In celebration of Ken's 50th anniversary and the release of Mattel's Sweet Talkin' Ken doll for Valentine's Day, Mattel launched a marketing campaign to reunite its iconic couple, Barbie and Ken. According to the campaign, the couple had a controversial split 7 years before in February 2004. Ken's new year's resolution was to win Barbie back and the campaign relied heavily on social media marketing utilizing social networks like Match.com, Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and YouTube to spread the message. For the campaign, Mattel managed separate social network accounts for both Ken and Barbie across various platforms during the campaign. Fans were encouraged to vote on whether Barbie should "take Ken back" or not. Fans placed their votes on BarbieAndKen.com, which featured a "Love-O-Meter", which gauged the voter's reactions. A special "Together Again" gift set featuring both Barbie and Ken was released afterwards. Part of the campaign also included the presence of the two protagonist on the US based dating site match.com .
Should Barbie take Ken back?
Mattel's initiative was impressive in that it reignited conversation for a brand that many have forgotten as they have grown. The use of contemporary communication mediums really worked well for refreshing the brand. Affiliation for this initiative wasn't strong, since it was simply a voting game, but Barbie fans may have a feeling of nostalgia that helps form a sense of community.
Conversation (?)
This initiative makes others talk a lot about the brand.
Information (?)
This initiative helps me receive and share valuable information with other people.
Advocacy (?)
This initiative makes me talk positively about the brand to others.
Identity (?)
Through this initative I can express a part of myself to others.
Affiliation (?)
Through this initiative, I feel like a member of a community.
Utility (?)
Through this initiative other people can help me get more value from the brand.
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Related
