Mattel has worked closely with its partners at YouTube and Netflix to make sure it creates enough content to meet the needs of children. Barbie vlogs on her YouTube channel, showing everything from dance battles with Ken to makeup tutorials. Netflix has animated films about the doll's adventures.
Mattel has already seen sales decline at major brands like American Girl and Fisher-Price. In recent years, more and more children have become interested in video games and electronic devices rather than traditional toys. The company has set itself the goal of finding a solution to this problem.
"We've also created a virtual playroom on our website, and Barbie produces a lot of related content that provides both advice for parents and educational stories and entertainment for the little ones."
Barbie in the digital world
Dream House Adventures, a game in which children can create their own virtual homes, also saw a surge in popularity in 2020. It has been downloaded over 71 million times.
“Digital is our top priority,” McKnight says. “We want to reach a wider norway number data audience, and to do that next year we’ll be expanding the gaming experience and partnering with big names in the fashion industry.”
Due to the closure of toy stores, Mattel's online sales grew by 50% in the third quarter.
"We have strengthened our marketing strategy to drive more traffic to our website and partner platforms. We are investing heavily in this area and listening to trends to provide the right products to our customers."
The dollmaker is also working on an Alexa integration that will allow you to “talk” to Barbie through Amazon’s Echo smart speakers, allowing kids to explore the doll’s various careers, from veterinarian to astronaut to soccer player.
“We’ve seen a 20% increase in active users this year,” says McKnight, who says one million users have engaged with the smart integration.
Strengthening the goal
The Barbie brand's modernization began in 2016, when Mattel changed the doll's face for the first time in its 59-year history. The company added new body shapes and skin tones to its lineup to "better reflect the appearance of girls around the world."
Barbie's new look was more in line with the brand's "Imagine the Possibilities" positioning, which encourages young girls to go beyond traditional gender stereotypes and try unconventional careers.