Subject:
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Re: train windows
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.lego.direct
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Date:
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Mon, 26 Jun 2000 09:20:26 GMT
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Viewed:
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992 times
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In lugnet.lego.direct, Paul Baulch writes:
>
> Brian Lanning wrote in message ...
> >
> > Well, they've asked for train windows. And we can't provide them because
> > (insert reason here). But we have to appease them and give them a train
> > window. Hey, this piece was a window in a train! Give them that! That • way,
> > we can say we gave them a train window.
> >
> > I think it was more like this:
> >
> > What pieces are the moulds already tooled for? Do we have any pieces that • we
> > had to over produce that can be used here? What pieces can we provide so
> > that, if this thing is a flop, we can redirect the pieces into sets and
> > minimize losses? Ok, compare that against what they've asked for, how can • we
> > meet their needs without causing us any problems? Alright, we'll go with • that
> > list for now. Ok, now what do we call these things?
>
>
> More specifically, what name do we call these things that will get some
> mundanes interested in buying them? I mean, what mundane is going to buy
> something called a "thin wall"? What would a mundane do with that? But
> calling it a "train window" gives it a _purpose_. Admittedly, it's a limited
> name to give the part, but then what's the odds that a mundane chose that
> name? ;-)
Who cares about the mundanes?
Target them and LD will be a flop. We're the heavy users. Give us what we want
so we can wow the mundanes, doing free marketing for TLG in the process, and do
it in a way that is:
- low fixed cost
- low variable cost
- gives a good enough return on investment that when you factor in the
qualitative marketing benefits it's a good business decision (it doesn't have
to match the quant best IRR the company can get, it just shouldn't LOSE money).
One way to reduce fixed cost is: no tooling, and no brand new colors.
One way to reduce variable cost is: only from current production and high per
order volume requirements
Another way to reduce variable cost is to (remember the target market, which is
US, not Johnny who wants to buy 5 windows) use the right nomenclature or at
least describe what is being sent accurately to reduce phone time and to reduce
return volume. If you use the correct nomenclature and give references to the
lugnet parts repository, you can foregoe doing illustrations which reduces the
fixed cost of adding a new part to what is being sold.
Seems obvious to me. But then there may be info I don't have. (but I doubt that
if I don't have it, that Brian Lanning or Paul Baluch do, so there...)
++Lar
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Message has 4 Replies:
 | | Re: train windows
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| Larry Pieniazek wrote in message ... (...) limited (...) want (...) and do (...) have (...) money). (...) That's fair enough, but I can't help wondering whether they're trying to market to the mundanes anyway. And how exactly does _our_ Lego (...) (24 years ago, 26-Jun-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
| | | Re: train windows
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| I said: (...) and I meant to footnote it but forgot. I first heard this term in the Wall Street Journal in a McDonalds article. The WSJ is not searchable so I can't prove it. However I did find it on an anti-McDonalds site: (URL) (24 years ago, 26-Jun-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
| | | Re: train windows
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| I find it hard to believe that they're willing to give up the econmies of scale here. How many of us are there? 1000? Compared to the number of children who consume sets one at a time... well, let's do the math: 300 or so million people in the US. (...) (24 years ago, 26-Jun-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: train windows
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| Brian Lanning wrote in message ... (...) way, (...) we (...) we (...) that (...) More specifically, what name do we call these things that will get some mundanes interested in buying them? I mean, what mundane is going to buy something called a (...) (24 years ago, 23-Jun-00, to lugnet.lego.direct)
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