Stardoll moves into “real world” with Mattel
Stardoll, the online teen-girl community, wants to expand into fashion, retail and beauty products as it looks to exploit the potential of its brand offline.
The website has just signed a multi-year deal with Barbie maker Mattel to launch a branded product range that will launch in 2011.
Chris Seth, general manager of the Stardoll Network says the deal is a signal of the network’s ambitions to build an offline presence and extend its reach.
He says: “There is clear potential for the brand beyond toys to expand the brand values of Stardoll into the real world in fashion, retail and beauty. We’re at the beginning and very serious about innovating around our core product. Brand partnerships are a big part of the future of Stardoll.”
Stardoll, which claims to be the world’s largest website for teen and tween girls, also wants to extend its reach beyond the core tween/teen audience and build its relevance with older girls.
“Developing a range of quality products in partnership with fashion and lifestyle brands is a natural way to develop a long-term relationship with our existing audience as they grow up,” says Seth.
The Stardoll Network acts as a platform for brands to engage online with the target audience and includes entertainment and fashion site Stardoll.com, blogging network Piczo.com, and PaperDollHeaven.com, which offers online gaming for younger girls.
It launched in 2006 and has 92 million registered users globally. It reaches more than 15 million unique users per month.
