Developing and Managing Products

  Barbie products  can be considerate as the most innovative. The company is always putting into the market new things. Mattel likes to be innovative, we know this because with Barbie they have changed her face through the passing decades and there are Barbie products coming into the market most of the time. A product can be new to anybody who does not know about it, however in the case of Barbie is difficult to find a person who do not know about this doll. Barbie is very popular as cause of the innovation the company always trying to launch new Barbie lines and products. When we see any of those old Barbie commercials it make us think that our mothers play with the dolls, that we played with 
them and that in the future our daughter will collect or play with them, also.

        In 2003-2004 Mattel launched the first wave of Cali Girl. These dolls became the highest selling Barbie doll that have been created. The success was thanked to the new development and design of the doll which catches the attention of the consumers. I still can remember my Cali Barbie and my Cali guy. I wanted to collect all the dolls but I could not do it. I like to remember my childhood because it was a moment of playing, running around and asking mommy or daddy to buy a new Barbie doll. On the other hand, as we know Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. This of making high profits from their products is cause by the new product development process. With this process the company examine the product and the market before the toys are to be launched in the market. For example, Barbie is a doll that have growth through every generation. The doll never fall because is always changing and that what consumers like.

                               THE CHANGE IN BARBIE DOLLS 

        When a Mattel is to make one of those new Barbie lines or products they have to follow first the steps of the new product development process. The first one is the New Product Strategy which lead them to different ideas of the product they creating. The second, is the idea Generation this idea deals more with the need for consumers and customers. Then we have the Idea Screening which is to eliminate ideals that does not help the product. Then, we have the Business Analysis which is when the business is study and where they get calculations of demand, profits, etc. In the development the company make the prototype of the product. Then, we have Test Marketing where the products or the toys are introduced to the market in limited proportions. The last stage is the Commercialization, where the big production, inventory, shipping, etc, start. The production of Barbie would not be possible without following these steps, that why many companies fails.

       Barbie dolls and accessories do not have problem to sell into the big retails or smalls because even when the company follows the process of development they still need to make advertisement and promotion. So, that way the market is targeted and the product be known by the consumers.

Integrated Marketing Communication

    Barbie dolls they are very popular, however, the reason is that Mattel.Inc always integrated marketing communication. This helps the company to coordinate the advertisements, sale management, public relations direct marketing and sales promotions. Thank to this method Mattel base it advertisement strategies on national, sub-cultural  demographic segment. Mattel try to make sure that people knows about their products not only nationally but also internationally. whereas, many companies are facing international advertisement problems, not including Mattel.Inc, which advertise Barbie and other product correctly. There is not a single person who does not know about any new product that Mattel takes out to the market. The reason is that Mattel have advertisement media variations around the world. These Variation in advertisement helps a company a lot. It is very important to target the consumer correctly. For example, Mattel make commercials indifferent languages so that the audience can understand the commercials.

                                       BARBIE OF THE WORLD

     Girls and collector do not care about the look of Barbie at all. This simple dolls have lead to an innumerable series of Barbie merchandise. Barbie is a doll which have cross boundary globally and for those reason Mattel have implemented a big sale promotion nationally and globally. So, that way Barbie have become popular through the passing decades.we can say that by giving so much promotion to a doll make the price of the product to increase. However, this is not the case of Mattel which always accommodate the price of their products. Another, promotional mix that have help Barbie dolls become so popular is the public relation that the company have implemented.They always trying to have good communication with the press and other medias so that way the can communicate message to consumer, general public, etc. I can tell that Barbie have participated in more fashion shows than some top models out there. This technique is also used internationally because Barbie is a doll that crossed different borders.
     Mattel.Inc is a toy company with many goals to accomplish specially with Barbie dolls brand.To achieve these goals they used three strategies which are: informing, persuading and remaining. Most company used this technique to sets goals but Mattel is one of those that always used this steps. First, inform the general public by presenting a Barbie product, it might be in a commercial, blog, webpage, fairs etc. This catch people attention specially consumers and then persuasion can be implemented by making people thing that the product fulfill their needs which is to make a girl play with Barbie. After, the consumer is persuade or not the sales associates or in any commercial or promotion the information is given. When some sale associate try to persuade you and do not succeed their last task is to reminding the people, consumers or general public about where hey can find the product.It also happens with the commercials and other promotion that as a conclusion they mention the stores where the products can be found. On the other hand, this technique is also similar to AIDA concept of marketing, which require that the sale person attract the Attention, create Interest, kindle Desire and take Action. Most company work differently with this concept, however when using AIDA they work very similar because at the end they just want to sell. 
  Barbie is not a complicated doll to sell but today days is becoming difficult to achieve some goals as cause of the competitions and the advances in technologies. These are the only factors that are affecting Barbie sales. However, Barbie still being number one selling with an average of three dolls every two seconds.






