Come 2009 and Barbie, the
world's most controversial
fashion doll would be completing 50 years of its
existence globally. Since its inception in 1959, Barbie has wooed the girls
belonging to the tween (8-14 year olds) and teen category significantly.
Effective localization strategies coupled with timely improvization of the
features of the doll have allowed the doll to sustain its presence for so long
in the global market. However, the doll is beginning to be condemned as
a cultural pollutant in various Muslim countries across the
globe. Apart from being a controversial item and thus being rejected by
a great chunk of the global populace, the doll has also been facing
stiff competition from the Bratz dolls since the early 2000s. Mattel,
the company behind Barbie has been devising several revival
strategies but has not been able to restrict the decline in sales and market share
of the global fashion icon. Mattel is in the quest to identify a
magic formula that will allow Barbie to regain its lost aura, an aura that
it had created within years of its launch way back in the 1950s.
The 1959 New York toy fair saw the launch of the first Barbie doll
which donned a zebra striped (black and white) swimsuit and exhibited
the trademark topknot ponytail. Barbie was the brainchild of Handler,
co- owner of Mattel (a toy manufacturing company).
She designed Barbie when she found that her daughter Barbara loved to
play with dolls that exhibited more realistic physical features
(had distinct physical features associated with a grown up women).
The response to Handler's creation was cold initially with the retail
industry leaders like Sears refusing to display the doll in their stores. But a
market research by Ruth revealed that though the parents were averse
to the idea of a `mature' doll, the children were really excited
about the prospect of getting hold of Barbie (especially the ones in the
age group of 8 to 12). The girls loved Barbie's dress and accessories
and even enjoyed changing them. In order to cash on this aspect,
Mattel tried to position Barbie in such a way that it occupied a
distinct position in the perceptual territory of its target consumer. Barbie was
a 3D doll with distinct physical features, so it was more realistic
than the dolls that already existed in the market. As a result of this,
Mattel posted a huge sales of 3,51,000 Barbie dolls in its first year
(each doll was priced at $3).
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