Aiming to help young woman discover their ideal career paths, Mattel recently released the winners for its Barbie Business Bursary program and the Barbie Wishes campaign. Both initiatives aimed to help fulfill the dreams -- both professional and personal -- of girls in Canada.
The Barbie Business Bursary was designed to help bring to reality the professional dreams and goals of girls under the age of 18 that showcased entrepreneurial zeal. The panel of judges that selected the finalists for the Barbie Business Bursary included Brand Manager of Mattel Canada Alicia Sumar, CIO Erica Diamond and Trend Hunter's very own President Shelby Walsh. The winners includes Abi Smithson with her shoe line Love Sandal, Faith Guppy with her literature project Books for Kids, Made by Kids and Cassidy Allen with a thrift shopping app.
Keeping with a similar theme, The Barbie Wishes foundation asked Canadians to nominate someone in their life that merited something extra special over the holidays by donating $1 and sharing their nominations on social media.
Business Doll Bursaries
Mattel Reveals Winners of the Barbie Business Bursary and Wish Campaign
Trend Themes
1. Young Female Entrepreneurship - The Barbie Business Bursary program encourages and supports young female entrepreneurs, suggesting that startups supporting young women could yield profits and social good.
2. Personalized Donations - The Barbie Wishes campaign encourages personalized donations for the holidays, indicating the rise of specialized, individualized philanthropy opportunities.
3. Innovative Fashion and Design - The winners of the Barbie Business Bursary program, such as Abi Smithson with her shoe line Love Sandal, indicate opportunities for innovative fashion and design products.
Industry Implications
1. Toy Industry - The success of the Barbie Business Bursary and Barbie Wishes campaigns suggests a viable market in the toy industry for socially minded products.
2. Fashion Industry - The recognition of Abi Smithson's shoe line Love Sandals, among other fashion-related winners, and the intersection of products and social good indicates a shift towards the acceptance and profitability of sustainable fashion practices.
3. Philanthropic Industry - The Barbie Wishes campaign signifies opportunities to offer donations and personalized philanthropy experiences at higher margins, influencing the philanthropic industry as a whole.