Barbie This research is based on Barbie ad campaign and shows us the elements and structure of ad campaign, product and pricing strategies influencing the sales of chosen product. Barbie is an explosion in the market of toys for girls. With Barbies charisma and charm, she won the market and hearts of girls all over the world. Barbie is a register trademark of Mattel Corporation. The brand generates over $2 billion a year. It also occupies 90 percent market share of the fashion doll industry.
The positioning of Barbie, her presentation is quite successful even in comparison with traditional toys for girls. Barbie encourages girls self-expression. I should rather say Barbie was created not only as a toy for children. Since Barbie girl is such a large part of girls lives she plays role of artifact of female representation. Many girls want to be like a pop start or celebrity. Barbie serves as emulation and implementation of girls dream. Differentiation is actually, the way manufacturers try to distinguish their product from the whole amount of other analogical products to attract the consumers attention.
The primary positioning of Barbie advertising campaign is interpreted into slogan easy to remember: Barbie is anything. It should be unique, explicable, defensible and important for the customer. Each Barbie category is different. Barbies manufacturers created a model of timeless and perfect beauty. Barbies 2006 line (fm the Best Models Collection) represents images of Oh So Boho Barbie Doll, Picnic Set Barbie doll, Way Out West Barbie Doll, High Stepping Barbie Fashion, Nite Lightning Stacey doll, Highland Fling Barbie doll, Violette Barbie doll, I Dream of Winter Barbie Doll, to mention a few. All these images signify girls dreams.
The dolls exemplify elegance and simplicity, luxury and fashion. Each doll has unique features. Every girl has her own taste, but she will certainly find a Barbie doll to her liking. Barbies website positions the doll as Perfect for entertaining or being entertained. Girls can play with Barbie; they can dress their favourite dolls in favourite dresses Who is the target audience? Barbies target audience consists of girls, aged 3 to 11 years old. The advertising campaign is created accordingly to the gender of the target audience. Barbies ad campaign is made in pink fashionable tones, following traditional gender stereotyped beauty modes.
Some researchers in marketing consider Barbie the face of American Dream. What is the message of advertising campaign? Dolls are advertised under short catchy slogan: We Girls Can Do Anything. Nancie Martin, Mattel’s director of Barbie online content and former editor of Playgirl and Tiger Beat, says Barbie.com will also reflect the “Be Anything” message throughout the year. “For the past forty years, the Barbie message has always been that girls can be anything they want. Only the way it looks is different. (Bourbeau, n.p.) I believe, the ad message is successful, because Barbie really helps girls to imagine what they themselves might grow up to become. She plays role of a teenage fashion model. The doll serves an inspiration for girls dreams of their future.
Barbie helps to expand the sense of girls potential. The doll promotes positive views of women and female identity. Liza Strauss, campaign manager for Barbie believes that Barbie is a positive and influential role model for all girls. By working closely with Barbie to ensure girls voices are heard she hopes she can help touch girls lives (Dvercity Website, n.p.).
The face of American Dream gives a good chance for self-realization and self-acceptance in society. Bibliography Bourbeau, H. Barbie’s midlife crisis. May 19, 1999. http://www.sfbg.com/SFLife/33/33/barbie.html Dvercity Website.
Retrieved October 6, 2005. http://www.dvercity.com/barbie.html.