Barbie’s marketing techniques are teaching us how to innovate, adapt and connect with our target audience.
Barbie utilized the power of storytelling before we comprehended its significance. From the start, Barbie always had compelling stories and engaging characters.
Barbie has always been an enjoyable experience for her fans. Even her franchise has left no stone unturned. Sending a strong message to the world to prioritize your customer experience and make them feel valued.
Mattel's Srategy
The million-dollar campaign surrounding the premiere of the movie is worth analyzing. The masterful orchestration of this release has generated a sense of expectation and desire among the fans of the Barbie universe.
Barbie has been making global headlines since the beginning. Production designer Sarah Greenwood stated that the world ran out of pink.
Mattel's Strategy is to expand Barbie's world beyond dolls. (Guess who would have thought Barbie would be playing everyone’s mind in 2023).
Mattel is flooding this season with brand collaborations from Xboxes to Airbnb. His marketing strategy has repositioned him from toymaker to manager of a brand-driven media franchise.
Brand Collaborations
The marketing team has undertaken several collaborations to implement the mere exposure effect.
Burger King
It's impossible to forget Burger King Brazil's pink transformation and the BK Barbie combo with bright pink sauce.
2. London
Not to mention the sparkly pink button landmarks across the city were really Barbie-fied.
3. Formula 1
Barbie and Formula 1 are two disparate worlds, who would have thought of this collaboration? But again, Barbie's marketing genius has stepped into the F1 world. Together with the McLaren F1 team and the rumored Hungarian GP 2023 trophy, they certainly captured the attention of the Motorsport crowd.
4. Airbnb
Team Barbie made the dream of living in Barbie Land a reality by partnering with Airbnb. For a limited time, the oceanfront picture-plastic paradise was made available to vacationers to snag the spot.
The fashion scene is abuzz with Barbie's outfits, which are focused on the iconic pink color. There are a variety of products available, including cosmetics, travel packs, sneakers, backpacks, swimsuits, and Barbie-inspired hoodies.
The late great Zig Ziglar, used to say, “People buy on emotion and justify on logic. Barbie is a metaphor for emotion for Boomers and Millennials.
Responding to criticism
Over time, there have been arguments that Barbie promotes unrealistic and unattainable standards of beauty.
The makers strategically responded to this controversy by introducing the lines in the trailer:
If you love Barbie this movie is for you
If you hate Barbie this movie is for you
Sending a clear message to them that this movie is worth watching, regardless of their views.
Mattel's marketing bombardment resulted in a marketing strategy that was spectacular, innovative, and consistent!!