Subject:
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Re: End of Year Thoughts
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Thu, 29 Nov 2001 08:03:59 GMT
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Viewed:
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439 times
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> Plougmann states TLC's core product is "materials for open-ended play for
> children." The key part that strikes me is the *open-ended* part. I just
> fail to see how Star Wars sets and Harry Potter themes provide open-ended
> play -certainly not at the level that old Town sets did (I'm just using
> those as examples, I'm certain other past product lines would fit well
> also). The Jurassic Park, Spielburg, and Department 56 contracts seem to
> also lead further from that core spirit.
>
> Cheers,
> -Hendo
In the Danish TV News this week they said, that TLC's financial performance
for 2001 was saved by the tremendous succes of the Harry Potter sets.
I think the issue for TLC is timing - if Adventurers had been out ten years
earlier (at the time of the Indy-films), if Dino Island had been out a few
years earlier (at the time of Jurassic-films), they would have been
money-makers as well. With the quick shifts of attention in the toy market
(who remembers Pokemon today?), all toy companies are victims of timing.
TLC is a small toy company, internationally seen.
What they have tried to do is shift strategy from a speciality brand in a
former safe niche (but with growing competition from MegaBlocks etc.) to a
much broader line of toys in order to compete with the giants Hasbro and Mattel.
This is of course doomed to fail. Decades ago Michael Porter was the big
economic guru who convinced the international investors community that
specialicing in few strong areas was the way forward. Unfortunately TLC
chose the opposite way.
As a Dane I'm hurt by the decreasing quality of one of our Nations prides -
Lego. As a business economist I'm shocked by the decreasing quality of
management in what could otherwise be a financial healthy company.
Moans and tears from Copenhagen - Arne
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Message has 1 Reply:
 | | Re: End of Year Thoughts
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| "Arne Lykke Nielsen" <arln@wanadoo.dk> wrote in message news:GnJyEn.K8@lugnet.com... (...) It would be interesting to know to what extent they were 'saved by Harry Potter'. For example, would they have made another loss without HP? What lines were (...) (23 years ago, 29-Nov-01, to lugnet.general)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | End of Year Thoughts
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| Hi all, Okay I am about to ramble endlessly again. Everything I am about to spout forth is indeed my own uneducated opinion. Feel free to educate me on any points that are off-base (just do it nicely, pretty please)... Also, forgive me if .general (...) (23 years ago, 28-Nov-01, to lugnet.general) !
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