Mattel Analysis The History, Operations, and Structure of Mattel, Inc.

Founded by Ruth and Elliot Handler and Harold ("Matt") Matson in 1945, Mattel, Inc. has grown from its origins as a humble picture-frame manufacturer operated from a garage to become one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of toy products (About Us, 2004). This paper provides an overview of the history, operations and structure of Mattel, Inc. today, followed by a summary of the research in the conclusion.

(hereinafter "Mattel"). The company's portfolio of brands and products are grouped in the following categories:

Mattel. The company's brands in this segment include Barbie (which includes Barbie fashion dolls and accessories); Other Girls Brands (which includes Polly Pocket! And ello); Wheels (which includes Hot Wheels, Matchbox and Tyco R/C vehicles and playsets), and Entertainment (which includes Nickelodeon, Harry Potter, Yu-Gi-Oh!, He-Man and Masters of the Universe, Batman, Justice League, and games and puzzles).

Fisher-Price. These brands include Fisher-Price, Power Wheels, Sesame Street, Little People, Disney preschool and plush, Winnie the Pooh, Rescue Heroes, Barney, See 'N Say, Dora the Explorer, PowerTouch and View-Master.

American Girl. This category of brands include American Girl Today, The American Girls Collection and Bitty Baby (Mattel, 2004)

2.

A brief history of the company's founding and expansion. The Handlers and "Matt" Matson started Mattel as a picture-frame manufacturing concern, but Elliot Handler began using the scraps from this enterprise to make dollhouses. After Matson sold his interests in the company to the Handlers, Mattel is transformed into a toy company that has assumed global proportions today. Perhaps no other single product typifies the Mattel product line than Barbie. Since its introduction in 1958, the doll has become a ubiquitous plaything in the U.S. And around the world. In 1992, Mattel was quoted as having a value of $1.6 billion, and it was suggested that the average American girl owned seven Barbie dolls...

By the turn of the century, American consumer statistics had increased to ten dolls per child, and it was estimated that a Barbie doll was being sold every second (Lord, 1999); today, it is estimated that two Barbie dolls are sold every second (Lord, 2004).
3.

A description of the company's and its subsidiaries products or services. Today, Mattel designs, manufactures and markets a variety of toy products around the world through a network of retailers as well as directly to consumers. According to the Market Guide entry for the company, products marketed by the international segment of Mattel (with the exception of American Girl Brands), are generally identical to those developed and marketed by the company's domestic segment; however, some products are developed or adapted for particular international markets.

4.

Trends in the anticipated takeovers, mergers which they face in the future. Although no mergers or acquisitions were identified in the recent literature, the company continues to identify and capitalize on international opportunities for expansion through culturally specific product lines. In July 2004, Mattel announced that it had secured the exclusive rights to develop and manufacture children's products that are protected by patents and other intellectual property owned by PurpleEyes, SA of France; the patented invention has the potential to be applied to books and 3D products to provide descriptions, educational instruction, sounds, music or other forms of identification for words, pictures or objects (Mattel, Inc.'s Fisher-Price, Inc. Signs Agreement with French Firm, 2004).

5.

The geographical scope of the corporations operations. Mattel's operations in family products design, manufacture, marketing and distribution extend around the world (Mattel, 2004). Headquartered in El Segundo, California, the company maintains offices and facilities in 36 countries and sells its products in more than 150 nations throughout the world. The company's products are sold directly to retailers and wholesalers in Canada and a majority of…