Fisher-Price Game Plan: Pursue Toy Sales in Developing Markets†

Wall Street Journal, May 29, 2008 — In developing a line of talking toys aimed at children in China, engineers at Fisher-Price had to struggle to perfect the Mandarin "Sh" sound, which involves a soft hiss that was difficult to encode on sound-data chips embedded in the toys.

Developers finally solved the problem of recording the phrase "It's learning time!" in Mandarin, but new challenges are ahead. (Listen to the phrase.) The company will soon be examining the LCD screens on learning toys to determine whether Chinese characters can be displayed clearly.

Getting such details right is increasingly important as Fisher-Price and its parent company, Mattel Inc., try to attract more customers overseas.

Barbie Gets Another Accessory: An MP3 Player and More Stuff on Her Web Site

A new doll hitting retail shelves is familiar in many ways, but this Barbie is a roundabout way of charging for online content.

New York Times, July 24, 2007 — First, Barbie had Ken. Now, Barbie has a docking station.

A new doll hitting retail shelves this week is familiar in many ways — she’s got outfits galore — but she also has some unusual features: this Barbie, who is smaller and less shapely than her standard namesake, functions as an MP3 music player.

branding bloopers and blunders

CNN, March 8, 2005 — Barbie split with Ken two days before Valentine's Day. Smart and savvy marketing or just stupid?