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That is just it Kevin, nobody at Lego got any sense. They just responded to
the one and only thing that corporate robots instantly respond to. The loss
of money, especially on the scale that Lego did last year, is a powerful
thing. It will likely take a much bigger loss than 2003 for them to change
back this color fiasco.
Greg
"Kevin Salm" <kdsalm@dreamscape.com> wrote in message
news:Ht7EvH.u6B@lugnet.com...
> In lugnet.lego, Mark Rideout wrote:
> > In lugnet.lego, Adrian Egli wrote:
> > > In lugnet.events.brickfest, Kevin Salm wrote:
> > >
> > > Maybe public events are what we need to do most.
> > >
> > > As you said, LEGO is doing a rather poor job getting word out to the • public of
> > > this color change. I have told many of my cousin's kids if they buy a • new set
> > > with grey bricks it might not match what they have.
> > >
> > > Events give us AFOLs who do these shows the opportunity to tell the • public of
> > > this screw up. Right now, it appears only those who are on LUGNET and • similar
> > > sites are making our opinions expressed to LEGO. But as for that kid • looking at
> > > the sets in a Target, TRU, wherever, he has no clue of this color • change. At
> > > events or stores we can tell those kids (or better yet their parents!) • what they
> > > will get if they buy that new set.
> > >
> > > Someone has to educate the consumer and if it's not LEGO or us, who • will it be??
> > >
> > > Adr.
> >
> > This is actually a very valid point. We can make our own "marketing" • campaign
> > at any public display. We (as AFOLs) can raise the issue that Lego has
> > created. Be as negative as you want to be.
>
> ~~snip~~
>
> It is NOT my intention or goal to be negative. TLC does NOT need my help • to
> ruin their brand image. They have proven they can do it all by • themselves.
>
> As evidence, TLC threw out a perfectly good 25-year old trademark when • they
> stopped using the name DUPLO for their preschool products. The name • Explore, as
> someone else pointed on on Lugnet several weeks ago, sounds like a program • on
> your computer, not a building toy by Lego. I will never understand the
> marketing 'genius' behind that ill-fated decision. Someone should be • taken out
> back and shot to the death for that one, IMO.
>
> __Kevin Salm__
>
>
> PS. I am happy to report that the latest batch of packaging for Explore
> products is now dual-branded. The Duplo name and logo have proudly • returned.
> Finally, someone at TLC got some sense!
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In lugnet.lego, Gregory Muri wrote:
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That is just it Kevin, nobody at Lego got any sense. They just responded to
the one and only thing that corporate robots instantly respond to. The loss
of money, especially on the scale that Lego did last year, is a powerful
thing. It will likely take a much bigger loss than 2003 for them to change
back this color fiasco.
Greg
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See... I disagree with you on this point. The poor sales of 2004 will have
nothing to do with color change. We, the AFOLs may cease buying because of this
fact, but that is a drop in the bucket of problems, a mere 5% loss in a world of
hurt for TLG.
To h@#$ with the color change, let’s say it never happened. OK, now look at the
product lines for what they are. They’re action figures. There is no building
or creativity.
The New Castle (Big Figs): Galidor Redux.
(OK, so maybe not as bad as Galidor, but still a far cry from LEGO’s core
values)
The New Castle (Minifig): Can You Say Playing Our Children For Imbeciles?
Make & Create - Creator: Closest to Core Value We Have
Make & Create - Designer: Nothing But Specialized Bits and Bobs
(To me, these sets are equivalent to selling an older bucket with nothing but
Antennae and Radar Dishes; wonderful for the collector, wonderful for flashy
factor, horrid for creativity without basic bricks to augment)
Make & Create - Technical Wonders: A Beast Slain
(This is the carcass of what LEGO Technic used to be. Not a studded beam in
sight, not a Technic trademark look at all.)
Racers: The This-Theme-Should-Have-Been-Killed-Long-Ago Theme
(Again, great for a collector adding to a collection, horrid for a child just
starting one. I also have a big question about the K’nex construction of the RC
Cars.)
Alpha Team - Arctic: The Award Winner for Closest to LEGO Core Values
(The transformations really show what LEGO is about: Transience and Change)
Spiderman: Dumbing Down The License and Tossing Bones
(compare the lamppost and hydrant in 4853 with last year’s models. Complexity
wise, they are down the tubes. Add to this the 4+ sets based on a movie rated
PG-13 and a decidedly realistically violent comic. “Train Rescue” is a bone to
say that Train is still alive in Town, other than Potter.)
Bionicle: Et Tu, Technic.
(Bionicle, IMHO, was the rifle blast that killed traditional Technic, and the
new sets are just the final nails in the coffins.
Color Change Aside, TLG can’t blame this years losses on 5% of the market. When
they lose this next year, the blood isn’t on the Color R&D Workers’ hands, but
rather the Set Designers and Management who have killed the brand’s creativity
by failing to CHALLENGE today’s children, instead, feeding them cookie cutter
fads and nothing else.
The color revert will never occur. There are far bigger problems at hand.
-John Rudy
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In lugnet.lego, John M. Rudy wrote:
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In lugnet.lego, Gregory Muri wrote:
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That is just it Kevin, nobody at Lego got any sense. They just responded to
the one and only thing that corporate robots instantly respond to. The loss
of money, especially on the scale that Lego did last year, is a powerful
thing. It will likely take a much bigger loss than 2003 for them to change
back this color fiasco.
Greg
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See... I disagree with you on this point. The poor sales of 2004 will have
nothing to do with color change. We, the AFOLs may cease buying because of
this fact, but that is a drop in the bucket of problems, a mere 5% loss in a
world of hurt for TLG.
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a few idle remarks from the peanut gallery
Many (most ?) AFOLs buy at clearance. Because certain AFOLs stop buying at
clearance, doesn’t mean that the stuff will just sit there and go unsold
forever. Some clearanced stuff moves back up the food chain to EB, some to BL,
and some to places like flea markets. That one destination decides to boycott,
will have little or no effect on the parent 2-years hence trying to find that
discontinued (and needed) set which WM, KM, TRU, Target (et al) have dumped to
clearance. They will buy *that* set because the kid wants it. The stuff will
still most likely percolate thru the food chain, just that AFOLs won’t be taking
so much from the ‘clearance’ buffet. (and we are 6-12-18 months from when the
new colors actually make it to clearance.)
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To h@#$ with the color change, let’s say it never happened. OK, now look at
the product lines for what they are. They’re action figures. There is no
building or creativity.
The New Castle (Big Figs): Galidor Redux.
(OK, so maybe not as bad as Galidor, but still a far cry from LEGO’s core
values)
The New Castle (Minifig): Can You Say Playing Our Children For Imbeciles?
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I still prefer the term ‘Castleonicle’. Bionicle has won the battle for hearts
of minds of many of the primary target audience, now TLC is trying to work the
same magic with Castle. It may be heresy to some, but it may be a smart move to
others.
Ray
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