Mattel's brand is not exempt from being on our list of the

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10 marketing mistakes made by large companies
MC DONALD'S
One of Mexico's attractions is its cuisine, comprised of diverse dishes, including the iconic tamales. It was in 2015, right in the middle of Candlemas (the traditional day for eating tamales), that McDonald's launched a campaign inviting Mexicans to ditch the tamales and eat their McBurritos. It was a fatal mistake to mess with Mexican cuisine.

"Tamales are a thing of the past" and the image of a burrito were the words that introduced the campaign on Facebook. Users on the network and Twitter immediately began reposting it and making comments like, "How dare you insult a beautiful tradition? I'd rather eat tamales than your horrible food."

Public outrage and anger prompted McDonald's to react within hours of the launch; the 99 acres database account published the following statement:

"At McDonald's, we respect the traditions and beliefs of all the countries where we have the opportunity to work. We include local dishes on our menu with the sole objective of highlighting the values ​​and culture of each country (…) We apologize to anyone we may have offended with this post. I will withdraw the campaign as soon as possible."

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MATTEL

In 2009, Mattel focused on the Eastern market and opened its first store in Shanghai, where the star product was Barbie (the most famous doll since its launch in 1959), as it had been accepted by more than 150 countries.

However, the strategy they used was not adequate. According to subsequent feedback, some of the reasons why Barbie's introduction to the market failed were that...

Not everyone in the Asian market was familiar with Barbie, unlike the Latin market. The store didn't have a parking lot, and the store's purpose wasn't clear until the user visited and walked through it. Pink neon signs were placed outside the spot, which the average market associated with adult venues. Additionally, the doll was seen as sexy rather than generating admiration and female empowerment. After two years, the store finally closed.

It is clear that the company did not properly study its market and did not achieve the acceptance and sales it had hoped for.