International Seminar
Brand Communities and Tribal Marketing

Final Assignment

Barbie Case

Mariem NOUAR & Julie BOMETON

1. Can we consider that there is a Barbie community? If not, how can Mattel create a community around the Barbie doll?

There are two Barbie communities: Barbie girls and Barbie collector. These two communities don’t have the same targets, the same rules, the same rituals and don’t use the same means of communication (we will see them in a second part).

The Barbie girls community is for young girls from 7 to 12 years old worldwide. This community is essentially made, in a first time on the internet. Girls can, with the permission of their parents, create an account on the website of Barbie.

To belong to this community and to be allowed to be a member of it, they have rules to respect. But these are general rules that we can find on many websites: have the parent’s permission, follow the rules of the website, be at least 18 years old, don’t use your real name in your screen name, never tell anyone your password or personal info, never ask anyone for her password or personal info, always be nice to others, report or block someone who is misbehaving.

More than rules, the website give them tips: make new friends, make best friends, have a Barbie Chat with anyone, have a Barbie Chat with best friends, find your friends online. Be a member of this community gives them privileges because they can have information on new or on future dolls or derivate products before the rest of the population. On this website they can do shopping for their dolls and sometimes buy products we don’t find in other places. When you belong to the community, you can play online with the others. There are other activities just for members: you can create your own personage, you can decorate the bedroom of Barbie, you can watch videos and print lyrics and sing the song with the music… With all these games you can win gifts. For instance, two young