Dolls and New Heritage Doll

Emily Harris is the Vice president of New Heritage Doll Company’s production division. In mid-September of 2010 she was trying to decide on project proposals for the company’s capital budget meeting in October. Of the proposals presented to her, two of them stood out based on their innovation and ability to strengthen the division’s product lines. The first project, Match My Doll Clothing Line Expansion (MMDC), would extend the warm weather products to an all-weather clothing line. The second project, Design your Own Doll (DYOD), would start with a website where customers would choose the doll’s features, color, etc. and then the dolls will be made to order. The

to be the same as the division’s existing business. However, to enter the clothing industry could be a

each channel and the deliveries to each channel. You find that the retail channel accounts for 70%

With constraints on financial and managerial resources, Emily Harris, vice president of New Heritage Doll Company’s production division, has a strong inclination that the capital budget committee will decline to approve both projects.

New Heritage's dolls and accessories were offered under distinct brands with different price points, targeting girls between the ages of 3 and 12 years. The company's baby dolls were generally priced from $15-$30, and were offered to younger girls in earlier stages of development. These dolls typically came with a "birth certificate" and a short personal history. Dolls in the higher-end of this category incorporated technology that produced a limited amount of speech and motion. For the

The new entity could leverage the core competency and brand recognition in respective market segment.

However, the number of items was limited. The proposed expansion would create an “All Seasons Collection” of apparel and gear covering all four season of the year. It would expand the number of matching doll and girl clothing items available

Children’s child play has become a form of an unrealistic world. Although, it is considered for children to begin creating a creative imagination, the mind fascinates children into toys. Some child’s play toys are not ideal for young children, like the one and only “Barbie”. Barbie has become a worldwide toy product for children all over the world, from the North Pole to the South Pole. These dolls have emerged from one ethnicity to another. In Ann DuCille, “Dyes and Dolls: Multicultural Barbie and the Merchandising of Differences” the author talks about the race and gender differences; found in Barbie. She argues; “Is Barbie bad?” her response, was “Barbie is just a piece of plastic” (459). In contrast, this piece of plastic is not just a piece of plastic to young girls; it is much more than that. A piece of plastic that little girls all over the world wish they could be. Even though, it is only a piece of plastic to adults that Barbie significantly means nothing to them. Growing up, I owned a couple of Barbie dolls. The tall, long blond hair, blue-eyed doll was my best friend and my “role model”. I wanted to become exactly like Barbie. As a child, I thought only beautiful people who looked liked Barbie signified beauty. To my little to no knowledge, I soon came to find out no one really looks like Barbie, except people who want to become like Barbie. In my adolescent years, no one taught me Barbie was “unreal”; no one taught me it was just a figure in my imagination.

In Macau the company’s revenue increased from $392.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2008 to $508.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2009.

* We are not looking at which projects may have a positive impact on the company’s other business units. Perhaps one project stimulates the retail of licensing business more than the other.

each channel and the deliveries to each channel. You find that the retail channel accounts for 70%

Many toy companies have now made their dolls diverse because of all of the races in America. They have not just changed people with different skin tones or facial hair but also have changed the amount of genders. This is very important because many religions or people don’t look or want the original blonde barbie. Now people want stuff that will make other people and children feel special about themselves.

Their strategy was about customer service rather than profit or revenue. The growth was built on creating new products for the existing target market.

Its primary objective was, simply put, to become the “most recognized and respected brand in the world.” This objective required most of the

At the beginning the company was considered leader of its industry due to its capacity to customize a store to its neighborhood,