3. An Islamic doll is a tool for young Muslim girls to learn. The value of things like education and religious
piety instead of focusing on their bodies as the most significant aspect of their lives.
Q1. Explore the secret of Barbie’s success that made it the dream‐toy for girls across the
world
1. Barbie was positioned as the ultimate American girl. She demonstrates girls that they can be
anything they want to be—a princess, a teacher, an Olympic athlete, a doctor
2. Represent varied cultures, regions, and occasions
3. Barbie was marketed as a glamorous, physically developed teenage fashion model with a range
of fashion accessories
4. The concept expanded beyond a doll with story, boyfriend associated with the character
5. A way for girls to play out their dreams and fantasies in a relevant way
Q2. Sensitivity to culture is crucial to success in international markets. Evaluate Barbie’s
product adaptation for different markets?
6. Barbie has adapted very well to different cultures.
7. Indian Barbies flaunt a saree which have been acceptable by people in India
8. Though the story around Barbie has not been modified to make it more socially acceptable
9. Barbie’s product adaptation in case of middle east has been very superficial
10. Although Mattel was able to introduce barbies with traditional dresses of various cultures, but
fine details were missed
11. E.g. Conservative clothes for Islamic nations
12. Barbie might fare well on the grounds of looks of the product but cultural aspirations were not
met. E.g. Use of more traditional and family oriented doll for Islamic nations
13. Stereotyping visible in some cases. E.g. Moroccan Barbie wears a belly dancer’s dress
which is not routine dress
Q3. Barbie has been criticized for its curvaceous, unrealistic body and materialism, leading to
controversies and its ban in some countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Russia to what extent are such
criticism and bans justified?
• Bans are only justified if they have scientific backing. E.g. Barbie syndrome has been well
documented in USA, thus a ban on unrealistic Barbie can be justified. E.g. anorexic practices in
the west by teenage girls trying to imitate Barbie have been found which might be a sound
reason for a ban.
• However, bans due to intolerance towards freedom of expression cannot be justified
Q4. Despite adaptation to represent vast ethnic groups, nationalities, and occasions, Barbie
dolls have been jostled out from the Islamic markets. Identify the key reasons.
14. The story of Barbie being very open and individualistic also deviates from actual lifestyle of
women in the conservative Islamic markets
4. 15. Physical appearance of Barbie is very different from women in these nations. E.g. Skin tone,
body proportions etc. of Barbie are very different form women living there
16. The attire of Barbie also is very different from any girl in those
parts
17. Portrayal of the Middle Eastern Barbie as the stereotype of a belly dancer which doesn’t resonate
with girls there.
18. Accessories of Barbie are also more western and were not adapted for Islamic Nations. E.g.
Clothing of Barbie
Q5. In view of the fast‐growing popularity of Islamic dolls among Muslim customers across
the world, suggest a marketing plan to address the specific needs of the Islamic markets.
Also evaluate the impact of suggested plan on the brand image of Barbie in other markets
1. Detailed and thorough market research
2. Understanding of the cultural values and aspirational values
3. In some conservative nations parents are the sole decision makers, thus they must be targeted and
not the kids themselves
4. Merchandising should be changed as well
5. E.g. different head scarfs, abaya or Persian cat as compared to normal cats found in USA
6. Promotion and positioning must change from an individualistic character to a conservative one
7. Make dolls that resonate with values and portray an Islamic celebrity like Malala
8. The story of Barbie must be changed for Islamic Barbie Dolls
and Barbie must be portrait as conservative, single and family
oriented.