Evolution Of Barbie

Contents:

• Introduction

• Objective

- Barbie evolution

- Product development & Strategies

- Success of Barbie

- Barbie in the future

• Key Issue

o Changes in Barbie along with the American society

o Barbie image against by feminist

o Criticism against Barbie image by feminist

• SWOT of Barbie

• Option Analysis

• Recommended option

• Risk contingency

• Conclusions

• Bibliography

Success story of Barbie

The making of Barbie starts when a couple Ruth and Elliot Handler realize that their daughter Barbara, prefer to play a mature-looking doll rather than playing with a baby doll. The reason behind this preference is because she (Barbara) can get an imagination about her future. Mattel also has focused more on "story" Barbie lines for younger girls, and in recent years Fairytopia, Rapunzel and Nutcracker Barbies have been winners as much for the loads of accessories -- like DVDs and horse-drawn carriages -- as for the doll itself.

Finally, the company agreed to adopt their idea and to make it as their product. The product is a doll we know in the present time as Barbie. Mattel, Inc.’s Barbie doll was introduced on March 9, 1959 at the New York Toy Fair. That year 351,000 dolls were purchased. On average, 172,800 Barbie dolls are sold worldwide every day. Barbie products make up 40 percent of Mattel, Inc. annual sales. An estimated 90 percent of American girls have owned at least one Barbie doll over the last 40 years.

Introduction

1959 - Barbie first appeared in a black and white swimsuit with her ponytail and sunglasses. Nobody knew that the small curved body would be such an icon. She was made of a flesh colored plastic. Both Barbie dolls were available in blonde and brunette. Facial characteristics included arched brows, black eye paint, colorless pupils, bright red lips and red nail polish on her finger and toe nails.

1970s - From wigs to a tan Barbie continues to change but still remains one of the most popular play toys for girls and boys! Barbie learned to talk and many more fashions and accessories were created. She was in style every year. Dolls such as Malibu, Busy Barbie, Talking Busy Barbie and Walk Lively Barbie were created.

1990s - Bob Mackie created his first doll for Barbie called Gold. Mattel continued doing reproductions in the fine bisque porcelain.

2000 - The most sensational craze of all times since the vintage Barbie was created вЂ" Fashion Model Collection Silkstone Barbie Dolls! Robert Best created a very sophisticated retro look. The first signing by Robert Best was held at Diamonds and Dolls.

Disney’s vs. Barbie

Princesses don not just rule the Disney kingdom. As the media serves up stories of middle- and upper-class mothers bowing out of the workplace in search of new family values, females of every age now sport crowns and tiaras and T-shirts proclaiming their temperamental if not dynastic claim to the word. Princess costumes and accouterment remain top sellers at toy stores everywhere. Barbie and her many full-size accessories are available in fairy tale and international princess form. That all the time-honored symbols of the mythology -- the jewels, the dresses, the handsome boyfriend and, of course, all that dancing.

"Whether feminists like it or not," says Gary Foster, spokesman for Disney consumer products, "at some point in their lives, most girls want to be a princess."

"The princess brand is all about fantasy," adds Mary Beech, director of franchise management for Disney Princess. "It's transformational and allows the girls to be in charge, and in real life, children aren't in charge of very much."

Wish-fulfillment story lines fuel many of the books and films aimed at teen girls, which gives princess culture the staying power it needs to transcend the fairy tale reading years. In the preadolescent and adolescent years, many girls are beset by self-doubt, and they look to transformative narratives to give them hope and confidence. "The princess is the last frontier of acceptable girl ness," she says. "She applauds any arena that allows girls to access playfulness and protects them from sexualizing themselves before they are ready.”

Certainly at Disney, it was all about selling pretty things. In 1999, when former Nike executive Andy Mooney joined the company as chairman of consumer products, he was faced with flat-lining Mickey and Pooh brands. When he challenged his staff to come up with the next big thing, "Think pink" was the unanimous answer. Soon enough, test marketing was being done in Disney stores on signature pink and purple merchandise featuring the six core princesses. Barbie, of course, has several princess lines; next month, Mattel will debut a Barbie Princess and Pauper computer game. "It's a lifestyle rather than a toy line," says Beech of the Disney Princess brand, which now can be found on items including bandages, toothbrushes and umbrellas.

Objectives

In this paper there are three objectives that we would like to accomplish, those are:

• To analyze the changes in Barbie’s image over the years

o Along with the cultural changes of American society, there are also changes in American society view upon Barbie’s image. In this project, we are going to find out what changes happen in the view, and are the main cause

• To analyze the role played by the product development in Barbie’s success

o The ability to survive over years may not be as simple as it looks; the condition is mostly affected by the changes in the consumer’s taste over the years. Through this paper,