Barbie Case Assignment
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
The objectives of this assignment are:
• Provide the opportunity to critically analyze a current issue by applying your understanding of business concepts and to identify a specific business problem that needs managerial attention.
• Evaluate the effects culture, society and leadership decisions on a firm’s growth strategy
• Evaluate industry shifts and their impact on “iconic” brands
• Understand the process of a firm’s competitive actions, such as responding to global audiences and repositioning attempts
PART 1
Respond to each question thoroughly, keeping in mind the need for clarity, organization, and proper citation of external research. Please incorporate each question into an essay style case analysis. You may use section headings to organize your paper.
Question 1 / Executive Summary
With information gathered from multiple sources and properly cited, provide an
executive summary of Mattel and its iconic Barbie brand. Your summary should include
the firm’s history and evolution, its mission and values, and data from public financial
filings (the Annual Report). (20 points)
Question 2: / Opportunities/Challenges
After reading the case study and developing an understanding of the company, discuss
the main issues and controversies that the Barbie brand faces. What opportunities are
available to Mattel? You should include a discussion of Barbie’s influence on society.
(20 points)
Question 3 / Business Strategies and Ethics:
What is your analysis of Mattel’s repositioning efforts, including its new advertisements
and new products? Provide examples of other firms that offer “gender-biased” products
and describe whether any marketing changes are being made for them. Discuss, in your
opinion, the ethical issues with gender biased products.(20 points)
Question 4 / Recommendations:
What recommendations/approach would you provide to the CEO and/or Chief Marketing
Officer (CMO)? Provide reasons/justifications for your response. (20points)
PART 2
Paper composition: (20 Points)
• Use at least five external sources in addition to the case provided and your
textbook.
• Proper citations using MLA format are required for all sources.
• The paper should be a minimum 1,200-1,500 words, double spaced and in
MLA format.
• A cover page and table of contents is required.
• The introduction is an important part of your assignment. This helps to define
the quality of the assignment in the eyes of the reader. For this assignment,
your introduction must include a background of the main points of the case
and a clear indication of the organization of your paper. The introduction
will consist of one or two paragraphs prior to answering the questions on the
assignment. Remember, the case analysis should be in paragraph style.
• The conclusion of the assignment is your ultimate chance to provide
powerful evidence of your knowledge of the case to the reader. Your
conclusion should at a minimum provide a summary of the main points and
arguments raised in the paper.
