Barbie: An Icon in A Diverse World

Karim Amadeo Why is it vital that multicultural marketing goes beyond representationMatt Brutocao Representation is table stakes in todayamp8217s marketing world and without an accompanying multicultural strategy youamp8217re missing out on so many opportunities to build your brand and grow your business True multicultural marketing works toward making sure your marketing message both reaches the most diverse audience possible and crucially resonates with themAmadeo Barbies represent over 35 skin tones 94 hairstyles and 9 body types How does Mattel reenergize a legacy brand to reflect today39s worldBrutocao Itamp8217s a neverending mission that began with Barbieamp8217s inception and will continue as long as the brand exists Barbie has always reflected culture and has often inspired it as well and for us that means first and foremost making sure that our product line and content continue to expand representation across not only race and ethnicity but other dimensions as well We have a yearlong approach to diversity and inclusion in our product content franchise levers and outbound marketingA great example is the first Barbie doll with Down syndrome that we released earlier this year in partnership with the National Down Syndrome Society NDSS It was incredibly important to us that the doll not only accurately represented a person with Down syndrome but celebrated the Down syndrome community amp8211 through Barbieamp8217s clothing accessories and packaging At every step of the way we worked closely with a team at NDSS which included individuals with Down syndrome siblings parents and others connected to the Down syndrome community who all provided input into developing this doll On top of this strong foundation we look to partner with individuals and brands across a wide spectrum of culture that align with our values and are additive to our story Our partnership with Warner Bros Pictures and Greta Gerwig on Barbie The Movie is an obvious example but some other recent initiatives include showcasing the legacies of inspiring historical women like Bessie Colman the first Black and Native American female aviator celebrating role model athletes like Naomi Osaka the first Japanese tennis player to win a major title in a singles match and even commemorating iconic fictional characters like SupergirlAmadeo What are the key action steps practices that have helped your company improve the diversity within your marketing departmentBrutocao Barbie is the most diverse doll line in the world and bringing that line to market absolutely requires a diverse marketing department Weamp8217ve found great success making sure that our recruiting efforts reach a wide variety of potential applicants partnering with organizations such as NCRF Hamilton Scholars and STEM Advantage We are also an EVerify company which helps us to recruit and sponsor international students for our corporate internship programs which along with international rotations within the company contribute to more globally diverse brand teams One of my favorite initiatives is Mattelamp8217s Future Leaders in Play FLIP program which provides historically underrepresented students with a multiday immersive experience in which they are introduced to life at Mattel through exposure to multiple business groups technical and soft skills training an alumni speaker series career development workshops and a group project in which they develop a new toy or marketing plan When we are representing an identity in the product line for which we do not have as much representation on the team we work closely with our incredible Mattel Employee Resource Groups that span an array of identities communities and allies These groups partner together to host cultural events forge connections and influence our product developmentAmadeo What do you see as the greatest opportunity for multicultural marketers And what are the missed opportunitiesBrutocao Itamp8217s a time of great change and that means great opportunity Keep listening and keep trying new things Itamp8217s a missed opportunity not to test and learn multiple ideas on a small scale before putting significant investment behind the ones with the best ROI and impactAmadeo What one thing can multicultural marketers do to increase the impact of their marketingBrutocao This may sound simple but remaining utterly true to your brand multiplies the effectiveness of your marketing and by the same token straying from your brand dilutes it significantly Consumers can tell consciously or subconsciously when marketing is inauthentic to a brand and some multicultural marketing initiatives can fall into this trap Find the strategy that aligns with your brand values vs emulating what another brand has done successfullyPosted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership selfpublishing platformClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not 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Barbie: An Icon in A Diverse World

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John Wolfe

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