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In lugnet.lego, Ashley Glennon writes:
> As you might imagine, the lack of time is one of the significant factors
> that hinders our responses. To write a detailed response that caters to
> your needs is quite a complex task. Some of your questions would require
> volumes to answer rather than a short, quick message. Case in point:
> "Juniorization." I can tell you right now that kids have told the Company
> that they have less time to build and want things that are faster to build,
> therefore the Company has created what you call "Juniorized" sets. [The
> very fact that I mentioned this is likely to solicit a mile long response
> which we will not likely be able to respond to(which brings me to the next
> point).]
Mr. Glennon:
Based upon a) the terrific piece count/price ratio of current Megablok sets, and
b) the large amounts of basic bricks in these sets, I'd say that Megablok's
marketing research has led them to the opposite conclusion. It seems that
Megabloks believes that kids want larger sets with a higher content of more
basic pieces, and at more marketable price-points to boot. I realize that I pay
for quality of production, when I purchase Lego sets - Megabloks can't really
touch Lego in that regard, but if I was a kid starting out and wanted a building
toy...who knows? I just might be attracted to that Megabloks battleship...or
the sea-helicopter. I might just be attracted to those heavy substantial boxes
that rattle with bricks...boxes that feel like a brick compared to the air-
filled boxes that Lego offers.
So to return to the original issue: Whose marketing research are we meant to
believe? The test of time and reputation offered by Lego (which is substantial)
or the conclusion of Megablok that agrees quite well with our own experience
(both as children and adults); i.e., that a greater range and color selection of
more versatile bricks is far superior to juniorized playsets that undermine
creativity and imagination? My money is still with Lego, but it just might be
with Megabloks when the SW contract ends.
Finally, I'd like to offer an antecdotal side-note that I believe is pertinent:
I've purchased a fair amount of Lego for 3 children (2 boys and a girl) over the
past couple of years. This 8-year-old girl in particular loves Lego, but she
really
wants sets that allow for a more peaceful kind of play...she doesn't want to
fight, she doesn't want to build weapons or space-ships; she loves to build
houses, and to create family settings, and she craves female figs. Not really
female figs with microphones or wearing some sort of paramilitary/rescue
fatigues - just ordinary people that she can play with. Lately she has turned
to the soccer sets because the figs are just "real people" so to speak. I just
imagine how thrilled this little girl would be if she could play with the Lego
of, say, a dozen years ago. This girl would love villas, and horses with
stables, and campers. I'm not sure what set that I will buy her from the 2001
catalog. Probably nothing. One of the little boys just got a brand new large
Megabloks set - one that is suspiciously similar to the new Mars theme - only,
well, it came out first. His mother who is a non-AFOL-parent bought it for him.
She referred to it as Lego. Did you see his new Lego spaceship? Didn't matter
to her...to the non-Lego person, if it looks like a Lego, it is a Lego.
Megablok just offers a better value in the eyes of many parents who shop for
your main market demographic group - you know, kids. So I ask again - whose
research should we belive? Whose research should I believe when I shop for
these children this Christmas?
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | LEGO is listening! (was...are you listening?)
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| Dear LEGO fans, The LEGO Company IS listening. I have spent some time reading the posts here tonight and you can rest assured that the company is well aware of LUGNET and your concerns, desires and feedback. As some of you have acknowledged, there (...) (24 years ago, 4-Nov-00, to lugnet.lego, lugnet.dear-lego) !!
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