Product Localization Case Study

1333 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: International advertising domestic advertising

Along with localizing the product, businesses should adjust their advertising strategy to better suit the intended market in order to “…promote consumer awareness of its products” (Ramarapu, Timmerman, & Ramarapu, 1999). This is the third issue that U.S. businesses should address. Advertising characteristics, regulations, and customs differ between cultures. For example, it may be perfectly legal and socially acceptable to advertise a product on a billboard in the United States, but this practice may be illegal or frowned upon in a foreign market. Researching a country’s advertising customs might be needed in order to effectively target the intended consumers.
The fourth issue that should be addressed is how and when the product or brand …show more content…

Mattel localized their product by creating a Barbie that looked and dressed like a Chinese girl (Carlson, 2013). They named the localized doll “Ling,” but it didn’t prove successful. Mattel’s localization strategy could’ve used a lot of help. They misread the market by thinking that a localized version of their dolls would be welcomed. They also misread Barbie’s popularity within the Chinese culture. They thought that they could get away with selling expensive clothing, spa and nail services, and other Barbie goods (Voigt, 2012). If they had localized the entire brand, then perhaps they would’ve received more interest. On the other hand, by localizing the Barbie brand, Mattel would’ve realized that a mega-store like the “House of Barbie” was a bad …show more content…

Instead of taking a slow approach to launching Barbie into the Chinese market, Mattel decided to jump right in with a standalone mega-store. An analysis into Mattel’s failure in China states that the strategy that Mattel employed was “…a major contributor to the store’s losses” (Close-Up Media, 2012). Mattel should’ve introduced Barbie in increments until the brand became popular among the Chinese consumer. After all, “Since Barbie is not a cultural icon in China as she is in America, Chinese consumers couldn’t care less about Barbie-branded products” (Wang,

Show More
Related

  • Mattel Inc.: Case Study

    1483 Words  | 3 Pages

    When we look at a company such as Mattel Inc., this is a company that has been producing dolls for the last 72 years. Their main products are the hot wheels, Barbie dolls cabbage patch kid and the American girl. The products

    Read More

  • Taking a Look at Barbie Millicent Roberts

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    Think of an iconic figure with killer curves and a wardrobe most women would die for? Many names may pop through your mind. Kate Moss? Gisele? Naomi Campbell? Now let's narrow it down a bit more. How about a woman who was also a former news anchor, UNICEF Summit Diplomat, Presidential candidate, and astronaut? The only girl who fits all of these descriptions is Barbie Millicent Roberts, a fair skinned blonde standing at 11 1/2 inches. Since Barbie's debut, she's been reproduced by the billions to meet the never ending demand. Even after 50 years she’s still flying off of toy-store shelves. Two Barbie dolls sell every second, and Mattel’s worldwide sales of Barbie top $1.5 billion every year. The company estimates that 90 percent of U.S. girls between the ages of 3 and 10 own at least one dolls. These numbers indicate that Barbie is still a big part of our culture and lives, and although controversy surrounds her at every step, she still manages to be a well known, sought after woman. Let's delve into the history of how this woman came to be.

    Read More

  • The History of the World's Most Famous Doll, Barbie

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1945, Ruth and Eliott Handler founded Mattel – one of Americas leading manufacturing companies of today. The idea for the Barbie doll was conceived when Ruth watched her daughter play with adult paper dolls. She noticed the importance of being able to change the doll's clothes, and decided to create a three-dimensional fashion doll, naming her Barbie after Barbara (her daughter). At the time, the toy market was dominated by baby dolls and toddler dolls. Barbie was a new conception that became a worldwide hit. Since her debut in 1959, Barbie has remained one of the most popular toys of all time. There are two Barbie's sold every second, and more than one billion dolls have been sold around the world (Maine, 2000, cited in Slayen, 2011).

