Subject:
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Re: FOTD, or maybe FOTW?... Plus some dark-ages theories
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Fri, 25 May 2001 00:30:47 GMT
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Viewed:
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2083 times
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Way to go, Shiri!
This sort of realistic, creative feedback is exactly what LEGO needs to
hear. Because of the way this story came about, it shows a real-world
example of the feelings folks have for their LEGO toys. I think you should
print this out as a letter and mail it on to TLC also.
Matt
In lugnet.lego.direct, Shiri Dori writes:
> I think I'll take you up on that, right now actually. ;-)
>
> (I am not expecting a reply from anyone, so this fits in dear-lego, but I
> still hope someone will be listening. Anyway, FUTs to dear-lego.)
>
> Dear LEGO, and dear LEGO Direct reps.:
>
> To introduce myself, my name is Shiri Dori, and I am almost 17. I have
> always loved LEGO, as far as I can remember myself. At various points of my
> life I played with it less, or was ashamed to admit my hobby, but I never
> really put it aside or sold it.
>
> Right now I am active in lugnet and the LEGO community (as you may or may
> not know). I have heard about many people's experiences, how they got into
> lego, how they got out of LEGO, and how they got in again.
>
> In the past week or so I've been advertising around my high-school, in
> Newton, Mass, offering to buy used LEGO. I put up ads asking for LEGO, and also
> asked anyone in my classes, my teachers, all the people I know, and anyone I
> happened to see during my free classes and lunch, if they were interested in
> selling LEGO to me. I must've talked to anywhere from 150 to 200 kids. I
> handed out my phone number to at least 30-40 people, etc., and asked my
> friends to tell their friends. A *lot* of people said they have too much
> sentimental value, others said they have little siblings, or they moved and
> left the LEGO behind, or gave it away... you get the picture.
>
> But an absolutely overwhelming amount of people said they still play with
> them... I estimate that about a quarter to a fifth of the people I asked
> said that either they, or their teenage/adult children, still actively
> played with LEGO or where "obssessed" with LEGO. I was really amazed by how
> many teenagers (these are kids about 14-18) said that they *love* their LEGO
> and still play with it.
>
> My theory is - the LEGO Company doesn't take care of its audience as they
> grow up. TLC would be well off to stop putting ages on the boxes,
> *especially* cutting off the boxes at twelve. Kids get the "aren't you too
> old?" comment once they pass 12 and so TLC loses its chance to keep an
> audience that would,
> oncreasingly, be able to pay for sets from their own pocket. Instead of
> pampering these kids with bigger, more challanging sets, that aren't limited
> in age (1), or rather are *targeted and marketed towards* early teens. If
> they create a market image that LEGO is cool - that LEGO isn't just for
> "kids" - people will be a lot more inclined, and less ashamed, to continue
> their childhood hobby. The teens who just now start making their own money
> can start buying things on their own... and as time goes by they will be
> able to afford more and more sets, letting the hobby become an addiction,
> and that can only be a good thing for the company...
>
> All I can thing of is the Driver's Ed. video I just watched the other night
> - talking about how alcohol and beer companies create a popular image for
> their drinks, that attracts young or heavy users. The video also showed how
> they rely on heavy drinkers for most of their income (one of the factoids
> was: 10% of the drinkers purchase about 50% of the alcohol manufactured in
> the U.S.). Not to bash anyone at all here, I'm just suggesting that by
> encouraging heavy buyers you will increase your profit much more than by
> trying to recruit more customers and then sending them away, a few years
> later. And certainly, LEGO addiction is a lot less harmful than alcohol
> addiction! (IMHO!)
>
> These are obviously simply suggestions. But I think they would benefit your
> company, and many individuals who lose out on the fun.
>
> Good luck,
> -Shiri
>
> P.S. a lot of this is c&p'd and edited from my post:
> http://news.lugnet.com/general/?n=30506
>
> (1) The 6-99 age "restriction" on the HP computer game is a good start, I'll
> say. But definitely *just* a start.
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