[ press Release ]
IT'S BARBIE'S 50TH BIRTHDAY, AND HISPANIC MOMS ARE LIKELY CELEBRATING MORE THAN THE GENERAL POPULATION
Mothers in Spanish-dominant homes are over 50% more likely to say Barbie is "for little girls like mine"
Menlo Park, CA; March 4, 2009: A new study by Knowledge Networks highlights the dramatic variations in product ownership, attitudes and actions that can exist between Hispanics from Spanish-and English-dominant households, and between these groups and the general population. Conducted near the 50th anniversary of Mattel's iconic Barbie doll, the survey shows that Hispanic Moms living in Spanish-dominant homes are much more likely to view Barbie as being "best" for their daughters, and for girls like theirs.
The study – which covered both Barbie® and the competing Bratz™ dolls from MGA Entertainment – shows that ownership of both doll brands is higher in Hispanic households; 77% of Hispanic mothers (with daughters ages 17 or younger living at home) report that their families own a Barbie® doll, compared to 65% in the general population. Hispanic ownership of Bratz™ dolls is more than 50% higher than among the population at large (57% versus 35%).
In terms of attitudes toward Barbie, Hispanic Moms in Spanish-dominant households are:
- 51% more likely to completely or somewhat agree with the statement "Barbie dolls are for little girls like mine," compared to both Hispanic Moms in English-dominant households and gen-pop mothers (see table below)
- more likely to agree (completely/somewhat) that "Barbie dolls are best for my daughter" (41%, versus 29% for the other two Mom groups)
- almost twice as likely, compared to Moms in the general population, to agree (completely/somewhat) that Barbie is their daughter's favorite doll (51%, versus 28% gen-pop)
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"We cannot underestimate the nuances of marketing to the heterogeneous U.S. Latino population," said Patricia Graham, Chief Marketing Officer at Knowledge Networks. "English- versus Spanish-dominant environments are just one of dozens of factors that can be associated with widely differing opinions. To really understand this important population requires a commitment to accurate, proven research approaches and a knowledge of the community itself."
The study was conducted this month in English or Spanish (depending on the Hispanic respondent's preference) via KnowledgePanel®, the only online panel representative of the entire U.S. population. The general population group consisted of a national sample of moms with daughters 17 years old or younger living at home (includes Hispanics in representative proportion of U.S. population). The Hispanic group was a national sample of self-identified Hispanic moms (age 18+) with daughters 17 years old or younger living at home.
Knowledge Networks specializes in solving complex, high-impact problems, providing extraordinary quality and service to leaders in business, government and academia. We work closely with clients to create healthy consumer-brand connections, effective marketing and advertising, sound public policies, and accurate social science research. We have established respected practices in media, marketing, advertising, and government & academic studies. KN excels in study design, analytics, and custom panel creation; we deliver affordable, statistically valid online research through KnowledgePanel® – the only available probability selected, nationally representative Internet panel.
