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In lugnet.color, Greg Hyland wrote:
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Have you ever watched a child (10 and under) play with LEGO? Quite often the
brick size and shape is way more important than the colour. Take a look at
the “kid creations” in the LEGO Magazine. Things are made of all different
colours put together. Most kids are never going to have huge quanities of
bricks all in one colour, although I’m sure they wish they did, but they
don’t let this stop them.
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Actually, I 100% agree with you there (and did before I posted) - and the LEGO
magazines I’ve seen for 10+ yrs proves your point. I agree that brick size and
shape are MUCH more important (and hinted at that in the letter, so it didn’t
appear we were hyper-ventilating about the color change, even though we are
dismayed)
In addition, I thought I read in one of the LEGO books that LEGO themselves
believe that the color is not important/primary to these young builders - who
are the target audience. (I thought I had this book, but apparently not. IIRC it
was near the picture of some person in a tribal African hut playing with some
Lego bricks, and there was some other pictures of children’s models with
haphazard color schemes)
This is why I think it has been hard to get LEGO to change the colors back -
Lego doesn’t think color matters that much. I was trying to stretch a different
point on consistency to include color, but I now think I’ve stretched that point
too far, and it doesn’t seem to resonate.
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I don’t think this can be approached in a “your hurting the
kids”/heart-strings kind of way. Bricks fitting together is what matters most
to parents and kids, and the bricks still fit together, so LEGO still “works”
and has stayed the same.
This issue has to be approached as a “we adults are upset and we spend a lot
of money on your product” kind of issue.
-Greg
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Thanks for the feedback, Greg. I debated that point myself. The possible (but
not necessarily a “deal killer”) drawback to your suggestion on going at it from
the upset adult standpoint is that:
1) The adults in question may not be “perceived” to spend enough money on Lego
to really matter enough for the Lego company to switch back.
1a) Sub-note, I’ve read many, but by no means all, of the discussions on LUGNET
trying to estimate the AFOL/LUGNET type influence on total Lego revenue. The
highest realistic one I think I saw was in the 1-5% range, that’s including
whatever influence we have at train shows, etc. I personally estimate it’s less
than 1%. Has anyone made a very persuasive/supportable analysis as to how large
this AFOL/LUGNET segment is?
2) Given 1 and 1a above, we have to find a way to change Lego’s perception so
that our AFOL voice is valued, or else go for the “heart-strings approach”
(which also has it’s own set of problems - many of which you and someone else
have brought up - so I’m abandoning that one)
I’ll try another version with #2 above - going for the AFOL angle. This first
draft was trying to work with a philosophy that Lego may relate to: that is,
kids first - Note, this is the Lego philosophy as “I” understand Lego’s internal
philosophy to be....I’m quite sure many others have keener insight into the Lego
internal philosophy than mine. I’m just trying to frame things to the Lego
Company world-view.
Also, if we can get the % range of our influence, and sell Lego on the rationale
behind it, the letter will have a better chance.
Do you have any other suggestions on “why Lego should care” what the AFOL’s
think about the color change?
Mark
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Color change: **CEO Draft Letter**
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| OK Folks, I know I made a fuss about still whining about the color change after a year, but you folks are now NOT whining, your actually doing something. Yes, I would support and sign that letter. Although I rarely build with gray parts, I do use a (...) (20 years ago, 1-Dec-04, to lugnet.color, lugnet.lego, lugnet.general, FTX)
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