MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS [MARK302]

TEST: The Barbie movie case study

DECLARATION
 I am familiar with the University’s policy on plagiarism.
 I have checked this work to ensure that it contains no instances of plagiarism, and have submitted it to Turnitin.
 Where the work of others has been relied upon, it has been duly acknowledged and clearly referenced.
 I have submitted the identical document to Turnitin.
 I am aware that submitting AI-generated work as my own work constitutes plagiarism.
SURNAME FIRST NAME STUDENT NUMBER SIGNATURE
(can be typed)

QUESTION MAXIMUM AWARDED COMMENTS

(also see comments on following pages)
Q1 – Marcom description
35

Q2 – Marcom evaluation
35

Q3 – Recommendations
10

UP course completion
20
certificate
TOTAL
[100]

LESS: PENALTIES (IF ANY)

FINAL MARK AFTER PENALTIES

INSTRUCTIONS:
 Answer all questions.
 Type your responses into this template.
 Submit by uploading your completed template to Learn (Word document preferred).
 Also submit your Turnitin receipt/report (PDF) and your Understanding Plagiarism certificate of
completion (PDF).
 Ensure that your student number appears as part of the file name for all three files.
 Keep backup copies of all submitted files.
 The deadline for submission is Thursday 31 August, by 23h59.

Describe the marketing communications campaign for the Barbie movie.
Suggested length: approximately 2 pages
ELEMENT/TOOL
(Van Heerden et al., Ch1)
Advertising
Personal selling
Sales promotion
Public relations & publicity
Sponsorship
Direct marketing
Digital communication
MAJOR ADVERTISING
MEDIA
(Van Heerden et al., Ch4)
Broadcast
QUESTION 1
MARKETING COMMUNICATION MIX
USED? IF YES, PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE (description) OF HOW THE ELEMENT
(Yes/No) WAS USED IN THE CAMPAIGN & EVIDENCE OF THIS (a ref/link to
the source). Do not copy and paste any images into this document.
Yes The campaign made heavy use of advertising throughout
different platforms, including print media, social media, and
television. TV ads featured scenes from the film, highlighting
its storyline and announcing its debut. Anxiety and excitement
were also increased by social media posts and online adverts.
Yes Barbie had press releases where they were able to communicate
with their audience about the movie and what to expect. They also
did a tour for the barbie dreamhouse in Malibu for fans to see it.
Yes They were able to promote Barbie through media apps. For
example, they used TikTok and made a poster for everyone to use if
they want to.
Yes Announcements, appearances in the news media, and
publicity in entertainment magazines all served as examples
of public relations strategies. These events created an uproar
regarding the casting, and general effect of the film. To foster
an excellent public perception, Barbie's growth into an
interesting and multifaceted persona was endorsed.
Yes They did collaborations with fashion brands like Cotton on and toy
stores. These collaborations allowed for cross promotion.
No Direct marketing strategies were not used in this campaign such as
direct mail. Which is one of their weaknesses.
Yes Barbie used a lot of social media channels like having behind the
scenes and teaser trailers on YouTube and tv ads.
MEDIA STRATEGY/USE
USED? IF YES, PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE & EVIDENCE
(Yes/No) (as indicated above)
Yes TV ads and radio allowed for the spreading of the teaser
trailers of the movie.
1
Print Yes They used magazines and newspapers which had articles
discussing about the making of the movie and what should
people expect.
Out-of-home No
Interactive Yes They did press media releases for the movie
POE MODEL USED? IF YES, PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE & EVIDENCE
(Lappeman et al., Ch7) (Yes/No) (as indicated above)
Paid media Yes The different advertisements on various platforms like Tv, and
print media.
Owned media Yes They created a website for Barbie which allowed the audience
to have a engagement with the cast.
Earned media Yes Barbie gained a lot of positive views and people sharing posts
about Barbie on their social media which contributed to
earned media.
MESSAGE/CREATIVE STRATEGY
Describe the messaging for the Barbie movie’s marketing communication campaign. What message was
communicated, and how was this done? For example, what message appeals (informational, emotional,
moral, combination) and tactics were used? Provide examples and evidence (as indicated above).

The campaign's messaging focused on adventure and empowerment. The main idea was that Barbie
represents endless opportunities for young kids rather than simply being a doll. Advertising properly
integrated factual and appeals to emotion. Barbie's journey of discovery of oneself and experiences
with a range of characters had a personal impact, which supported the film's plot, excellent graphics,
and outstanding teamwork.

Conclusion: To build a complex and engaging campaign that connected with the target audience, the
marketing communications campaign for the Barbie movie used good combination of tools and
methods.

Maximum Mark Comments:

mark: awarded:
35

QUESTION 2
Evaluate the marketing communications campaign for the Barbie movie.

THE MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR BARBIE HAD A LOT OF STRENGTHS SINCE IT BECAME POPULAR
VERY QUICKLY BUT EVEN SO IT HAD ITS ON WEAKNESSES.
Strengths
1.Different communication tools were properly involved into the campaign, from traditional
advertising to the internet. This makes easier to attract and interest a greater number of audiences.

2
2.The commercials had a strong focus on presenting Barbie as a colourful and inspiring character who
is in line with new cultural norms. Parents and kids equally connected with this emphasis, which
increased the movie's popularity.

3. Using collaborations with toy shops, fashion designers, and child's events, the campaign became
more visible, and Barbies' relevancy was strengthened throughout every customer channels.

4. Online platforms were used to share games and behind-the-scenes videos, which increased
customer involvement and created more engagements with the brand.

5.Barbie was able was to influence a lot of people easily on social media apps since everyone was
hype about the movie because of the barbie dreamhouse created.

Weaknesses
1.The campaign required a personal selling quality and might have benefited from direct marketing
techniques such as customized promotions that would have connected with the audience deeper.

2. The campaign made use of a lot of media platforms, it could have tracked social networking and
online conversations from attention to ticket sales to determine the campaign's impact.

3. Its typical thin-waisted and blond image has drawn major criticism for encouraging unrealistic body
expectations as well as harming children's self-esteem, even as it seeks to encourage kids to imagine
themselves as politicians or something else.

4.Although Barbie had a lot of activities done after the release of the movie, they didn’t improve
much on engagement sustainability.

Maximum Mark Comments:

mark: awarded:
35

QUESTION 3
Provide recommendations for the marketing communications campaign for the Barbie movie.

Recommendations

3
1.Use influencers or celebrities – Nowadays anything involving celebrities or influencers can be easily
spread or known. For example, Using Nicki Minaj to promote the movie since she is known for being
barbie and wearing a lot of pink clothes and because she has a lot of fans who could do anything that
she does.

2. Target audience – Barbie should be able to appeal to everyone whether its adults, young children,
or boys since everyone has the idea that Barbie is only for girls because of the colour pink. Even
though they mostly want to attract females since they are the ones who grew up playing with barbie.
They should target their audience they but also think of the other audience.

3.User generated content- They should allow the audience to share their own posters or filters
created for Barbie.

4.They should engage with their fans before the release of the movie. They can have a Q&A with the
cast about they felt about the movie, give the audience an additional trailer to the one they have or
show some behind the scenes footage.

5.They can also associate Barbie with some charity cases that would be good for the brand reputation
and helping around as much as they can.

Maximum Mark Comments:

mark: awarded:
10

4
Completion of the Understanding Plagiarism online short course.

Submit your certificate of completion to Learn as a separate file.

Maximum Mark Comments:

mark: awarded:
20

REFERENCES