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In lugnet.lego, Mark Rideout wrote:
> 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. Tell kids that their old sets no longer are
> “compatible” with the new sets.
Wow. You mean all of a sudden the bricks stopped fitting together? You mean
all of a sudden the new dark gray can't be used with the old blue, red, and
black? Do the new gray bricks actually REPEL the old gray colors?
Amazing! I didn't know that!
> ... Tell them that they are wasting their money
> buying new sets.
Wow! You mean if they buy a $10 Alpha Team set, it isn't actually worth $10?
Fascinating!
If they buy ANOTHER, $20 World City set, the two together are *ACTUALLY*
*WORTHLESS*, and whatever they buy next year *ACTUALLY* *WILL* *NOT*
*INTERCONNECT* with what they bought this year?
Wow! Incredible revelations abound!
> ... Heck even point people to alternatives vs. buying new sets –
> show them Bricklink as a way that they can buy old gray and brown colors.
Wow! You mean the average buyer in the aisles of Toys R Us - say, for example,
Grandma buying a burthday gift for Johnny - would actually respond positively to
the suggestion of going to website, and buying some nice dog-chewed light grey
(that's CLASSIC LIGHT GRAY (c)2004 ANAL-RETENTIVE LEGO FANS, INC.) 1x2s, in lots
of 50 or more, would be a g-r-r-R-REAT alternative to picking up a nice colorful
World City boxed set for Johnny?
> ... Get
> the message out there! We can even do radio spots like "public service
> announcements" -- maybe even getting on talk radio/TV and let them hear our
> outcry!
NPR is waiting!
> In the manner that we can positively affect kid's opinions, we can just as
> easily put a negative spin on their opinions.
>
> Of course we don’t have to do this.
You mean you *don't* have to lie to Lego consumers? Yay!
No wonder most large companies considers most AFOToys opinions to be worthless.
Turns out they actually are!
Kevin
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In lugnet.lego, Kevin Johnston wrote:
> In lugnet.lego, Mark Rideout wrote:
> > In the manner that we can positively affect kid's opinions, we can just as
> > easily put a negative spin on their opinions.
> >
> > Of course we don’t have to do this.
>
> You mean you *don't* have to lie to Lego consumers? Yay!
>
> No wonder most large companies considers most AFOToys opinions to be worthless.
> Turns out they actually are!
I am so with you on this one Kevin. AFOLs with big collections and intentions of
building very special MOCs are a totally different consumer to the average kid
or parent buying Lego.
A lot of the AFOLs here are annoyed about losing the opportunity to buy more
bricks in some useful colours. That's reasonable.
TLC has made some mistakes in the past. Some of them were "called" accurately by
AFOLs (such as Duplo->Explorer) and others were not (Bionicle). And some sets
which were applauded by AFOLs have probably not been a runaway success for TLC.
This is also reasonable.
Its bordering on reasonable to imagine a flawed focus group process to validate
the new colors.
But its not reasonable to assume that the needs, wants and tastes of a kid or
parent are anything like that of an AFOL.
Kids don't have as many bricks in their collection, so less they have less
"investment" in the old colors.
Kids aren't planning on artistic or accurate MOCs like AFOLs.
Kids may actually like the new brighter colours better.
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In lugnet.lego, Kevin Johnston wrote:
(snip)
Very harsh/sarcastic tone, Kevin(1) but I have to agree with the substance. I do
not like the color change one bit but I don't see myself standing in aisles
telling people not to buy stuff!
The bricks still interlock, people.
We can suggest that LEGO did this wrong, that they should have
researched/marketed/communicated (internally/externally) better... but actively
trying to drive sales to competitors?
That just seems excessively harsh to me. This whole thread seems a bit strident,
actually. Any chance for a bit calmer approach, people?
I have lots more to say about this and other topics but am still trying to dig
out from under. I am going to try to reconstruct from memory the questions and
answers that I lost, unless someone else with better memory does it first...
1 - kinda goes hand in hand with some of the other very harsh tones used by
others in this thread, I guess... so I'm not actually complaining, just
remarking.
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In lugnet.lego, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
>
> Very harsh/sarcastic tone, Kevin(1) but I have to agree with the substance. I do
> not like the color change one bit but I don't see myself standing in aisles
> telling people not to buy stuff!
>
> The bricks still interlock, people.
Having seen the new colours for the first time when I got out here, I have to
agree. Yes, the colours changed. Yes, I would prefer if they had stayed the
same. No, the world has not come to a crashing halt because of it.
Will I buy "new" (post 2003) lego? Yes. Will this affect what I purchase? Not
much, I don't think. Will this affect what I build? No, because I have enough
bricks that it is getting to be excessive for me to purchase more without a
project in mind anyway.
YMMV, but I don't find this the end of the world. I already have several
variant colours in my bins, and don't worry TOO much about it.
James Powell
(and thanks Lar++ for trying to transcribe for those of us who could not attend
BF PDX -we live in a inperfect world, and sometimes stuff happens...)
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In lugnet.lego, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
> In lugnet.lego, Kevin Johnston wrote:
>
> (snip)
>
> Very harsh/sarcastic tone, Kevin(1) but I have to agree with the substance. I do
> not like the color change one bit but I don't see myself standing in aisles
> telling people not to buy stuff!
>
> The bricks still interlock, people.
>
> We can suggest that LEGO did this wrong, that they should have
> researched/marketed/communicated (internally/externally) better... but actively
> trying to drive sales to competitors?
>
> That just seems excessively harsh to me. This whole thread seems a bit strident,
> actually. Any chance for a bit calmer approach, people?
>
> I have lots more to say about this and other topics but am still trying to dig
> out from under. I am going to try to reconstruct from memory the questions and
> answers that I lost, unless someone else with better memory does it first...
>
> 1 - kinda goes hand in hand with some of the other very harsh tones used by
> others in this thread, I guess... so I'm not actually complaining, just
> remarking.
I do not, and have not, in any way, shape, or form, told people not to buy the
new sets. I do not even mention compatability because that is not an issue. I
simply tell them that the colors will not match previously purchased sets and
leave them to their own volition.
I have never mentioned to anyone in the aisles my personal distaste of the new
colors. With the exception of the manager at KB.
Steven Weiser
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