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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 Girls
• ages 5-10
• minorities
• enjoy playing with dolls
• know how to use technology
• belong to lower-middle/working class families
Families
• have young girls in household
• want to enstill positive messages in children (healthy body image, high self-esteem,
cultural uniqueness)
• lower-middle/working class
• live 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.
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
$950,000 , 30%
$500,000 , 16%
$100,000 , 3%
$600,000 , 19%
$1,000,000 , 32%
I Can Be Me Budget Plan
Toy and Product Manufacturing
Technological Development
Advertisement
Community events
Philantrophy
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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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
