Fulla Dolls: The Alternative Barbie

Fulla, the Muslim doll, is now thought to be the best-selling girl's toy in the Arab
world, two years after she first came on the market, displacing her Western rival,
Barbie, in shops across her native Levant. With thick black hair and large dark eyes,
Fulla is the physical antithesis of Mattel's blonde, empty-eyed icon of Western
consumerism.

Compared with Barbie's improbably pneumatic curves and lanky legs, Fulla's assets
are modest, and never officially on display. Although she is marketed with a range of
funky clothes, furniture, jewellery and grooming equipment, to avoid offending
Muslim modesty, she has no swimwear. And when she steps outdoors, she hides
beneath a white hijab scarf and modest ankle-length coat, or even an all-enveloping
black abaya cloak. Like the little girls who play with her, Fulla must learn to lead a
double life.

The rise of Fulla, who is skilfully marketed by her Syrian creators, New Boy Toys, has
aroused mixed feelings across the Middle East. Many Arab parents are happy to see
a local girl take on and defeat the might of Western myth-making. But some worry
that Barbie, with her independent lifestyle and wide range of jobs, is giving way to a
new role model who hides her hair and figure and - judging from the slick adverts on
Arabic satellite TV - has little to do but shop, hang out with her friends, Yasmeen
(suspiciously blonde) and Nadia (a coppery redhead), or pray on her optional prayer
mat.

As for romantic prospects, Fulla has no male friends at all, "though she might have
angry brothers", as one joke has it. Fulla's role in shaping expectations is
undoubtedly a selling point for some conservative Muslim parents. "Fulla is one of us
but Barbie is still a stranger", says Mohammed al-Sabbagh, a manager at Space
Toon, Damascus's leading toy store". Fulla is my sister, my wife, my mother. She
comes from the same culture. The other thing for me, as a parent, is about what I
want for my child. Barbie has a boyfriend and a bikini and so on, which is not our
style in the Middle East".

Space Toon has recently been running a special promotion: buy one "outdoor" Fulla
and get two cartons of Fulla spreadable processed cheese. New Boy's Western-style
aspirational TV advertising has created a profitable buzz among little girls across the
region, who - like their Western counterparts - compete to be first in the playground
with the latest spin-off product. In Saudi Arabia, animated commercials display
Fulla's life, such as showing the doll reciting her morning Fajr, baking a cake to
surprise her friend, or reading a book at bedtime. Abidin says that these scenes are
"designed to convey Fulla's values" and show what behaviour Fulla is promoting.
Often, her commercials begin with her singing in a high voice in Arabic: "She will
soon be by my side, and I can tell her my deepest secrets". Another series of
commercials advertises her to be family-orientated, showing a group of Syrian
actresses displaying Fulla silverware, stationery, and accessories. Fulla's commercials
often promote modest outfits, such as one which warned, "When you take Fulla out
of the house, don't forget her new spring abaya.

For the vast majority, questions of religion and modesty play no conscious role in
their choice of toy. Yasmin Bakr, 7, who comes from a liberal, non-hijab-wearing
family in the Palestinian town of Ramallah, has Barbie and Fulla dolls. But if she had
to choose between them, she would hold on to Fulla. "Because she's nice. She looks
nice, everything. I like her face so much".

Both dolls are of very similar size and construction, and some are even
manufactured by the same subcontractor in China. So successful is the Fulla range,
selling more than 1.3 million dolls at about $20 each, that it has already spawned a
Chinese knock-off, Fulah, sold in near identical packaging.

a) Explain how Fulla Doll develop an effective brand positioning? Provide

evidence from the case to support your answer.

In lesson 5, we learn that A company's brand positioning specifies where it occupies in customers'
thoughts conceptually and how it differentiates itself from competitors. And steps to position the
brand are as follows:

Firstly, to establish a brand or everything connected to the target market

Secondly, to build a customer-focused value proposition
Thirdly, ensure enough points of parity (POP) and points of difference (POD)

Based on the above knowledge, we can analyze Fulla’s strategies to position the brand.

Fulla’s target marking is Muslim people in the Arab world. Its concept is to provide kinds of toy
which is suitable for Muslim kids. Its value proposition focuses on capturing the Muslim market
and presenting a toy that is more suitable for Muslim kids.

The POD of it are as follows:

A range of funky clothes, furniture, jewelry, and grooming equipment

The POD of it are as follows:

Compared with Barbie's improbably pneumatic curves and lanky legs, Fulla's assets are modest,
and never officially on display.

A range of funky clothes, furniture, jewelry, and grooming equipment, but no swimwear.
hides beneath a white hijab scarf and modest ankle-length coat, or even an all-enveloping black
abaya cloak.

b) Discuss how Fulla Doll positions its brand in Middle-Eastern

countries, whether through a structured approach or through an

unstructured approach. Provide pieces of evidence from the case.

c) Explain how Fulla Doll communicates its brand value to

everyone especially its customers in the Middle-Eastern countries.

Provide pieces of evidence from the case to support your answer.

Fulla Doll communicates its brand value to young girls and their parents worldwide, but especially
so in middle eastern cultures. Fulla appeals to all girls by encouraging wholesome family values
shared by all cultures. She especially identifies with the Muslim values of modesty and a
conservative lifestyle. Her physical features closely match the appearance of most Muslim girls in
the region. Her clothing styles are consistent with the requirements of the Muslim culture
including the hijab and the fully covered styles of clothing. (Swimwear is not a clothing option.)
Her physical features match most Muslim girls’ eyes and hair coloring. Also, Fula’s body is more
modest than Barbie’s and much less sexually suggestive than her western counterpart. Fulla Doll
offers the perfect alternative to the western Barbie that conforms to Muslim society's expectations
for a young girl while offering the girls a perfectly acceptable substitute.
d) Discuss whether Fulla Doll’s segmentation strategy is too

selective. Why and why not? Explain your answer.

I do not think Fulla Doll’s segmentation strategy is too selective. I would argue the segmentation
is quite broad. While it’s true that the doll is marketed primarily to Arab girls in the middle east
(and this is quite a large market segment in itself–there are a lot of girls in this region) and the toy
has been a great success for New Boy Toys, there are girls worldwide whose families would be
attracted to the physical appearance and features of the doll, particularly the choice of modest
clothing styles. Muslims are spread throughout the world. In addition, there are plenty of non-
Muslim parents who would most likely welcome the less sexually suggestive and unrealistic
appearance of Barbie and her friends (including Ken!) Also, in many markets outside the middle
east, there are quite a number of boys these days who choose to play with dolls and are
encouraged to do so by their parents. So, if we consider the global aspects of the demand for such
a toy it is reasonable to conclude that the market segmentation is correct.