One man responsible for having facilitated Mattel Inc.’s plunge into the digital age made an appearance on campus last Thursday.
Chuck Scothon, General Manager of Mattel Digital Network and Senior Vice President of Digital Play, spoke on the ninth floor of the Vaughn Center to address students on marketing techniques for the modern world.
Scothon spoke from his experience in his current positions and previous high-level positions held at corporations such as Fisher-Price, including the triumphs and challenges faced by corporations trying to excel in a changing world.
In particular, he stressed that while the tastes of consumers have remained constant, the vehicles for their tastes have undergone a dramatic transition.
“People still love the same brands,” Scothon said. “But people aren’t going to go out and buy a doll. Those days are over.”
Scothon, a creator of Barbiegirls.com, gave the audience a taste of the intricacies of marketing and consumer psychology.
He illustrated the necessity of understanding one’s target audience, through examples from his booming Barbie Girls and Hot Wheels platforms.
“Girls tend to want to interact and connect with friends,” he said, referring to the differing format of the two websites. “Boys just want to compete and let the world know how ‘bad’ they are.”
On screen, he pulled up both websites for the audience and demonstrated how a simple matter of presentation can be beneficial to website’s popularity.
“We try to make our audience feel like they’re entering a world by clicking on our link,” Scothon explained.
Underlying Scothon’s many points was the theme of the dramatic marketing upheavals ushered in by the present digital age.
He made it clear that social exchange is fast outstripping advertising in product promotion.
The best way to benefit from this tremendous resource, he said, is to engage in digital projects for consumer interaction.
“We have to figure out how play is evolving,” Scothon said. “Through digital projects, we can tap in to the kid in each of us.”
Scothon, who traveled from Mattel headquarters in California to visit UT, said he was happy to share his experiences.
“It’s fun to get away from the office, do something different and share what we’ve learned.”
