Hispanic Mom’s celebrating Barbie’s 50th Birthday.

A new study by Knowledge Networks highlights the dramatic variations in product ownership, attitudes and actions that can exist between Hispanics from Spanish-and English-dominant households, and between these groups and the general population. Conducted near the 50th anniversary of Mattel’s iconic Barbie doll, the survey shows that Hispanic Moms living in Spanish-dominant homes are much more likely to view Barbie as being “best” for their daughters, and for girls like theirs.

The study – which covered both Barbie and the competing Bratz dolls from MGA Entertainment – shows that ownership of both doll brands is higher in Hispanic households; 77% of Hispanic mothers (with daughters ages 17 or younger living at home) report that their families own a Barbie doll, compared to 65% in the general population. Hispanic ownership of Bratz dolls is more than 50% higher than among the population at large (57% versus 35%).

In terms of attitudes toward Barbie, Hispanic Moms in Spanish-dominant households are:

* 51% more likely to completely or somewhat agree with the statement “Barbie dolls are for little girls like mine,” compared to both Hispanic Moms in English-dominant households and gen-pop mothers (see table below)

* more likely to agree (completely/somewhat) that “Barbie dolls are best for my daughter” (41%, versus 29% for the other two Mom groups)

* almost twice as likely, compared to Moms in the general population, to agree (completely/somewhat) that Barbie is their daughter’s favorite doll (51%, versus 28% gen-pop)

“We cannot underestimate the nuances of marketing to the heterogeneous U.S. Latino population,” said Patricia Graham, Chief Marketing Officer at Knowledge Networks. “English- versus Spanish-dominant environments are just one of dozens of factors that can be associated with widely differing opinions. To really understand this important population requires a commitment to accurate, proven research approaches and a knowledge of the community itself.”

The study was conducted this month in English or Spanish (depending on the Hispanic respondent’s preference) via Knowledge-Panel, the only online panel representative of the entire U.S. population. The general population group consisted of a national sample of moms with daughters 17 years old or younger living at home (includes Hispanics in representative proportion of U.S. population). The Hispanic group was a national sample of self-identified Hispanic moms (age 18+) with daughters 17 years old or younger living at home.

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