Mattel - Internal Strengths

Internal Strengths

• Mattel, Inc. is the world’s largest toy company. Their products are sold in more than 150 nations and they have offices in over 36 countries. Mattel’s name and products are instantly recognizable and well known which gives them a competitive edge.

• Mattel is famous for owning the Barbie top girls brands. This has established them at the forefront of the toy industry. They have consistently dominated the toy industry because Barbie is Mattel flagship and number one seller.

• The company is well established and has brand loyalty. Their core products have been around for over 40 years and have changed with the times. Old and young can relate to the products.

• Mattel distributes its products to different stores like Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us in different areas. These are major stores in every state throughout the U.S and give Mattel a great advantage.

• The marketing team at Mattel is stellar and continually come up with ways to attract consumers.

• Mattel was granted the highly sought-after licensing agreement for products for products related to Harry Potter series of books and movies. This is building on their reputation for being trendsetters in the business.

• Trending management team. The management teams are aware of the changing times and have faced their challenges head on to stay on top of the game and maintain their consistency and reputation.

Internal Weaknesses

• Mattel flagship Barbie has slipped over the past decades. This is due to the changing lifestyles of young girls. Many young girls are spending time on the internet, listening to music and watching movies. This decreases their popularity.

• Mattel has been embroiled in a bitter intellectual property battle with former employee and MGA entertainment over rights to the Bratz dolls. The legal fees and ramification is demanding to the company brand and market share.

• Mattel’s was awarded “Bad Product” by Consumer International in 2007 due to lead paint issues of Mattel toys. This affected the entire operation of Mattel including the marketing department.

• Mattel overseas manufactures issues have lead to product recall. Despite Mattel’s high standard in quality products, this could damage their reputation.

• Mattel has targeted major stores in distributing their products and are careful with choosing stores as a distributor.

• They have various product recalls of over 21 million toys because of threats to children. As a result, parents have lost trust in the company and will go to their competitors.

External Opportunities

• Due to the expansion of the electronic age and huge blockbuster movies, Mattel has secured itself in the market. They are able to