...Kimberly Tucker, Chris Salt, Ashley Solomon Case 7: Mattel: Overcoming Marketing and Manufacturing Challenges 11/01/2010 Marketing Management 6800 Section 004 The Problem: The problem surrounding Mattel Inc., one of the world’s largest toy companies, is their mismanagement of international subcontractors and vendors and the production of certain toys (the manufacturing process), as well as their inability to adapt their marketing strategy or product to the constantly changing “demographic and socioeconomic trends” (Ferrell, et. all 466). This is supported by Mattel’s legal battle with Carter Bryant and MGA, their forced recall of certain toys that were manufactured overseas, and the increasing rate at which traditional toys are becoming less appealing to today’s young audience. Essentially, Mattel’s mismanagement and oversight lead to violations in terms of ethical and social responsibilities and safety standards. Issues Relevant to the Problem: Mattel’s problem of mismanagement can be divided into several issues that need to be considered: legal issues, international supply chain issues, and an increase in technology-based toys. In regards to legal issues, Mattel has been involved in prolonged litigation with Carter Bryant and MGA over a breach of an employment contract and copyright infringement. Due to Mattel’s poor management of its overseas manufacturers, in which unauthorized subcontractors and third-party suppliers were hired and unsafe materials used, several...
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...The Problem: The problem surrounding Mattel Inc., one of the world’s largest toy companies, is their mismanagement of international subcontractors and vendors and the production of certain toys (the manufacturing process), as well as their inability to adapt their marketing strategy or product to the constantly changing “demographic and socioeconomic trends” (Ferrell, et. all 466). This is supported by Mattel’s legal battle with Carter Bryant and MGA, their forced recall of certain toys that were manufactured overseas, and the increasing rate at which traditional toys are becoming less appealing to today’s young audience. Essentially, Mattel’s mismanagement and oversight lead to violations in terms of ethical and social responsibilities and safety standards. Issues Relevant to the Problem: Mattel’s problem of mismanagement can be divided into several issues that need to be considered: legal issues, international supply chain issues, and an increase in technology-based toys. In regards to legal issues, Mattel has been involved in prolonged litigation with Carter Bryant and MGA over a breach of an employment contract and copyright infringement. Due to Mattel’s poor management of its overseas manufacturers, in which unauthorized subcontractors and third-party suppliers were hired and unsafe materials used, several toy products were recalled. Advances in technology and changes in socioeconomic and demographic trends have created marketing, privacy, and product development issues...
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...Failure of the Barbie Doll in the Indian Market Priti Nemani* INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................... 97 I. GLOBALIZATION AND THE MULTINATIONAL ........................................ 99 A. Globalization Defined ................................................................ 99 1. The Key to the Kingdom: The Globalized Brand ............. 100 B. Barbie in the Global Economy ................................................. 102 1. Barbie‘s History................................................................. 102 2. Corporate Philosophy and Marketing Strategies behind Barbie ................................................................................ 105 II. MATTEL‘S BUSINESS VENTURES IN INDIA ......................................... 107 A. The Late 1980s: Barbie’s Tango with the License Raj ............. 107 1. The Licensing System ....................................................... 109 2. Limits on Foreign Direct Investment .................................110 3. Mattel‘s Joint Venture ......................................................... 111 B. India’s Economic Liberalization and Mattel’s Second Chance at Success...................................................................................113 1. India, the IMF, and the World Bank ...................................113 2. Mattel in India from 1993-2010 .........................................115 III. UNDERSTANDING WHY BARBIE FAILED IN INDIA...
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... When you look in the mirror in the morning how do you view yourself? Most people are not comfortable with their body and the way they look because society has corrupted their minds, with the perfect image Jean Kilbourne the author of “Killing Us Softly”, gives insight to how most people will view themselves based on what society has to offer. Christ Godsey the author of “Cro-Magnon Karma: One Dude and his Body Image Issues” shares how men are dealing with identity issues just as much as women. In today’s society no one thinks that men have self esteem issues, but in all reality men deal with issues just like women, in fact they are not comfortable in their own skin. Emily Prager author of “Our Barbies, Ourselves” talked about how Barbie can give a false sense of beauty and identity. As a society and as individuals it is up to us to want to be okay with ourselves, we are given our body for a reason, why change that? Most people do not have the confidence in themselves anymore, because the media has taken that away from them. Kilbourne, makes a point that “most women are not able to be themselves, and need to seek approval from the men”. Some women think that having the latest clothes and shoes will be the way to get approval. In reality though, the style of clothes and shoes that we see in the magazines and on television are not actually true to face. Majority of the models cannot even fit into that certain clothing. In turn Godsey, goes back to that men are suffering...