                        BARBIE DOLLS SELLING TECHNIQUE

Product Concept

     When people think of Barbie dolls they think that they are tangible products. Tangible goods because they can be used and touched. They can also be an intangible good because they are used to make our girls and collectors happy. When we classify Barbie dolls as a product we can say that they fall on the category of Shopping and Unsought product. It is Shopping and Unsought because the consumer makes the effort to buy it and there are always new things and products coming out which require strong advertising to persuade and get the attention of the consumers. 

         Mattel always try the best they can to satisfy consumers. That is why Barbie have a lot of demands and not only Barbie but  others Mattel's products. In Barbie dolls and accessories we have many items to sells to our consumers. There is a great variety of products that make consumers happy. For example, we have the dolls, the cloths, the house, her boyfriend and friends, and much more. In addition Mattel have clothes for grown little girls and furniture to decor a girl's room as is pleased. Barbie doll have have many item to choose from. The product line of Barbie dolls is very expendable that is why many people become collector of any Barbie lines. For example, the holiday Barbie dolls is one of the most famous. Can you imagine how  many Barbie doll a collector need to collect from the time of the production of this line? is not difficult to calculate 2012 from 1959. There might be around hundreds of Barbie dolls. A Barbie doll line is what give support to Barbie brand because many consumers have many options to choose from. 

      Barbie Brand is one of the most recognizable in the world because everybody know what Barbie is. The name of the doll is used as the brand name and the symbol to represent the product. However, in the case of Barbie many people by just seeing a doll or a picture knows that it is a Barbie doll. In that matter the company does not need to worry because the brand of this doll is very popular. It is difficult to not find somebody that does not know about these dolls.

    Some time people will see in retails worker from Mattel. Inc working in Barbie area. the reason for this is that the company does not want to risk loses of the product. The dolls are well packet and maintained, however, is better if one of the worker know more about the product. That is why the company want to employ a person who have experience with the product, so that he/she might teach the employees of any company about the product. Also they can assist costumer better.Barbie products have to be well packed and labeled so that the dolls or accessories can look well and persuasive. Also, they have to have the instruction in its packet so that the consumers can used them well and do not get harmed. In addition, all Mattel's products have warranties this can certify the quality of the company's product. It is Mattel job to satisfy it consumers and buyers.

                          Barbie Shop at the of America

Sales Promotion and Personal Selling

    The business of Barbie is not an easy business for the reason that dolls are not a necessity; they are more of a luxury or entertainment for girls and collectors. Barbie dolls do not own their own retails, which is the reason for the dolls be easily found in different store as Target, Toys R us and Walt-mart. Promotions in these stores are essentials because they give the opportunity to many consumers to buy the dolls cheaply. Through promotion of products, the company is able to identify their target markets, the promotion of the products have a huge impact on the sales and revenues of the products. In the case of Barbie dolls in order to increase its sales they must employ aggressive advertising since girls and collectors are the target market. Also, they are influenced on what they see on television and if the latest products of Barbie are advertised on television they will most likely ask for their parents or go to buy the doll or accessory in store or online. 

    Barbie dolls and accessories are products which satisfy consumers and for those reason the Mattel is always happy to promote coupons, rebates and premium. These are promotion which can reduce the price of a consumer product or reinforce the decision of consumer buy giving something extra with the product the customer is willing to buy as premium does. Also, we can get from the comfort of our home online sales promotion, people just need to click and buy a product and it will automatically will decrease the product or perhaps it will have the percent off. Mattel always give much in-site product promotion.  Barbie.com is a website designated to promote Barbie's product and accessories. It help consumers to find products in sites or in stores. Also, consumers can have access to many online games and information of new products.

    On the other hand, this is a selling that involves the communication of two people. In this attempt one of the people is influenced by the other. Any time you go to a store you see that sales people or sales associate are waiting for customer to buy their products. These sales people try to convince consumers so that they can get a percent of every sale. However, personal selling have many advantage over the online selling because consumer have the opportunity to see and get information of that product. To obtain a success in personal selling, there are certain steps that need to be follows. These steps are: Generating leads, Qualifying leads, approaching the customer and probing needs, Developing and proposing solutions handling objections, closing the sale and last following up. In the sales of Barbie dolls the retails need to deals with the personal selling because they are the one that have the products in their stores. A part from the retails that sells the dolls and accessories, the company only used personal selling when they sells the product in big number to the retails. Barbie dolls are dolls which sell fast and for that reason they have to manufacture the products.  

