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Mattel Inc., is one of the
world's largest toy makers
whose products include Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels, Match
Box cars, Masters of the Universe, American Girl Dolls, etc. Till a few
years back, Mattel was dependent on Barbie for a significant part of its
revenue. The year 2009 saw Barbie complete 50 glorious years of
existence, ruling the hearts of generations of little girls. The 3D doll, with
realistic and more than perfect physical features, not only enthralled its
customers, but also celebrated the true aura of feminism.
Despite the hostility that the doll faced from some parents and
culturally sensitive groups, girls across the globe were enamored by it.
However, since the 1990s, the brand's supremacy had been challenged by
numerous `me-too' versions - with MGA Entertainment's Bratz dolls
making the biggest dent. The year 2004 saw global sales of the Barbie doll
declining further. Several attempts to revive the brand failed and the repeated
onslaught from competitors further gnawed into its market share.
This provided the impetus for the search of a path-breaking idea that
could arrest its decline. The breakthrough came from rather unexpected
quarters - The American Girl doll.
The American Girl doll found its origin under rather interesting
circumstances. In the year 1983, Pleasant T Rowland, an educator, writer
and entrepreneur by profession, was looking out for dolls to gift to
her nieces for Christmas. Much to her disappointment, the dolls, that
were available fitted into primarily two categories, baby dolls, catering to
the mothering instincts of little girls, and adult
dolls, that provided expression to their future aspirations. There
were hardly any dolls which were suitable for the same age group as her nieces. |
