Have you ever had a LEGO series that you love to death and then felt it was completely ruined by new sets? Or maybe, LEGO surprised you with an awesome idea, but then never followed up on it? These types of situations often breed a love-hate relationship with our favorite company.
REASONS GIVEN
Let’s face it, we are adult fans and we do not make up the largest portion of LEGO’s profits. However, we are the most vocal, most demanding, and most influential fans LEGO has. 😉
To put the big picture in perspective, estimates put adult fans at roughly 5% of LEGO’s market. However, we also account for roughly 20% of the products sold. Consider us the elite when it comes to the LEGO world of commerce. After all, we’re the ones who buy the $400 LEGO Star Wars Death Star, and maybe several copies. 😛
This means LEGO has to walk a very fine line with us. On one hand, it can not alienate it’s main base; after all, children will need to grow up and become adult fans. On the other hand, they can not disregard adults. We are the ones that reach out to communities and put displays up where LEGO, by itself, could not hope to go.
The result is that we will be forced to share LEGO with others, both younger and older. This is not a perfect solution to LEGO’s problem, but it does explain why things are the way they are.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
It’s all about feedback. The LEGO-site features a contact section. This allows you to complain as well as compliment the company. This in turn gets passed to those who make the major decisions about the product. The following are two examples:
In the Pirates of the Caribbeanline LEGO has started bagging and boarding the instructions, stickers, poster, and card in some of the sets.
This process was done due to feedback left with them regarding bent and destroyed instructions. This is currently a test-process; therefore if you like it, you might want to tell LEGO so they can pass the word on to their production-branch.
Another example is the direction of a theme. For instance, the Castle-line at one point featured trolls, dwarves, skeletons, and all manner of fantastical sets.
When they changed over to Kingdoms, LEGO went back to human versus human with only an occasional unicorn thrown in. This change was caused by parents commenting that the Castle-line was too dark for their children.
In both cases, LEGO used feedback to make decisions. These changes do not ever appear quickly, mind you. The company needs to make wise decisions that will affect them in the long-term. Therefore, don’t feel discouraged if your feedback feels ignored. Chances are, it will add up later on down the line.
SUMMARY
Words are powerful things when it comes to business decisions. Good and bad comments alike will have an impact behind the scenes. Therefore, if you feel strongly about a particular element in any LEGO product, let LEGO know. Remember compliments can help keep what you like and complaints can change what you don’t. 🙂
You can contact LEGO’s customer service by email, phone or snail-mail. Click on the image below for contact info.
You may have heard the news by now! Scheduled for 2012, LEGO is releasing two new licensed themes under the name; LEGO SUPER HEROES. The licenses are with DC Comics from Warner Brothers and Marvel Comics from Marvel Entertainment.
Here are the press-releases with all the exciting details!
➡ MARVEL PRESS-RELEASE:
Two of the world’s most iconic brands are joining forces as The LEGO Group, world leader in high quality construction toys, and Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a global character -based entertainment company, announced a wide ranging strategic licensing deal. Through the multi-year agreement starting as of January 1st, 2012, Marvel has granted LEGO Group the rights to develop a distinct Marvel branded construction toy collection — LEGO SUPER HEROES — which will bring the characters, vehicles and action of Marvel’s renowned universe to the world of LEGO build-and-play adventure. The LEGO SUPER HEROES Marvel collection’s initial construction sets, minifigures and buildable characters are scheduled to launch in May of 2012.
The LEGO SUPER HEROES Marvel collection will spotlight three Marvel franchises – Marvel’s The Avengers movie, and X-Men and Spider-Man classic characters. The LEGO Marvel’s The Avengers movie line brings such ever popular Marvel characters as Iron Man, The Hulk, CaptainAmerica, Thor, Hawkeye, Loki and Black Widow to LEGO minifigure form. The LEGO X-Men collection includes minifigure comic versions of Wolverine, Magneto, Nick Fury and Deadpool, while the LEGO Spider-Man sets offer minifigure comic versions of Spider-Man, and Doctor Octopus. The first buildable characters in the LEGO SUPER HEROES collection are highlighted by CaptainAmerica, The Hulk and Iron Man. Select figures will be unveiled in the LEGO booth (#2829) during Comic-Con International at theSan DiegoConvention CenterJuly 21-24.
