

10. The Curious Case Of
Cindy Jackson!
Spent $55,000 to look like Barbie
Went through 20 plastic surgeries
Purpose: wanted to be a real-life Barbie
10

11. Price & Feature Wise…
General
Type
Fashion Dolls
Ideal for
Girls
Age Group
3 Years +
Product Dimensions
Product
Weight
580 g
Box Dimensions
Width
10 inch
Height
12.75 inch
Depth
2.62 inch
Power Features
Other Power
Features
Non
Electronic
Rs. 499 – 14,999*
*as seen on
flipkart.com

12. The Rival: Monster
High Dolls
Introduced in 2010 – Sales growing rapidly
Fourth straight quarter of sales declines for Barbie
Monster High sales have likely grown to more than $500
million in just three years
Barbie annual sales are about $1.3 billion, estimates
BMO Capital Markets analyst Gerrick Johnson.
Sales of Mattel's Barbie franchise declined 12 percent in
the latest quarter. Sales of the company's other girls
brands climbed 23 percent, mostly due to the continued
popularity of Monster High products.

13. In Popular Culture…
Animated Movie

14. Dhoom-3
Mattel’s movie deals with
‘Dhoom 3’

15. Real Life Barbie! With
Katy Perry

16. Real Life Barbie! With
Prince William & Kate

17. Barbie Action Figures

18. In Indian themes

19. Barbie in India, with
Aishwarya Rai

20. Barbie & Katrina Kaif:
I Can Be…

21. Oscar Barbie!

22. Barbie & Events

23. Career Barbie!

24. Countries and
culture adapting

25. Brand Merchandise

26. Brand Merchandise (contd.)

27. Co-promotion

28. Widely Accepted...

29. Brand Equity 60’s
Was created because children
were playing with paper dolls
Caught on fast because it was
one of a kind
Little girls could relate to
Barbie
Help to show women's
independence
Represented women's roles in
society
Introduction of Ken

30. Brand Equity 70’s
Doll became more realistic
with more fluidly moving parts
Had a more natural look to her
appearance
Barbie clothing started to
follow societies trends
Went international with the
1976 Olympics

31. Brand Equity 80’s
Barbie took on more of a working
woman role
Followed the trend of women joining
the work force out of necessity
Took on more empowered job roles
Strengthened international lines by
creating ethnic Barbie's
Aided in equality among all Barbie
followers

32. Brand Equity 90’s
Introduced talking Barbie
Created a life sized Barbie for
children to play with
Introduced Barbie merchandise
Collecting and displaying Barbie
Dolls became prominent
“Barbie Summit” brought
together children from all around
the world

33. Brand Equity 00’s
Launched Barbie.com
On-screen debut in animated films
Barbie remained the #1 selling girls
brand in the world
Out sold competitors 2 to 1 with $3.6
billion in sales

34. Brand Equity Current
Still #1 selling girls brand in the
world
Went from teen fashion model to
best friend and adventurer
image
Now has items in 45 different
consumer categories
Has seen an increase in direct
competition as well as indirect

35. Brand Equity Current Cont.

36. Under Performing
“Barbie continues to face tough
competition in MGA Entertainment’s
puffy-lipped Bratz dolls and still
struggles with a customer base that
is growing up – and out of the toy
market – faster than ever.”
Has been out sold by Bratz in the
UK for the last four years
Bratz is generating 500 million in
sales each year
Bratz is currently the best selling
fashion doll in Australia

37. Under Performing Cont.
“Chief Executive Robert Eckert called Barbie's performance
for the full year [in 2007] a ‘disappointment’ on a
conference call.”
“Domestic sales of the classic fashion doll plunged 21
percent in the first quarter [of 2007]”
“Mattel Inc’s U.S. Barbie sales fell 12 percent during the
fourth quarter[of 2008].”

38. Under Performing Cont.
Mattel stock price Jan 2008 – Dec 2008
http://finance.google.com/finance?q=mat

39. Lawsuits…
Recent lawsuit between Bratz and Barbie
MGA Entertainment pays:
$10 Million for copyright infringement
$90 Million for breach of contract
Bratz to be pulled from stores 2009
$778 Million in sales and current market share greater then
Barbie
Designer Carter Bryant developed concept while working at
Mattel

40. The Breakdown
Strengths
Ability to quickly adapt to changes in society
“Timeless classic”
Strong brand name
Strong company name
Weaknesses
Target market has a small age range
Increased competition
Inability to relate to current youth
Harder to capture children's attention with simple
items

41. Criticism…
Body image
Barbie’s life choices
“Bimbo” image
Aqua’s Barbie Girl song
Overload of products
Promotes violence

42. Measuring The Process
Measure by awareness –registration, word of mouth, etc.
Measure Barbie sales vs. competition sales
Test market research
Consumer feedback/surveys/market research

43. Revitalization Process
Strengthen the physical doll’s equity
Bring Barbie's image into the 21st century
Campaign the “Barbie Like Me” (younger generation)
Campaign: “Reconnect with your childhood and connect
with your children” (older generation)
Incorporate Barbie more with technology

44. THANK YOU!