    Read More

  • Ruth Handler's Doll: The Transformation Of The Barbie Doll

    1015 Words  | 3 Pages

    After a trip to Germany, Ruth Handler, the co-founder of the Mattel toy company, was inspired to create the Barbie doll. During Handler’s time in Germany, she discovered the Lili doll. This specific doll was intended for adult males, due to the doll’s wardrobe. Typically, the Lili doll was dressed in lingerie or swimsuits, portraying the image of a sexy young woman. After Handler learned about the Lili doll, she began to realize that her daughters did not have a doll that was not a baby figure. She believed the toy industry was training young women for what was customary, being a mom. Through Handler’s realization, the Barbie brand was created, in an attempt to change the toy business.

    Read More

  • Canadian ad culture

    2169 Words  | 5 Pages

    The paper will display the philosophy or reason behind their advertising, as well as the structure of their industry. The audience and the jobs and training that take place will also be examined to better understand the Canadian advertising industry. The external environmental factors such as technology, language, and the economy will also affect the advertising industry. This issue should be addressed to understand the importance of international competition and how it can affect or even control an industry.

    Read More

  • Barbie: Independent Woman or Damaging American Icon?

    2457 Words  | 5 Pages

    I myself am still the owner of 10-12 well-worn Barbie dolls. They are the outcome of much begging and pleading with my parents and their many unsuccessful attempts at getting me to stop sucking my thumb. Barbie was fascinating to me because she was a woman, not a baby like my other dolls. My sister and I spent hours creating complex "grown-up" scenarios with Barbie and her counterparts. Although I have fond memories of those afternoons of make-believe, I am now a more consciences adult aware of Barbie's shortcomings as such a powerful cultural icon. Although some people would call Barbie a feminist due to her multiple careers and her independent, fun-loving personality, I now see that Barbie’s unrealistic body size, her association with consumerism, and her potent sexuality make her a negative and harmful American icon.

    Read More

  • Case Analysis: Predicting Diffusion

    563 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are 4 innovative products that are to be introduced into the market by budding entrepreneurs and small companies.

    Read More

  • Barbie and Women

    1256 Words  | 3 Pages

    Barbie has transformed herself from a simple doll to a household name worldwide. From first being introduced in early nineteen fifty-nine by toy manufacturing giant, Mattel, Barbie has grown to become the world’s top selling doll on the market – “accounting for half of Mattel’s $1.4 billion in sales” (Rogers). Known for her long, shapely legs, small waist, full chest, and charismatic smile, Barbie has become the epitome of beauty. However, Barbie’s appeal does not just stop at her looks. With nearly every imaginable career, lifestyle, and look of the doll mass marketed by Mattel, Barbie has evolved herself into one of the most successful and commendable image presented. The dolls has seamlessly accomp...

    Read More

  • Barbie: Her Intentions and Her Impact

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ruth Handler, the creator of the Barbie doll conceived the idea of creating a doll after a family trip to Europe where she discovered an adult doll that was a German sex toy. Once she returned to the United States she made a discovery in regards to the toys of young girls saying as quote” I saw these little girls playing grown up and knew that the only dolls available on the market were baby dolls where the child is limited to playing mommy, or toddler or companion dolls where the child is limited to playing with a girlfriend; there was no adult doll with which a child could truly dream her dreams in the early fifties” (Piche). Hence the Barbie doll made its debut through her company Mattel in March of 1959 it not only revolutionized the way women thought of themselves but caused controversy because it did not directly encourage domesticity. When Barbie made her debut in 1959, “she wore a black-and-white striped one-piece bathing suit, black heels, white sunglasses and too much eyeliner

    Read More

  • Marketing Strategies of an Ice Cream Firm

    6747 Words  | 14 Pages

    How to Position the Product in Relation to Other Products – Where to sell/to whom do you sell? The Right Marketing Mix – Is the product right? , Is it sold in the right market? right places? , At the right price?, Is the product promoted in the right places?