“Our partnership with Marvel helps us continue to deliver some of the best and most constructible Super Hero stories of all time,” said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group. “We’re thrilled to partner with Marvel to create creative, constructive play sets for builders, fans and collectors alike.”
Joann Mclaughlin, Executive Vice President Toys & Hardlines, Marvel Entertainment, commented, “The partnership with LEGO Group furthers Marvel’s strategy to align our brand with the best in class leaders across various industries who have the global marketing expertise and distribution clout to stand out in the retail environment. This deal solidifies the already robust presence of our characters and the overall Marvel brand in the ever important toy category.”
The retail debut of the Marvel-inspired LEGO SUPER HEROES collection is timed to coincide with the highly anticipated Summer 2012 blockbuster movie release of Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures feature film Marvel’s The Avengers.
➡ DC PRESS-RELEASE:
Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) with DC Entertainment (DCE) and The LEGO Group announced today the extension of their successful partnership to translate some of the world’s most popular DC Comics Super Heroes into the world of LEGO® build-and-play adventures with LEGO DC Universe SUPER HEROES. The multi-year licensing agreement grants the world leader in high quality construction toys access to the entire library of DC Comics characters and stories to inspire LEGO building fun. Construction sets, minifigures and buildable characters and creatures inspired by the universe of DC Comics are slated to launch in January 2012.
The new LEGO DC Universe SUPER HEROES collection will feature 13 iconic super heroes in LEGO minifigure form, including: Batman™, Robin™, Catwoman™, The Joker, The Riddler™, Two-Face, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn™, Bane, Bruce Wayne, Superman™, Lex Luthor™ and Wonder Woman™. Buildable characters will include Batman, The Joker and Green Lantern. Select figures will be on display in the LEGO booth (#2829) at Comic-Con International at theSan DiegoConvention CenterJuly 21-24.
“We have enjoyed a successful, longstanding relationship with The LEGO Group and this agreement enables the vast universe of DC Comics to inspire an array of incredible offerings,” said Karen McTier, executive vice president, domestic licensing and worldwide marketing, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “Fans of our legendary Super Heroes and villains will be delighted with the uniquely imaginative creations which only LEGO Group can create.”
The company will revisit their previous successful collections like LEGO BATMAN that also inspired the best-selling LEGO BATMAN: The Videogame, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, which has sold more than 12 million units worldwide since its launch in 2008.
“Given the fan enthusiasm for previous LEGO BATMAN collections, we couldn’t be more thrilled to continue the build-and-play adventures with new LEGO BATMAN play sets and the addition of other DC Comics properties,” said Jill Wilfert, vice president, licensing and entertainment for The LEGO Group. “This partnership gives builders a chance to recreate the characters, vehicles and worlds of some of the most iconic Super Heroes, so they can relive the action and even customize it – a proven and winning formula in LEGO construction.”
At San Diego Comic-Con, 3,000 exclusive Batman and Green Lantern LEGO minifigures will be distributed to kick off a promotion that will take place from August to December in advance of the launch. Fans are encouraged to use their collectible minifigures and existing LEGO collections to create original LEGO DC Universe SUPER HEROES adventures through video, photography or illustration, then share their submissions on www.LEGOSUPERHEROES.com.
Entrants have a chance to win monthly prizes or a grand prize trip to California for exclusive tours of Warner Bros. Studios, WB Animation and LEGOLAND California.
Exciting, isn’t it? To see photos of the new minifig prototypes from Comic Con, check here: LEGO SUPER HERO Minifigs at Comic Con. What do you think? Feel free to share your thoughts and discuss in the comment section below. 😉
(Written by William)
In both cases, LEGO used feedback to make decisions. These changes do not ever appear quickly, mind you. The company needs to make wise decisions that will affect them in the long-term. Therefore, don’t feel discouraged if your feedback feels ignored. Chances are, it will add up later on down the line.
