Mattel (MAT) Focused on Returning Glamour to Barbie Brand -WSJ

An article published in the Wall Street Journal this morning highlights recent initiatives at Mattel (NYSE: MAT) which have management focused on returning the shine to the company's Barbie brand. The restructuring, which comes just ahead of Barbie's 50th birthday next year, is supposedly being aimed at making-over Barbie's marketing tactics. In short, Mattel execs have indicated that the main goal of the campaign is to return Barbie to her trend-setting ways.

The planned proposal is receiving much attention as the Barbie franchise has always been an anchor of Mattel's business, but the doll has been losing her appeal recently (sales were flat or down in 5 of the last 7 years). Still, according to data in the WSJ article, Mattel's Barbie segment is expected to bring in about $1.2 billion in sales next year, making up about one-fifth of the company's worldwide sales.

Among the numerous restructuring steps discussed in the WSJ article, here are a few that stuck-out:

• Mattel will change the way Barbie is photographed for ads
  
• management has chosen a single Barbie logo which appears to be the doll's scripted signature
  
• focus on regaining appeal with tweens
  
• Mattel has consolidated Barbie operations into one branch of Mattel, rather than spread across the entire company, and
  
• will remain focused on maintaining solid international sales, where the company believes it can also market to adults who appreciate the brand's "kitsch factor".

Shares of Mattel are now trading in positive territory after opening today's abbreviated holiday session in the red. The stock most recently traded at $15.20, up 0.33% from yesterday's closing price.

Mattel, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of various toy products worldwide.

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