Ok, so I have to know, is this "diversity" angle working? Is it driving volume? Does the average mass market buyer or little girl care about man buns and blonde buzzcuts on women? Is this taking oneself much too seriously and what happens when you live in an LA bubble and refuse to step foot in a Walmart (like eew)? Not that there is anything wrong with g-- culture but is it a disconnect with your end consumers? What's next? Transgender Barbie? Barbie appears to be a platform for the personal beliefs of a few people at Mattel not a mass market doll line.
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The Man Bun Ken is proof positive that the leadership as well as the clueless designers are so out of touch with current trends and what kids want that it's pathetic. M-Go is just as clueless as the rest. Bring back Neil!!!
Between this clueless effort and the fact FP gives the lowest margin of any company to it's retailers (and ignores it), we're just walking around with "Kick Me" signs on our backs.
The fact the Barbie team put time and effort into having a line of Ken dolls when research has shown for the past 15 years that girls may buy 10 Barbies, but only 1 Ken. Retailers won't stock a line of Ken dolls - they'll pick one.
This is window dressing and shows that the Barbie team, like other parts of Mattel, doesn't want to address core problems with the line and with management, starting with RD.
The whole Ken news sums up RD's career - style over substance. This reminds me when the Barbie team was trying to get Sales excited about Barbie having posable feet, because she could now wear flats... as if any girl actually keeps the shoes that come with the doll...
Not to worry as the man bun thing will bring MattHell back in black.......not. My bet is that was a RD concept.
Who's idea was this to have man-buns added to a doll?! This fashion trend is SO OVER and yet because it takes Mattel so long to do anything, it's just coming to market now. Ridiculous. You embarrass the company and yourself.
I really don't think this is exciting enough to catapult the share price past $20.04.... yawn