    Read More

  • Barbie: Feminism's Best Friend or Worst Enemy

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    As Barbie became a household word, the mindset of mothers in America was changing ...

    Read More

  • Marketing Assignment: Charles & Keith Footwear

    1061 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...enture into overseas market comes with expectations as well as uncertainties due to unfamiliarity. Charles and Keith, the fashion retailer, has to understand clearly that what appeals in one market might not be accepted in the others and this is almost the same for all industries. Thus, a thorough research on cultural background has to be done before entering an unfamiliar ground.

    Read More

  • Barbie As A Role Model

    734 Words  | 2 Pages

    Barbie was created in 1959 by Ruth Handler. Ruth stumbled upon the idea while watching her daughter, Barbara, act out real life situations with her dolls. Ruth suggested the idea of an adult sized doll to her husband the co-founder of Mattel Toy Company. Her husband wasn’t thrilled with the idea and didn’t approve. In the late fifties and sixties it was very unusual for dolls to have breasts, most dolls then were infants or children, in fact research was done and came with the results that Barbie wouldn’t sell because she had breasts. However, that didn’t stop Ruth, while on a trip in Germany, she found a doll named “Bild Lilli”. She bought one back to the states with her and changed a few things about her and presented Barbie. There wasn’t a doll on the market that had the figure of a real woman, until Barbie. She was created for the same reason any other toy was created, to be played with, but over the years she has been the center of a steaming controversy, whether she is a fitting role model for girls. A role model is often imitated. Her make-up and outfits are chic, “but some girls may interpret these outfits as a sign that you need to look a certain way in order to be allowed to step into roles previously held only by men” (Lee 53). When Barbie was first released many mother’s refused to buy the beloved Barbie’s for their daughter’s, they would sought out to buy them Barbie’s younger sister Skipper, who lacked Barbie’s wom...

    Read More

  • Barbie

    1732 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since the beginning of time, toys have often been an indicator of the way a society behaves, and how they interact with their children. For example, in ancient Greece, artifacts recovered there testify that children were simply not given toys to play with as in the modern world. The cruel ritual of leaving a sick child on a hillside for dead, seems to indicate a lack of attention to the young (Lord 16). The same is true of today’s society. As you can see with the number of toy stores in our society, we find toys of great value to our lives and enjoy giving them to children as gifts. Ask just about any young girl what she wants for Christmas and you’ll undoubtedly get the same answer: “A Barbie.” But what exactly has caused this baby boomer Barbie craze, and how did the entire world get so caught up in it? The answer lies in Ruth Handler’s vision for the first children’s adult doll. Mrs. Handler’s eleven and one-half-inch chunk of plastic began causing problems even before it’s public debut in 1959, yet has managed to become one of America’s favorite dolls.

    Read More

  • Barbie the Teenage Fashion Doll

    1215 Words  | 3 Pages

    The idea of Barbie came about when a woman named Ruth Handler was watching her daughter play with dolls. In the 1950’s, girls of all ages only had paper or cardboard dolls to play with and preferred to play with cut outs of teenagers and adult dolls. So, Ruth Handler thought to make The Teenage Fashion Doll for older girls, as a three dimensional doll, called Barbie, named after her daughter Barbara (Heppermann 2010). However, Mrs. Handler met resistance when she went to her husband with the idea, and he didn’t think her idea would work out. When they travelled to Germany, she found a doll called Bild Lilli. This doll was a strong-minded individual that would use all at her disposal to get what she wanted. Bild Lilli was adult-bodied; which represented exactly what Handler had in mind for Barbie. In 1959, Barbie made her debut at the American International Toy Fair. This was the start of a new revolution, as far as dolls were concerned because for the first time, dolls did not only consist of paper and cardboard dolls, but also a more realistic, three dimensional doll that resembles what girls would want to be like, and can physically hold. But, like many toys, Barbie’s fame was not without its challenges.

    Read More

More about Product Localization Case Study

Open Document