Group C7

Case analysis: Banning Barbie

Submitted to: Dr. M.R. Suresh

Submitted by:-Group 7,Sec C

Laxmi Narayan nanda 13029
Madhusudan panigrahi 13031
Surbhi rathi 13055
Pratik Bhotika 13102
Rajendra Bansal 13105
Fonal Thakkar 13142
Saniha S Alva 13168

Submitted On:
27-Oct-2014

Table of Contents
1)

Introduction to Barbie Case ............................................................................................................ 2

2)

Stakeholders of Barbie in Iran ......................................................................................................... 2

a)

Barbie Company, Mattle Inc ....................................................................................................... 2

a)

Islamic ideologues: ...................................................................................................................... 2

b)

Host country:............................................................................................................................... 2

c)

Retailers: ..................................................................................................................................... 3

d)

Host government: ....................................................................................................................... 3

3)

Issues ............................................................................................................................................... 3
A.

Imposition of value issues ........................................................................................................... 3

B.

Host country pressure groups..................................................................................................... 3

C.

How much to localize, find alternative ways .............................................................................. 4

D.

Reaction of home country government and home country pressure groups ............................ 4

E.

Should they introduce alternate dolls like Razanne ................................................................... 4

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1) Introduction to Barbie Case

Barbie creates her own corporate monoculture. The message embedded within Barbies
plastic is one of consumerism, seeking to blend the childs innocent state of play with the
desires of global commercialism. Instead of drinking generic soda, Barbie drinks Coca-Cola
Classic. Instead of eating a nameless pizza, Barbie goes to Pizza Hut. In doing so, she sends a
clear message to the dolls child consumer that brands matter.
Varying Value Systems in Iran than that of America
The Barbie is basically from the American Culture, where the doll is considered as individual
identity and has their individual rights. The family system is also not important there.
Whereas in Iran, the conditions are different, the community based system is followed where
the girls are not allowed to roam around freely and are supposed to be in Burkhas. Girls are
not allowed to go out with guys and are supposed to be with girls or the parents in most of the
cities in Iran. Even the dressing sense is also different in both the countries i.e. in America
and Iran.

2) Stakeholders of Barbie in Iran

a) Barbie Company, Mattle Inc Barbie remains a symbol of American girlhood, a
public figure who graces the aisles of toy stores throughout the country and beyond.
With Barbie, Mattel created not just a toy but a cultural icon. Barbies failure in Iran
illustrates the consequences of failing to preserve cultural ideology in the attempt to
market a global brand.
a) Islamic ideologues: The Barbie doll did not succeed in Iran because the toy failed
to encapsulate Iranian normative policy. Barbie, even when dressed in Islamic
clothing and accessories did not achieve its usual levels of mass popularity in Iran,
due to the dolls inability to overcome Islamic norms that repudiate hyper sexualized
and ethno centric western depictions of the female form. Barbies failure to secure
popularity in Iran illustrates an important lesson about the consequences that may
arise when a multinational corporation fails to preserve cultural ideology in an attempt
to market an originally American brand in international venues.
b) Host country: The moral police in Saudi Arabia declared Barbie dolls a threat to
morality and offensive to Islam. Barbie was banned in Saudi Arabia as Saudi Arabias
religious police found the Barbie dolls with their revealing clothes and shameful
postures, accessories, and tools, as a symbol of the decadence of the West. A number
of dolls have been launched for Islamic markets not only to fill the marketing void but
also to offer Muslim girls someone they can relate to. One of the dolls they created for
Islamic market is Sara. The Sara doll covers her body in appropriate clothes and her
personality was created to be loving, humble and respectful of elders. Sara would not
be allowed to have a boyfriend because is not allowed in Islam to have romantic
relationships.

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c) Retailers: Retailers remain unaffected from the cold war between American doll,
Barbie, and pressure groups of host government. They were more concerned with just
selling a doll and not whether it is affecting culture or not
d) Host government: Although government of host country favoured Barbies
presence in Iran, cultural norms embodied in both written legislation and in the
unwritten laws of the Iranian public precluded Mattel from successfully selling
Barbies gendered and ethnocentric values to Iranian female children.
After doing the thorough analysis of the case, we found out that there were some very
important issues that needs to be addressed.

3) Issues:
A.

