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S928

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I saw this report and found it to be fascinating, so I'll pass it along. Anyone heard of Bratz? Or Barbie?

Isaac Larian came to the U.S. from Iran and started his own toy company. Now, his company is extremely successful and his competition is not so happy. Listen to him talk; he truly embodies the entrepreneur spirit! Bravo for him. Then, listen to his competitor's
reaction - talk about denial and years of complacency. So, the question is: who's laughing now? Go, Isaac!


:boxing_smiley:


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xxbJejTbuI"]YouTube - CNBC Special Report: It's War -- Bratz vs. Barbie[/ame]
 
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andviv

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Thanks for sharing.
I'd never buy a Bratz doll to my daughter, but hey, the guy is doing great, so good for him. Barbie? hmmm maybe. I am thinking of buying them a Cashflow for kids instead :D
 

AroundTheWorld

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Thanks for sharing.
I'd never buy a Bratz doll to my daughter, but hey, the guy is doing great, so good for him. Barbie? hmmm maybe. I am thinking of buying them a Cashflow for kids instead :D

Kudos to you. ;)

Also - scrap all the toys you find at wal-mart..... go for the pots, pans out of your kitchen cupboard and and some wooden spoons. wood blocks to stack, some knitting needles, and some great read aloud books. (uh.... no on the barbie too!) ;)

Okay.... hijack over.

Seriously though..... the guy has a great story - kudos to him, but for me personally this does highlight a "different" topic...

stewarship, social responsibility, your higher purpose, "make meaning" as Kawasaki says in Art of the Start (the book I'm currently reading)... what ever you want to call it.... is important.

You have to do something you feel good about. Your financial path needs to be in allignment with your values. I'm not saying he should not feel good about what he is doing - just that it would not work for me personally.

I used to own a business that was not in allignment with some of my values. It was fine for a while - the business served it's purpose. After years though - I had had enough. Sold the business (there were other reasons for selling as well) and I'm much happier because of it.
 

FT1

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I really don't see what the problem is with the Bratz dolls. Hip hop cloths, bling, and all that stuff is a reality to some kids... it's "what's in" and that's no different than any other generation of young kids being attracted to the "in" thing.

I give the guy credit for understanding that not all little girls look like or relate to Barbie. I also found the Mattel executive's statements about Barbies "values" to be a joke. Some could argue Barbie stands for the skinny flawless blonde image of beauty that very few women can live up to, and as a parent, I don't wan't my daughter buying into that either.

Anyway, what I respect is the guy came here at 17, started as a dishwasher and built his fortune.
 
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Z5 FILMS

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That guy from Mattel looked angry about being questioned on why they are getting their butt kicked by the Brats dolls and unhappy about the fact that Barbie has stiff competition.

Mattel obviously became complacent with Barbie.

A good old underdog story.

I LOVE IT!
 

MJ DeMarco

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In my book I mention that there are fastlanes going thru the ghetto as well as the nice neighborhoods ... some might classify "Brats" as a fastlane thru the ghetto.
 

MJ DeMarco

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Shooting for XMAS Season, if not, early 08.
 

MJ DeMarco

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An expert in body language will tell you that the Mattel Exec in this video is obviously uncomfortable and doesn't believe what he is saying.
 

S928

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Apparently some people have issues with this man's products. Honestly, I don't see what the problem is. His products aren't unethical, they're a fact of life. Folks, societies evolve ... we all know that. He saw a need, and acted upon it. Good for him - he's a smart man.
 
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Poudda

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And don't forget. He at first thought that the dolls were ugly. It was his daughter that turned him on to them, if she hadn't liked them, they never would have come to fruition. It's about knowing what your market wants.
 

WheelsRCool

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Wow that was an awesome story. I was reading that about 60% or so of MGA Entertainment's revenue comes from the Bratz line alone, but that since the total revenues of the company are around $2 billion, the other 30% - 40% still represent hundreds of millions of dollars!

What's also cool is that is a privately-held company.

I agree with the founder, if a toy influences your kids that much, you havent' been parenting correctly. Same as the people who blame their kids's behavior on videogames or rap music.

One thing I wonder is, are Bratz just a fad though, or do dolls like that last a long time? Because if they represent such a big portion of revenue for the company, they have to make sure they keep them popular.
 

MJ DeMarco

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Wow that was an awesome story. I was reading that about 60% or so of MGA Entertainment's revenue comes from the Bratz line alone, but that since the total revenues of the company are around $2 billion, the other 30% - 40% still represent hundreds of millions of dollars!

What's also cool is that is a privately-held company.

I agree with the founder, if a toy influences your kids that much, you havent' been parenting correctly. Same as the people who blame their kids's behavior on videogames or rap music.

One thing I wonder is, are Bratz just a fad though, or do dolls like that last a long time? Because if they represent such a big portion of revenue for the company, they have to make sure they keep them popular.

I imagine the doll would change as do the times.
 
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nomadjanet

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Why are the dolls heads so big? I don't have a problem with the gansta clothes or the bling or whatever but why do they have Huge Heads?:confused:
Seriously good on him that he found a need & filled it just lets hope there is not another lead paint scandal coming up behind this story. :)
 

S928

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Big heads are a part of the attraction, kinda like the Cabbage Patch Kids. You have to think like a child a la outside the box.
 

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