Case 2 Barbie vs Bratz
BADM 372: Advertising
Case 2: Barbie vs. Bratz
1. Provide an analysis of the Mattel Barbie brand. What factors shape perceptions of the brand in the eyes of parents and young girls? Barbie was billed as “a shapely teenage fashion model,” and made her first appearance at the American Toy Fair in New York City and soon became a hit. (http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=160) Barbie was then and still is a popular doll for young girls. In the beginning she was popular because she was the 3D version of the very popular paper dolls, with interchangeable clothing and accessories. Today she is still very popular and probably for the same reasons; you can buy a variety of different dolls with different ethnicities, different colored hair and even different careers. Girls like Barbie because she gives them something to strive for, someone to look up to, a hero of sorts. Barbie shows girls that they can be whatever they want to be, from a mom to a teacher or even an astronaut or police officer. From a parents point of view Barbie is great because she gives their daughters confidence and something to strive for as well as the affordability aspect. Last time I looked at Walmart you could buy a Barbie Doll starting at $3.99 for a basic doll in a swimsuit plus all the accessories you could ever want from shoes and purses to houses and cars.
2. What brand problems did the Bratz line of dolls create for the Barbie brand? Mattel and the Barbie brand sued the Bratz Company for copyright infringement and won. Bratz was a similar doll but “edgier” compared to Barbie and she was new and exciting doll for young girls, The Bratz doll created an actual competition for Barbie causing Barbie’s sales to drop.
3. How might social media affect perceptions of both the Bratz and Barbie doll lines? When facebook first started it was meant for college students to interact with other students and you could only sign up if you had a student email address, but the popularity
Case 2: Barbie vs. Bratz
1. Provide an analysis of the Mattel Barbie brand. What factors shape perceptions of the brand in the eyes of parents and young girls? Barbie was billed as “a shapely teenage fashion model,” and made her first appearance at the American Toy Fair in New York City and soon became a hit. (http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=160) Barbie was then and still is a popular doll for young girls. In the beginning she was popular because she was the 3D version of the very popular paper dolls, with interchangeable clothing and accessories. Today she is still very popular and probably for the same reasons; you can buy a variety of different dolls with different ethnicities, different colored hair and even different careers. Girls like Barbie because she gives them something to strive for, someone to look up to, a hero of sorts. Barbie shows girls that they can be whatever they want to be, from a mom to a teacher or even an astronaut or police officer. From a parents point of view Barbie is great because she gives their daughters confidence and something to strive for as well as the affordability aspect. Last time I looked at Walmart you could buy a Barbie Doll starting at $3.99 for a basic doll in a swimsuit plus all the accessories you could ever want from shoes and purses to houses and cars.
2. What brand problems did the Bratz line of dolls create for the Barbie brand? Mattel and the Barbie brand sued the Bratz Company for copyright infringement and won. Bratz was a similar doll but “edgier” compared to Barbie and she was new and exciting doll for young girls, The Bratz doll created an actual competition for Barbie causing Barbie’s sales to drop.
3. How might social media affect perceptions of both the Bratz and Barbie doll lines? When facebook first started it was meant for college students to interact with other students and you could only sign up if you had a student email address, but the popularity