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...Our Bodies in the Media In any civilization appearance has a huge impact on the daily lives, of those living in it. Some cultures favor piercings, others strength, some wear clothes, others do not. The contributing factors for how they appear, typically go back to traditional roots. Our culture in the US, although influenced by our history, now has to deal with an almost daily changes seen in the media. It is nearly impossible to keep up with what is “in” and how we are “supposed” to look. With so much advertising and media focusing on a particular self image, there is no doubt why so many people struggle with accepting their self image. Both males and females, are both affected by man different outlets. Whether it be a victoria secret magazine, a commercial,social media, or a toy figuring, there are a number of contributing sources to our image. Being a male myself, I can’t fully appreciate the relationship of a womans body image and the media, but I can get a pretty good idea based on observations and experience. Social media has become one of the biggest, if not the biggest influence on young people today. The fact that there many different words being created in reference to this, shows the impact it is having. For example the term “selfie” never existed before Facebook was invented. This effect can often often be seen as a negative, as Miribel Tran points out “Social media is prevalent in society today, and it has been scientifically linked with causing depression...
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...May 17, 2010 English 10 H The Individual in The Society The Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of the word individuality is: total character peculiar to and distinguishing an individual from others. The novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, play The Crucible by Arthur Miller and the poem “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy all have underlying themes of the society influencing a character’s individuality. In each text, each character struggles with the difficulty of the society’s impact on their lives. Through each text we see the struggles and stress “the society” puts upon people. In “Barbie Doll,” the main character struggles with her self image, whereas in Catcher, Holden struggles with the society’s pressure to become materialistic. In The Crucible, every character is under the microscope and pressured to stay in order and not to step out of perfection. If they do not do as told or what is thought to be the correct way to act they will be accused of witchcraft even if innocent. The society has such a large impact on each and every one of these characters, that without a doubt each character has been influenced one way or another. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden faces the pressure of the society alone and struggles with the ability of keeping his individuality from slipping out of his grips. The society in this novel brings upon the pressure of having everything, even if it means really having nothing at all. Holden feels he cannot be himself in the society surrounding...
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...great song? Well, depending on the genre, audiences usually listen to the beat of the song and the voice of the singer, however the meaning behind the song is the most important. Barbie Girl is a song by a band called Aqua and it meritoriously demonstrates human foolishness within society through the use of textual elements such as tone, diction, repetition, as well as visual features. This song is a feminist satire cunningly disguised in a childish, friendly pop hit targeted to young adults and teenagers as it mocks the way a majority of them may think and act as she ridicules how they are desperately trying to resemble Barbie. Aqua uses a sarcastic tone to help send across the purpose of the text. Moreover, the tone throughout the song is understood through Aqua’s use of diction, repetition and visual features. The purpose of the song is to reveal messages of sex and the roles that men and women play in a sexual relationship. Since most listeners of this song do not cautiously pay attention to the lyrics, the sarcastic tone, mixed with the childish, high pitched voice of the lead singer would give the impression that this is fun and cheerful record, exposing the mood. The fake cheeriness and high-pitched voice is used to support audiences understand the mockery that links to the message which is human recklessness within society. The strong use of wording throughout the text demonstrates the superiority of men over women and develops the tone of the song. Confirmations...