Advertising and Public Relations

     Advertising is the most important aspect in marketing a product because the marketers of a company distribute new information of the new products of a company. For example, Mattel Inc. is a big company that sells different toy's brands and for that reason advertisements differ for each toy's brand . In Mattel Inc. the most advertised toys is Barbie. This dolls have gain the tittle of the most advertised dolls of all time. Barbie participate in any event that she is invited. From promotion to fashion shows and commercials. Imagine Barbie dolls started to coming out 1959 in T.V commercials and news papers, nowadays, Barbie dolls are advertised every where from the internet to billboard and from billboard to magazine and even movies. Different forms of advertisements are employed by businesses in order to promote their products. 

   The innovation of product is what have make of Barbie a popular dolls among children and collectors. for example, Mattel is always making commercials and promoting Barbie dolls every where specially in fashion show. Mattel Inc. have worked with various clothes designer as Oscar de la Renta and christian Dior. This idea of using Barbie as a model for designers make a great influence in the sales of Barbie dolls, and the promotion of the designers as well. Also, Mattel  give it target what they wants, for example, they give a dolls which might have the role of a doctor, pilot, nurse, singer, lawyer etc and it inspires girls to persevere in their dream of becoming a professional. Is like persuasion of mind with ethics. In addition, Mattel always spend in commercials ads of Barbie, so that the doll becomes more popular. There is always a new commercials for every type of Barbie and accessories that comes out to the market. 

                  BARBIE FIST COMMERCIAL

    what most important is that Mattel try to not get affected with the changes in generations. For example, we are living in a more technological era and what Mattel does is to create products that are located at every generation standard.Now, we have Barbie movies that entertains our children, Barbie games are in computers and in technological toys. Barbie promotions always change but change to fit in every generation or to target it targets. This make people to not forget this doll and to continuing buying it, whether, is to collect it or to give to a girl so that she can play a grown woman role. Barbie doll does not own a retail, so they are sold in many different retails where prices and specials are promoted. sometime Mattel.Inc give out coupons to buy Barbie dolls at a more cheaper price. 

     WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU PLAY WITH BARBIE!

   This video is the lasted Mattel.Inc launched in the market in January,2012. In it is promoted how girls feels about playing with Barbie dolls and accessories. Also, it is promoting girls clothes and accessories. The girls seems to be happy in a world pink and full of fantasies that only Barbie give to girls.  

                 THE DIAMOND BARBIE DOLL

   
       This Barbie doll is one that dress is decorated with Diamonds. It is called the "Drag Queen Barbie".








      

Retailing

              Barbie dolls are sold in different retails. They do not own a retail of they own. For example, Barbie dolls and accessories are sold nationally and internationally in many different stores, which make the sales of Barbie products easily for costumers to find them. Here, in United State we have stores as Wal-Mart, Target, Toy”R”us, etc that sell Barbie dolls and products. However, there is a retail that have called my attention with the sale of Barbie products and that retail is Macy’s.
                Macy’s is a retailing industry that sells product as clothes, shoes, furniture, jewelry, cosmetic, house ware and much more. There are a lot of Macy’s retails in United State that makes it easy for buyers to get in to the store. However, the most famous of all is the one located in Herald Square, New York. In this retail is difficult to find toys other than First Impression teddy bears and baby dolls in the infant department, which is in the 7th. Although, you can find in the area of little girls, Barbie brand clothes as underwear, Pajamas and t-shirts. Macy’s does not sell toys which I think should be nice to have a toy department, so that customers buy toys as Barbie dolls and accessories.
           I went to visit the Macy’s in Herald Square where I noticed that the workers including the ones that works as sale and support associates, treat customers with amiability. They are always saying, Hi, How are you? Macy’s wants customers to feel comfortable in their retails. Macy's want customers to feel comfortable in their retails.Herald Square Macy's is a big, big store, you never get tire of looking and buying. In addition if you get hungry yo can got to one of the many food establishment they have in the retails, as McDonald,Starbucks, Au Bon Pain, etc. I really like this retail because is near all public transportation and tho organization of the store is splendid! When there is not big sale less people go and the store is very organized and fix. The only thing this retail need is a toy department to sell toys as Barbie dolls.

Consumer Decision Making

when a consumer ask for a girl's toy the first thing that come to mind is a doll. However, which type of doll? there are many but the ideal doll that comes to the mind of a consumer is Barbie.why? Barbie is more than 50 years old in the market and consumer knows that Barbie is not just a simple doll. Barbie has quality and is a durable toy, that makes children dream and think about they future as adults. Also, Barbie is a doll that have change through generation. when thinking of Barbie it makes me think that my mother played with Barbie, and that I want my daughters to play with Barbie too.Consumers always criticize even if a product is good or bad. For that reason exist the consumer decision making process. The good thing is that consumers have many option tto choose from when buying Barbie dolls products. there are big collection of Barbies dolls, DVDs movies, Games, dolls, furniture, accessories and much more.