Barbie

Ateneo de Davao University

E. Jacinto St. Davao City

CASE STUDY:

Barbie: Growing Pains as the American Girl Goes Global

In partial fulfilment of the requirements in Global Marketing

Submitted by:

Audrey Asuncion

Irvin Jezz Lambojon

Philip Bryle Fostanes

Submitted to:

Ms. Donna Vida Abrina

MWF 2:35-3:35

Date:

November 22, 2012

Friday

I. Executive Summary

Barbie is a global brand. Although Mattel generates about 60% of its annual revenue in the revenue in the US market, millions of girls around the world have adopted Barbie as a favourite toy; Barbie is sold in more than 150 countries. Overall, Barbie is the best selling toy brand in the world, and Mattel is the world’s largest toy maker. However, as Barbie approaches her fiftieth birthday, the fashion doll’s popularity is declining at home and abroad.

This case study deals with how will Mattel be able to manage the balance between standardization and adaptation as it expands globally with utmost consideration to the countries’ social and cultural environment. The group was able to formulate three alternative courses of action: Standardize or Extension (Ethnocentric Orientation) Approach, Localized or Adaptation (Polycentric Orientation) Approach and lastly Global Localization Approach.

The chosen alternative course of action is Strategy C ‘Global Localization Marketing Approach’. The strategy would be more like a mixture of the first two strategies presented, so some of the strategies presented under A and B would still be use. This approach suggests that the company should ‘think globally but act locally’, a strategy that standardizes certain core marketing elements and localizes others. This strategy serves as a long term solution to the problem that is in line with the company’s goal.

II. Statement of the Problem

Major Problem:

How will Mattel be able to manage the balance between standardization and adaptation as it expands globally with utmost consideration to the...