What are your thoughts?
The prediction comes from this long thread @SN8DQMQ or https://www.thelayoff.com/t/SN8DQMQ
11 replies (most recent on top)
Last Poster: "It’s understanding who the MARKET is and what the MARKET wants and how to balance the many needs of the company with the demands and desires of the marketplace."
This is something that Mattel marketing has failed at consistently for the past 5 years as we've completely lost touch with our consumer base and instead of evolving with current trends we stayed the course thinking our "evergreen" properties were untouchable.
That my dear sweetcheeks is not marketing, it's misplaced hubris.
Marketing isnt only about numbers on a paper and you don’t just create revenue streams out of air. It’s understanding who the MARKET is and what the MARKET wants and how to balance the many needs of the company with the demands and desires of the marketplace. that involves creative input in product offering just like any other business! so get OVER it already. Unfortunately some (not all) designers think they can just create whatever they feel like without any regard for the mess that happens downstream when their pile of steaming garbage product is out in the real world. Most are too in the details of their creation and special ego to understand how their product comes off to an average consumer and not to a toy designer. They must teach attitude in that one toy design program that exists. Good luck taking that to another industry where they don’t listen to whining!
Dear Marketing and business people, you have failed in your meetings with the finance people and failed you to create new revenue streams. Do whatever you do best and stay out of other disciplines. If you don’t hit your numbers , take a hike. Accountability is lacking at Mattel in Marketing and finance. Which many have issue with. If our business and revenue is down, why do you need so many of you, take your MBA and “ how to run a company” book and go to Ancestry.com with the talkers and BSers .
@SRqN1W6-3mnl I think you're posting in the wrong thread, nobody said anything denigrating marketing here. As a product designer, my feeling is that any animus towards marketing comes from their tendency to meddle in aspects of they development process that are not their purview. I've never heard anyone complain when a margin target is lowered or marketing helps find more money so an important toy feature doesn't need to be CIPed out. The best teams all work together and each person knows their role and does their best help to make good toys.
I find it funny that designers and engineers think that “ridiculous cost targets” come from their marketing counterparts. You realize they are given to us from finance, who gets them from leadership, who gets them from the board, right? And that our job is to hit the numbers? I’m sure they love that you fuel cross-functional resentment towards marketing, but we’re not the problem. In fact, we’re the ones fighting with every finance person, leader and buyer on your behalf to try and help because we too want the best product. I’d like to see any of you designers try to navigate those situations. We all do our best with the skill set we have, but wake up. the company is the enemy, not each other that they pit us against. Sick of the disrespect
They're not gonna sell until YK pumps it up. Duh. Do your research, YK is connected to folks with deep pockets = cash infusions until earnings return to baseline.
@SRqN1W6-pms The company is running out of cash, its life blood, what about that has you optimistic?
This seems too dire. Barbie is ok. Hot Wheels is stable. FP is better. Why the negativity?
Seems smarter to take severance sooner than later, or you end up in line with every other unsecured debt...
V V V What this guy said. 😓 How long before payroll starts pouncing paychecks?
We have a $500 million bond that’s due in may 2019. And we are paying 7% interests on the $1 billion bond raised last year. Based on 2017 financials, we paid over $100 million in interests. This year will be higher due to the $1B. There’s a $250 million bond that’s due this year. If you do the math, there’s not enough money. Q1 2019 looks bleak.