The doll wars have turned over a new leaf, with Barbie and her chief rival, Bratz, taking their brawl to the social networking arena, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Mattel, which makes Barbie, has seen an erosion in market share from MGA Entertainment's Bratz line over the past six years. But an early move into the social networking space has put the upstart on the defensive.

Three months ago, Mattel launched Barbiegirls.com, a social network built around the popular girls' toy. In that time, Mattel says it has built a network of more than 3 million users. MGA, which only now has launched Be-Bratz.com will likely face stiff competition in building its digital momentum.

While the Barbie site is free to join, users can only access the Bratz social network if they buy a special USB-equipped doll priced at $29.99.

With the pressure to use digital media to better connect users with brands heating up, companies are turning to branded social networks as a solution. In June, Coca-Cola launched Sprite Yard, a branded mobile social network aimed at connecting Sprite drinkers around the world.