Imposition of value issues

The Barbie is basically from the American Culture, these dolls are a way for girls to
play out their dreams and fantasies in a way where they can do anything they want. Whether
it is to being a dancer, a teacher, doctor, etc., they can enter the field without any hesitation.
This made it popular in America. The American culture is different and people have freedom
to follow the dreams they want to be in. It does not depend on the family in which they
belong. Even a girl from a highly rich family can go and become a doctor and so does the
dolls. Barbie is also marketed as a glamorous, physically developed teenage fashion model
with a range of fashion accessories. Even the concept of boyfriend is also associated in
American culture. Girls like to have boyfriends, with whom they roam around and have fun.
Even the dolls are also a way for girls to play out their dreams and fantasies in a relevant way
Whereas in Iran, the conditions are different, the community based system is followed
where the girls are not allowed to roam around freely and are supposed to be in Burkhas.
Girls are supposed to be in their homes and their dreams revolve mostly around the places
they visit and people they meet. Therefore, they are restricted even in their dreams and can
dreams. Girls are not allowed to go out with guys and are supposed to be with girls or the
parents in most of the cities in Iran. Even the dressing sense is also different. The girls are
required to wear hijab (Burkha) without which they are not allowed to go out. They should
not met any stranger without the proper hijab.

B.

Host country pressure groups

In many of the Islamic countries, Barbies curvaceous body and revealing garments
are perceived to promote sexuality and promiscuity. Barbie has been criticized for unrealistic
body proportions and for promoting materialism associated with amassing cars, houses, and
clothes. Girls tend to develop an inferiority complex, as they grow up, if they cant look
exactly like Barbie. The desire to attain the physical appearance and lifestyle similar to
Barbie has been termed as Barbie syndrome. Although pre-teen and adolescent females are
more prone to the Barbie syndrome, it is applicable to any age group. And because of this, the
moral police in Saudi Arabia declared Barbie dolls a threat to morality and offensive to Islam.
Barbie was banned in Saudi Arabia as Saudi Arabias religious police found the Barbie dolls
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with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories, and tools, as a symbol of the
decadence of the West.

C.

How much to localize, find alternative ways

In order to sustain and adjust themselves, a number of dolls have been launched for Islamic
markets not only to fill the marketing void but also to offer Muslim girls someone they can
relate to. One of the dolls they created for Islamic market is Sara. The Sara doll covers her
body in appropriate clothes and her personality was created to be loving, humble and
respectful of elders. Sara would not be allowed to have a boyfriend because is not allowed in
Islam to have romantic relationships and so Dara was introduced who was his brother. In
Islam, brothers are present to help their sisters and protect her from other people.
Moreover, most Muslim buyers identify closely with Islamic dolls as one of them rather than
with the stranger Barbie. The doll Razanne, generally show young girls that the hijab (veil) is
a normal part of a womans life. If the girls put scarves on their dolls when they are young,
the parents believe it might be easier to do so for themselves in real life, when their time
comes. Sometimes, it is difficult for girls to put on the hijab. They feel it is the end of their
childhood. Muslim parents often prefer to buy Islamic dolls over Barbie as it expresses their
way of life. Islamic dolls are conceptualized to be the role model for children in Islamic
cultures, representing how most Muslim buyer like their daughters to dress and behave.

D.
Reaction of home country government and home country pressure
groups
According to the group, if the company is able to preserve the local culture and values of the
host country, than the help in the form of subsidies should be provided to the local producers.
As was done by Sara and Leila. They were produced to market and sustain their own home
country culture and stick to their ancestral values. On the other hand Barbie is showing
American culture and value system. Host countrys pressure groups are creating fuzz out of
this resulting host government to forcibly think to promote Sara and Leila.
In every country, doll is the first choice for a baby child and if that doll is showing culture of
their home country and teaching values to the child then nothing can be better than this also
to maintain peace in the country and to promote its culture it would be better for the host
government to give subsidies to the local producers.

E.

Should they introduce alternate dolls like Razanne

According to our group, the company should produce alternate dolls like Razanne. The
company should always follow the culture and traditions the host nation / country is
following. For example, Razanne was created as an alternative to Barbie for American
Muslim girls. Unlike Barbie, Razanne, with her modest dress and a removable hijab
(Burkha), exemplifies the virtues of a proper, young Muslim woman, such as modesty, piety,
and humility. Moreover, the doll is more than a toy. It 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. Razanne doll was launched in various types: fair-

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skinned blonde, olive-skinned with black hair, or black skin and black hair. Her aspirations
represent a modern Muslim woman. And so, it will get a good market in the Arab countries.

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