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Subject: 
Re: Nicely now. What do you think of the new colors?
Newsgroups: 
lugnet.lego, lugnet.general
Date: 
Mon, 19 Jan 2004 13:15:20 GMT
Viewed: 
116 times
  
Jake, thank you so much for soliciting feedback.

There are a number of aspects to this topic for me, so I will try to be a
succinct as possible:

1. Adding new colors is *always* a good thing.  The reason is simple in that
it spurs new creative possibilities.  This seems very in-line with TLC's
creative play policy.

2. Discontinuing colors is *always* a bad thing.  The reason is simple in
that it hinders creative possibilities.  This seems counter to TLC's
creative play policy.

3. Communication of the change, that is to say the complete lack of
communication, was handled in an extremely poor manner.  There was no
external communications to the media nor to this community, even though
these channels clearly exist.  Furthermore, it seems the reason for this is
that internal communication (again, lack there of) was the real cause for
this.  On the one hand, TLC has extended its hand to the community by trying
to involve us in roadshows, designing sets and even created a department to
help foster these relationships and in one fell swoop, indicates that its
all more or less irrelevant.  Our contributions may be small, even minute,
to TLC, but they are enormous to us.  I do not see how hiding such a
fundamental change promotes our relationship.

4. While it is understood that color is the single easiest (and therefore
least costly) thing to change relating to production modifications, only
TLC's business case was presumably looked at and not those of its millions
of customers.  My business case indicates that I will lose thousands of
dollars over the next 5 years (it will take me at least that long to grow a
comparable grey collection...I have not factored in brown yet).  This year,
the issue is not so big as there is still plenty of supply of the
discontinued colors on hand and the new colors seem to be coming out at a
quick pace.  However, the discontinued colors will no longer evolve (none of
the new pieces produced will ever be in these colors) and, therefore, hinder
my creative possibilities moving forward.  Furthermore, I must now build up
a collection of pieces in the new colors and I will not have the benefit of
using discontinued parts in these colors (which I have in the discontinued
color).  TLC has effectively cut me off from its heritage and the
considerable investment I have made, not just in terms of money, but in
terms compatibility;  Oh yes, the pieces fit together, but I still contend
that they are no longer compatible.

5. The most important aspect of this whole situation is that TLC has taken
something that has withstood the test of time, something that I have always
looked at since I was a child with a sense of comfort and never changing
value and has now proven to me that there is nothing magic about it, that it
is just plastic after all.  I find this inexcusable.

- Joe

"Jake McKee" <jacob.mckee@america.lego.com> wrote in message
news:HrInyA.22B1@lugnet.com...
It's only a couple of weeks in the new year, and it looks like it's going • to be
an interesting 2004!

I have a request, but before I go any further, let me say that personally, • I
understand the concerns surrounding the color changes. I know many of you • think
of me as a marketer here to shill products. I'm an AFOL too with a healthy
collection of light and dark gray, so I can understand your concerns.

As both my duty as the Community Development Manager, and as an AFOL, I'm
interested in helping to make sure that the LEGO Company fully understands • the
issues you have as well. I'm looking for your help to deliver the message. • To be
totally clear, this is me asking in order to have answers ready if and • when my
colleagues ask.

I would ask that you reply to this thread with your thoughts and feelings • about
the color issue, both for and against. One post per person, I would think • would
make sense. I would ask that the debate be restricted to other threads, • and that
all posts be rational, calm, and non-hateful. This will ensure that I can • more
easily pass along the information, and that the message isn't bogged down • in
debate.

Please understand that this is simply a fact/feeling/thought finding • mission,
and does not mean that the decision to change colors is going to be • changed.
Many of you have asked for the latest status information. There is nothing • new
to report at this point. The color change is proceeding as planned, and • sets are
rolling (and have already rolled) off the line with the new colors.

But I know that you don't like this answer, so please use this opportunity • (as
well as continuing to direct complaints and feedback through LEGO Customer
Service) as a way to have your voices heard.

Again, we are not changing the colors back, and from what I know now, we • aren't
considering it. This is an information gathering mission only.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Jake

---¬
Jake McKee¬
Community Development Manager¬
LEGO Community Development
¬



Message is in Reply To:
  Nicely now. What do you think of the new colors?
 
It's only a couple of weeks in the new year, and it looks like it's going to be an interesting 2004! I have a request, but before I go any further, let me say that personally, I understand the concerns surrounding the color changes. I know many of (...) (21 years ago, 15-Jan-04, to lugnet.lego, lugnet.general, FTX) !! 

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