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...its tricky disguises. Ever walked in to a store and saw that huge highlighter colored sign announcing “Big Blowout SALE”? They are pulling you in with things that attract you the most. From posters, human advertising, to the most innocent thing, the Barbie Doll, they are catching your eye and reeling you in and you’re unaware. Many businesses have learned the “Science” of how to arrange items so they may catch your attention. Paco Underhill, a retail anthropologist and an urban geographer, studies shopping behavior and has become valuable guides to store managers who look for the best ways to sell items. I am shocked to know that there are people who watch others for a living. As you approach a store look around and see if there is someone suspicious. Look around to see if you are being watched. Have you ever felt as if you were being watched? That is because they are watching you! Everything you are doing in the store is being observed. Strange is it? Yes but that is someone’s job. What you pick out and how you take in the item is all a part of their plan. Your choices matter in a study that you have no idea about. Your facial expression, happiness, and your disappointment makes a big deal also. The Credit Card Barbie is another marketing disguise. Barbie is, in a way advertising to younger age group. This is catching the eyes of your children and showing the fun and happy side spending money and shopping. The toy encourages irresponsible spending. Catching...
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...you walk into any Toys-R-Us or other toy store, you will undoubtedly come across a wide section of nothing but pink. When you browse this area more closely, you will recognize the iconic name, Barbie, branded across a wide selection of dolls, houses, clothing, cars, and other accessories. Most likely, you will notice a news anchor and a computer engineer Barbie, representing the new Barbie careers of the 2010s. If you were shopping in any other decade since the late 1950s, you would see Barbie dolls with different costumes and careers. Since its inception in 1959, by creator Ruth Handler, the Barbie doll has taken on more than 100 different career paths and has become the most successful doll ever produced. This iconic and often controversial doll has had a great deal of influence on every decade since the late 1950s. From its very inception, Barbie was an innovative fashion doll, whose desirability and influence among girls quickly skyrocketed. It was the first ever adult-bodied doll, equipped with breasts, long legs, and a small waist. Previously, the only dolls for girls were baby or infant dolls that allowed little girls to play mommy. But with Barbie, little girls were soon able to imagine being much more than just mothers or wives, and could play as any career they wanted. The Barbie doll was not simply a fashionable toy, but a role model for individuality and freedom of choice for all females. It broke through gender barriers by teaching girls they could be anything they...
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...Most parents randomly buy toys for children without considering the influence these toys have on the behavior of their children. Many studies do indicate that parents treat daughters and sons differently in areas specifically related to gender expectations: giving them different toys (Lips 404). Children learn through the process of observation and imitation; hence, the children are exposed to the need of observing the environment in their daily lives. Most parents limit the type of toys their children play which is based on the sex of the child. Girls and boys are provided with toys that showcase the duties of their sex in the society. The following article seeks to show how toys are used to explain sex roles in the society by examining the Social Learning theory. The kind of toy a parent decides to buy for a child signals a particular message to their children. The kind of information children acquire from these toys affects their behavior in a particular way. For example, when a mother buys a doll for her daughter, she expects her to take good care of the doll. A child is expected to clean and nurture the doll as if it were a physical child. A girl attends to the doll as a mother would take care of the baby. The doll will be cleaned in a similar way the child observed her mother take care of another baby. A girl has already been prepared to become a future mother since the toys grant her the duty of being a mother (Lecture May 24, 2014). Children’s toys have also...
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...but they represent the history of women before our time, and they reveal to the modern society that the things which are important to us like appearance, fame, and fortune actually do not matter; but that the important thing is to protect one’s family and survive against all odds. Now- a-days it is the complete opposite. Instead of dolls that look like the Venus de Willendorf Doll, we have Barbie Dolls. The problem with this is the fact that Barbie Dolls have created a lot of problems for children. Barbie Dolls infused in young girls unrealistic expectations for life; it made girls think they had to look, live, and act in a certain way which is acceptable to the society. Barbie Dolls were made to be teen fashion dolls but little did the manufacturers know that they would change the society forever. Barbie Dolls changed society in many ways. First of all, it infused in the minds of young girls unrealistic expectations about what they were supposed to look like further in life. Instead of modeling the dolls as representation of actual people the makers made them superficial. The reason Barbie Dolls instigated such unrealistic expectations regarding appearance is...
