Barbie Makes a Splash Even in the Classroom

THE ROAD TO REVAMPING THE MOST FAMOUS DOLL IN THE WORLD WAS THE TOPIC OF THE TALK WITH MATTEL ITALY'S MARKETING TEAM, ORGANIZED BY THE MARKETING COURSE THAT IS PART OF THE CLEAM PROGRAM. A COMPETITION ENDING ON 6 DECEMBER WAS LAUNCHED DURING THE EVENT

On 9 March 1959, the icon of pop culture called Barbie came to life. Mattel – invited as part of the marketing course led by Professor Sandro Castaldo – talked about what the doll and her world represent for the company, as well as how to deal with its magnitude from a marketing point of view. It was a lengthy lecture aimed at shedding light on the various corporate roles. Anna Laura Siracusa, Marketing Director of Mattel Italy, Valentina Bonacina, Marketing Manager & Category Lead Dolls, and Chiara Bettini, Barbie Brand Manager, spoke to Bachelor of Science in Economics and Management students about managing and innovating such a powerful brand. 

"This year, marketing students will participate in three workshops with companies to hear directly from managers about what some of the main marketing roles are," explained Castaldo. "This first event with Mattel was dedicated to product management. The following events will be dedicated to the roles of communication and distribution." 

Barbie was invented by entrepreneur Ruth Handler, the subject of a recently published paper in ‘Business History’ by Valeria Giacomin (Bocconi University) and Christina Lubinski (Copenhagen Business School). It has been as much a successful toy as it has been a topic of discussion for decades due to the controversy over the doll’s unique and unattainable body type, although – as mentioned during the lecture – diversity and inclusion have always been relevant themes throughout the history of the doll. The work that has been done, particularly in the last decade, has seen the focus shift towards the inspirational role that Barbie can take on (an element also underlined in the recent film directed by Greta Gerwig). Such examples in Italy are the collaboration with Samantha Cristoforetti – to whom a Barbie was dedicated that is still available for sale – and Bebe Vio as an example of a role model, as seen with the launch of initiatives including the Dream Gap Project. This project aims to reduce the gap in perception of young girls’ potential when it comes to their future, also due to adults imposing their self-image on them (one fact above all: girls are three times less likely to receive a science-related toy). 

The testimony of Mattel's representatives also saw the launch of a competition by Lorenzo Pedronetto – Brand Manager & Category Lead Games, Action Figures and Building Sets – and Giulia Oriana, Assistant Brand Manager Games. This competition will require students to envision, communicate and understand how to distribute a special edition of one of two games: Uno and Scrabble. The award ceremony will be held on 6 December. 

by Andrea Celauro
Translated by Rosa Palmieri