The battle for tween girls' attention and allowances is heating up. First, check out this NYT article about Mattel's brand new Barbie "formulation" - this version isn't about how it looks on the outside (this doll appears to be Barbie's less statuesque cousin) but what it has on the inside: technology that connects a young Barbie fan to content galore. Yes she's loaded with games and chat and all the interactive goodies the kids love.
But she also connects you to a groovy website where girls can decorate their rooms, earn "B" bucks to spend on accessories (hello, monetization) and connect with other Barbie fans. (note: it's interesting how the site reassures parents and girls about how safe is, and coaches them on how to protect their privacy, etc. in a very overt way).
The NYT nicely articulates the marketplace insight driving this shift: "While sales of dolls, action figures and outdoor toys are down, electronics sales to children were up 16.6 percent over the last two years as of May, the latest month available from the NPD Group, a research firm that tracks retail trends. The total toy industry’s annual sales were up just 0.8 percent in May, compared with two years ago."
Neopets is apparently getting 10 million visitors a month, clearly something is up here. BarbieGirls.com already has 3 million registered users according to Mattel.
A Disney exec explains how kids view these new toys differently: “Kids look at video content or virtual content as their toys,” said Jessi Dunne, executive vice president of global toys for Disney. “There isn’t a distinction between — ‘That’s a toy’ and ‘That’s an online game.’ ”
So, we're seeing the web used as an extension of the product or perhaps the foundation for the product - the NYT article speculates that in the future, the "in-store" product might be very stripped down, but heavy on drive to web where a smorgasboard of customized add-ons can be purchased.
Not to be outdone are the Bratz dolls (my personal favorite, their urban sassiness is a welcome contrast to Barbie's slightly pornographic sweetness) who are releasing their own social networking site aimed at girls ages eight to 12. The WSJ (reg. req'd; article is cleverly called "Online popularity contest next in Barbie-Bratz brawl") summarizes that site's functionality:
On the Be-Bratz site -- accessible only after purchase of a special $29.99 Bratz doll that comes with a USB key -- users will be able to choose a screen name and their own Bratz "avatar," an online doll that can be dressed and tailored to their tastes. It will be possible to pick a Bratz character such as Yasmin or Sasha, or design one from scratch. Customizable online "rooms" add further diversion, along with the capability to chat online with other users. Participants will be encouraged to "buy" clothes for their avatars in an online store, using virtual currency that can be earned by playing Bratz-branded games online. An online cinema will show promotional clips from the movie "Bratz," set for release on Aug. 3.
It sounds pretty similar to what Barbie is offering and yes indeed it will be interesting to see who wins and how this changes girls' use of the category.
From a marketing and interactive perspective this is pretty cool. But, to echo what we heard parents say in some recent research, what ever happened to fun without a power cord?
The virtual Dream House could never compare to the real "Barbie Dream House" (with working elevator...) - but then again, I didn't have neighbors from across the globe dropping by the virtual penthouse.
Posted by: Lori Magno | July 23, 2007 at 09:33 AM