Quick recap: Most, if not all, of those laid off were from design. Those whom were largely not effected were marketing and senior management. Now, we are partnering with outside 'creative' companies to help us come up with 'creative and innovative' ideas and products. Are you telling me that there's no one inside Mattel that can come up with these ideas? They are looking for innovation and creative ideas outside when we have ideas and talent right here inside the very building they are trying to evacuate. It used to be called the "Design Center". Well, the idea and concept started fading away as it was renamed the "Team Center". No, this is were DESIGN is supposed to happen. The collaboration with these outside company seems like they are doing what we've all feared...doing away with design and have this place be marketing and distribution. Now, "you can design toys and have it made by Mattel". What happened to all the IP stuff they have been jamming down our throats? We need to protect our IP...yet have the average consumer 'design' for us? Meanwhile, we have people leaving the company on their own. Whether to another company or just to get out, there seems to be a person...talented designers...that are walking out the "Team Center" doors. Oh, but our numbers are up. Rumors are the next round is September. Look for more creative and innovation get escorted out the building like criminals...because being creative and innovative is a crime in this company.
7 replies (most recent on top)
My favorite is the guy who quoted Loki. Kudos to my fellow geek brethren.
Mattel has been using outside help for decades. Look at how many of the top toys were inventor items va home grown. This is an extension of it. If you think this is new, you either aren't at Mattel or you work at fP and then have bigger problems.
Agree that the bigger probleM is lack of leadership on marketing driving the bus. The two women who ran Girls and Barbie marketing failed to provide any leadership. In a vacuum, design will come up with lots of ideas but none help if there's not a story of relevance. It doesn't help that the head of Barbie Design would rather spend her time on Barbie Instagram than making her brand relevant to 4-6 year olds. Last time I checked, Instagram isn't for that age range...
what I'm worried is that Barbie has done such a crappy job, and the old head of marketing was a my way or the highway, that all the good people left. A lot of brands don't have any depth on the bench to promote, or people were promoted without leadership skills.
Agreed! Talent-wise, Mattel is at a critical point in its story, just like the first Avengers movie. As Loki said, "Your heroes are scattered and your (design center) falls from the sky." Will Dick Dick save us?
Design-wise, the damage is done. Mattel's talent pool is long gone. Moreover, Alan K (HR VP) has sent a clear message that creatives are an expendable commodity, the first heads on the chopping block. No talented designers will consider a career at Mattel, only desperate, bottom-tier designers. Mattel has shot itself in the foot again, more seriously than ever. You can tell it's Mattel, it's mediocre.
From comment below: "Mattel must rely on innovation to stand any chance of surviving." From original post: "Most, if not all, of those laid off were from design. Those whom were largely not effected were marketing and senior management." Here is the obvious problem, they're not holding on to the talent and innovators. I agree, everyone in design agrees, we need innovation. But, innovation is the first thing to be cost reduced. I am still seeing more SKU's than ever....more SKU's, less people, it is the Mattel way. Stop limiting the creators and innovators.
The real danger is time. Mattel is so huge and ponderous that nothing happens in a timely fashion. None of these changes, good or bad, will have externally visible effects for two years. Stockholders and newly appointed CEOs and COOs will be patting themselves on the back soon for fast tracking all these changes, but toy fair 2017 will be the real measure. With its incredibly ridiculous overhead, Mattel must rely on innovation to stand any chance of surviving. They have no immediately cash problems, but the long term prospects are grim. There hasn't been any significant change at the decision making levels, and the current regime of good old boys doing nothing is going down the same old roads. Mattel could well be the next Radio Shack in 5 years, irrelevant and unfixable. How sad, ending not with a bang, but a whimper.
This is mildly surprising since the intent of global D I guess Mattel decided to subtly fast track it. Don't worry though, its only a matter of time before the frozen$ & Disney princess $ dries up exposing Mattel for the creative vacuum that it is. Not only are the people vapid, but this is mirrored in Mattel’s corporate “strategies”. Trust me people, we are all better off escaping this fraud of a company…value your creativity and take it anywhere else that recognizes how crucial of a role that it plays in becoming a successful company. Jus’ sayin’