Barbie

1. Matell managed to gain popularity around the world through starting with the ethnocentric orientation as they introduced the typical American Barbie in different parts world until they shifted to the polycentric orientation when culture-sensitive countries showed negative sales trends. This clearly shows that Matell has been attentive and proactive to the specific wants of their markets that they tried to keep developing their product until it fits to the particular markets. However, inspite these, Barbie seemed to appear weak in marketing strategy when the Bratz dolls entered the market assertively.

2. Matell should be able to sustain its dominant market share and popularity throughout the whole world given the presence of other assertive competitors through identifying appropriate marketing strategies for the different age brackets of the children they want to attract. They should also develop and innovate ideas to incorporate with their current products so as to keep the children enticed with the new products that they would be releasing.

3. Cultural differences especially that between the easterners and westerners played a very important role in Mattel’s process in gaining their popularity. European children, despite their lifestyle under communism, showed more interest and patronized the American Barbie still. Yet in the Middle East and Asian countries, where culture is such an influential factor to children, Mattel somehow struggled to win the hearts of the children through the American Barbie as children find it hard to comprehend its features and the personality it implies seem to not make them relate very well. Given that situation, Mattel came up with personalizing the dolls fitting to the different cultures that have not accepted the typical American Barbie especially in Japan where they even partnered with the leading toy manufacturer just so they could win the Japanese children’s desire for their dolls. Although the original sells well, but...