Subject:
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Re: Juniorization Lives, and comments on marketing strategy
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Sat, 3 Feb 2001 07:19:16 GMT
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Viewed:
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1665 times
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Amen brother! Testify! :-)
Seriously though, I think you hit this one on the head. Lego won these
awards, but didn't they also lose money last year or something? I think I
remember reading something like that before. Weren't they shutting down a
manufacturing plant in the US somewhere also?
Aren't there people actually from Lego that come here to Lugnet, and say
that Lego is listening to us as AFOL? To me, it doesn't seem that way.
People all over Lugnet are screaming to get rid of juniorization, and I
agree. Are they really listening?
And what is this 'creator' fig. I don't even want to call it a minifig,
what is it? A maxi-minifig? What bugs me the most here I think, is that
fact that it appears that Lego is trying to get rid of the minifig. Why?
Is that what they think is the reason for there poor sales recently? Or
could it be the juniorization? Isn't the juniorization supposed to be for
kids with short attention spans? I was in the Lego aisle in a local store
recently, and a kid was with his dad, wanting to buy a Lego set, and
couldn't decide between the 7313 Red Planet protector, and the 7106 Droid
Escape. (There wasn't much on the shelves to begin with, so there wasn't
much to choose from) So as the kid was deciding, he looked at the back of
the Droid escape, and said "It's just a round thing! That's not very fun."
I'm just going to get confused if they try to change something like the
minifig which has been around for how long? Maybe one of the people from
Lego can make an appearance here on Lugnet, and tell us what's going on with
the future of the minifig? I'd sure like to know.
-Adam
In lugnet.dear-lego, Tim Courtney writes:
> Dear LEGO -
> From what we've heard we haven't seen the last of Juniorization. I'm very
> disappointed about the news re: the Jack Stone line. I wasn't too excited about
> the line to begin with (because it isn't my thing), but to hear that its
> Juniorized AND Creator figs makes me cringe.
>
> I've had many a phone conversation with friends who are all passionate about the
> brick, across the spectrum here on LUGNET. In most of these conversations, we
> discuss LEGO's marketing strategy and how it relates to the market, what our
> feelings on good strategies would be, etc.
>
> You know our take as a community on the decline of the product line over the
> past 5 years or so. 2001 looked like a bright light for us, with less
> Juniorization, but the Toy Fair revealings seem to shoot our hopes down.
>
> I feel that for LEGO to survive in the current toy market, it is imperative that
> it remain true to its roots - Only the Best is Good Enough, and making sure
> EVERY piece is compatible in a complete system of play. Juniorization defeats
> the purpose of having a construction toy. DO NOT MARKET IT for your entire
> range of products. If you are to keep Juniorization, keep it in the 4-6 age
> range and after that provide more challenging, stimulating products. Take for
> example the Town of 6+ years ago - it was very well done. I have a Truck Show
> yellow Limited Edition truck on my desk which to me embodies what Town should be
> built like.
>
> Its my strong opinion that kids should rise to the bar of the stimulating system
> of play LEGO provides, instead of LEGO stooping to their level. With the
> latter, the kids do not develop, and they fall further victim to the mindless
> pop culture and video game generation. You can still sell intellectually
> stimulating construction toys to kids and turn a profit, you don't have to make
> your product mediocre to move it.
>
> Pump LEGO in education. You have Dacta already, but how many people know Dacta
> exists, really? Market Dacta on Saturday morning and prime time sitcoms - do
> short segments (similar to NBC's The More You Know) as educational tidbits
> integrating LEGO Dacta products - so the parents and kids know its out there,
> and the teachers are encouraged by it and want to use it in the classroom. The
> parents and the kids will go to the teachers asking about it, and the teachers
> will know what they're talking about.
>
> Pumping Dacta and getting it distributed to a wider range of schools will
> increase LEGO sales across the board. Kids play with LEGO at school so they
> want to play with it at home. The stuff at school is challenging so they are
> challenged to build better models at home. Once kids reach school age, this
> eliminates the percieved 'need' for juniorized models.
>
> Give the kids something they can be creative with - don't rely on all licensing.
> Licensing is good for companies now, but if you rely too heavily on it you lose
> your distinct identity which you claim to want to protect. Balance.
>
> Another good strategy is create products for the older kids which will ensure an
> AFOL market 10, 15, 20 years down the road. You don't want to make products so
> bad that when adults look back on the toy they had when they are kids they don't
> see the possibilities like adults do now. You want the AFOL market because even
> though small, it is substantial. And you want the AFOL market to grow in
> numbers, these are the biggest spenders.
>
> Leave no one out - but keep your product educational and stimulating. Strive to
> bring people to the next level of difficulty product, instead of providing
> ready-made solutions with one-purpose parts - such as that hideous car base for
> Town Jr.
>
> When I read the Children are our Role Models announcement:
> http://news.lugnet.com/lego/announce/?n=27
>
> I became sick. I quote this paragraph:
>
> --
> Within very short time, the LEGO brick has twice been named Toy of the Century.
> Fortune Business Magazine was the first in November 1999; then in January 2000
> came the award from the British Association of Toy Retailers (BATR). We are
> naturally proud of the honour, which imposes on us an obligation to continue to
> do our best in the new millennium to strengthen the famous LEGO brand and to
> stimulate children's imagination, creativity and enthusiasm through play and
> learning.
> --
>
> You market dumbed-down products while claiming to be stimulating kids
> 'imagination, creativity, and enthusiasm through play and learning.' And
> further down...
>
> --
> The basis for all LEGO products and activities is our belief that children and
> their needs must be taken seriously. We see it as our most important task to
> stimulate children's imagination and creativity and to encourage them to
> explore, experience and express their own world - a world without limits.
> --
>
> A world without limits - provided it remains limited by Juniorized products
> which you must market. I'm sorry but I don't see how single-purpose parts
> stimulate imagination. Just how many Juniorized sets can you take and create
> something you see posted on LUGNET with? That's imagination, not pre-fab toys.
> Go back to your roots, the concept is sound and it will not fail you if
> implemented correctly.
>
> --
> We see children as our role models. They are curious, imaginative and creative.
> They embrace discovery and wonder. And they are natural learners. These are
> precious qualities that should be nurtured and stimulated throughout life.
> --
>
> Are you nurturing and stimulating this with a Juniorized product line?
>
> I hope you understand my point. This is only the tip of the iceberg on my
> feelings about LEGO's marketing. One last thing - involve the AFOL community
> more. We're amazed at the involvement you've given us this far, but lets
> increase that. You can get fresh enthusiasm and creativity to enhance your
> ventures in the toy market and in your displays and events worldwide. I'm sure
> that many an AFOL would love to be involved with the company on some level.
> --
>
> Tim Courtney - tim@zacktron.com
>
> http://www.ldraw.org - Centralized LDraw Resources
> http://www.zacktron.com - Zacktron Alliance
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Juniorization Lives, and comments on marketing strategy
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| Dear LEGO - From what we've heard we haven't seen the last of Juniorization. I'm very disappointed about the news re: the Jack Stone line. I wasn't too excited about the line to begin with (because it isn't my thing), but to hear that its Juniorized (...) (23 years ago, 2-Feb-01, to lugnet.dear-lego) !!
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