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...It’s a Barbie World Abstract Barbie dolls have been around for many years and many young girls have gotten a Barbie as a gift at some time in their lives. Barbie is made out of plastic and has unrealistic features to her. Her body proportions are not possible and her look only relates to less than half of the human population. Barbie has the perfect, dream world where she has her dream car, house, an impeccable wardrobe, and of course the man of her dreams. Many girls grow up and admire Barbie for her looks and all the materialistic things she has and will probably grow up wanting to be just like her. This can lead to them wanting to dress in mini skirts and short-shorts at a young age and can lead to prostitution in the future. One simple doll can change the lives of young girls and parents may not even realize it. Keywords: Barbie, unrealistic features, young girls “I’m a blond bimbo girl, in a fantasy world, dress me up, make it tight.” Those are some of the lyrics of Barbie Girl by Aqua who sung a song about a Barbie doll and how she lives this perfect, materialistic world with her true love Ken. Looking back into my child hood. I was never the little girl who played with Barbie’s or had an obsession with having every addition. In other cases though, many girls are influenced by the doll and can have negative effects in their lives. Parents do not realize the effects that a Barbie doll can have on a little girl. Parents may think they are buying the perfect toy for...
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...Oluwatoyin Ogunniyi Ms. Hamilton Composition I December 1st , 2011 Barbie Doll The piece of literature I chose to analyze was Barbie Dolls by Marge Piercy. This poem is about a young girl who goes through the normal stages of female bodily development. As the “girlchild” becomes a female she has an ugly nose and fat legs. She tries to be accepted by society but they deny her because of her looks. After a numerous attempts of trying to fit in she gives up. “Girlchild” has surgery and almost risks her life all to make her self pretty. In a way this is the story of your average american girl today. In the poem Barbie Dolls the author Marge Piercy is trying to show that females think that looking like a barbie doll is socially acceptable, so they alter themselves and almost kill themselves to be accepted by others. In the beginning of the poem the “girlchild” is presented with a barbie doll which to every young girl is the idealistic idea of beauty. The barbie doll had miniature stoves and irons and lipsticks. These items that she is presented with are household items that females or housewives tend to use. This sometimes molds society to believe that a woman's place is at home while the husband is being the money maker. As she gets older puberty occurs “a classmate said: you have a great big nose and fat legs”(lines 5-6) . She was “health intelligent poised , strong arm and back”(line 7). All of these characteristics are great but everywhere she went all people...
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...their lives. Whether it’s gender roles or just wanting to be accepted by others, people feel the need to “live” according to these guidelines. As time progresses so do the “guidelines” and if the individuals cannot keep up with these norms, they can be left behind or deemed as an outcast. Gender roles seem to be the most common. From the day a child is born societal norms are placed on them. For example a young boy’s room will be probably be blue and filled with sports items, while a young girls room will be pink and be filled with dolls and a play kitchen set. These small details, along with expectations, begin to shape their role in society. “Barbie Q” by Sandra Cisneros is a perfect example of societal expectations. In this short story Cisneros introduces two young girls who are playing with their Barbie dolls. The girls go into great detail when describing their dolls and the outfits the dolls are wearing. One can conclude that the girls are poor when the main character tells the reader that they only have one outfit for their dolls. They even had to make a dress from a sock because they could not afford other outfits. This is further illustrated when the girls begin describing how they will play with the dolls. Everyday the two girls play out the same story with the two Barbies fighting over an invisible Ken doll. One day when walking through a market, the young girls discover a set of dolls that have been damaged by a fire in the toy warehouse. Although the...
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...nd among these Barbie fashion doll is the flagship. This product was criticized from more aspects from other cultures of Aisa where the lifestyle Barbie represents is not commonly accepted. On the other hand privacy issues were raised by parents regarding the digital marketing activity of Mattel, as rights of children are related in this market. Mattel needs to consider whether these challenges are related specifically to the lifestyle Barbie represents, whether the lifecycle of Barbie can be expanded in a changing global environment. Or the issues are the signs of a general change regarding toys marketed internationally and also digitally. I came to the conclusion that Mattel needs to introduce a new doll which fits the new expectations. II. Problem/Issue Statement Mattel is the No 1. toy producer in the world, in terms of Sale. Their products with the strongest market presence are based on the concept of dolls / collectibles, where these characters are supported with background story, additional gadgets, additional releases of attached tools. The flagship brand of the company is the fashion Barbie doll, which was 50 years old in 2009. Barbie represents an independent, young American girl and as a fashion doll it acted in different professions and situations during the years. Thanks to this concept the lifecycle of the brand could been expanded on its maturity level, changes in customer preferences and interests could been introduced in the lifestyle of Barbie also. Apart of this new accessories were introduced...
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