As Jim Hemerling identified in his TED Talk: Five Ways To Lead In An Era Of Constant Change: the Lego group have managed to dominate the toy scene for almost 100 years, with products being made for children as young as a year old, to adults who create these models to display. From princess castles to the death star, there are so many different scenarios that can be built from these bricks.
They later tackled the world of animation through the arduous production of the immensely successful The Lego Movie, which won the 2015 BAFTA Award for Best Animated Film, the 2015 Critics’ Choice Award for Best Animated Film and many more. The earworm that was the movie’s theme song, Everything Is Awesome, was inescapable, and the success of a film which demanded immense detail in stop-animation, previously unseen outside of Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, The Chicken Run, and Early Man.
However, Lego recently furthered their commercial takeover through the TV series, Lego Masters, which aired on Channel Four back in February 2020, further demonstrating the extent of adult escapism. This show televised the extreme potential that lies within a creative mind and several thousand plastic bricks.
Lego have demonstrated through their numerous collaborations, with their Doctor Who playsets, Star Wars and Indiana Jones pieces, that they are unafraid to reach out to companies that appear out of the original target audiences for their products. They collaborate with other successful brands and businesses to further profits on both ends. This was further demonstrated through the Lego Games that they’ve launched with Nintendo and Sony, creating Lego Harry Potter, Lego Star Wars, and more recently, on the Nintendo Switch: Lego Jurassic World, which can be played on numerous consoles. Perhaps someone is not as engaged with crafting with bricks, but is invested in a franchise, these games appeal to that area of the market.
Personally, I have always found it amusing when a character in Lego Star Wars of Lego Indiana Jones etc. dies in-game, that their Lego body breaks into its individual pieces. The attention to detail and use of humour reduces the frustration of players and keeps them immersed in this distinct universe.
Lego Duplo is another great example about the vast appeal of this company’s products. The bricks in a Duplo playset are significantly larger and easier to use; they are made in this way to reduce the choking hazard, as they are unable to fit in a child’s mouth, but also to allow infants to improve their motor skills; making towers out of various shapes and colours, and happily dismantling them. These bricks are thicker, and hardier, ideal for consistent rough-handling of children who don’t know their own strength. You often find these bricks in nurseries, and who knows how many years they’ve survived this kind of rough play.
Lego has managed to retain their position as a keen competitor in the children’s toy market due to their eye for the market; this company directs itself further in their pursuits through keen focus on an objective and a dedication to their ethos: to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow. Can you imagine how many children have grown to aspire to be architects, or construction workers through the use of Lego. They truly do have a passion for this mantra.
More companies could see to do the same; corporate domination does not need to exist through using your brute force to devour smaller businesses. Disney’s model is successful, purchasing dozens of smaller companies in order to increase traction to their corporation, whether consumers are aware of it or not. But, regardless, Lego is still competitive. You don’t need to consume the companies that you rival. You can simply know your audience, and dedicate yourself to your ethos. This can steer you in the right direction.
Know your market, but don’t be afraid to look outside, too. Gambles can be favourable.
Based in London, U.K., and founded in 2016 by Arvind Mishra The Agile Works (www.TheAgileWorks.com), is an up-and-coming recruitment and Agile consulting company. Arvind is a Certified SAFe SPC and regularly delivers both private and public SAFe certification workshops.
He is a design thinking expert, Sr. enterprise, portfolio Agile Coach with over a decade of experience working as an Agile coach in diverse industries such as banking, pharma, retail, auto, oil, gas, consulting and government.
The Agile Works; a small team of three strive to help shape the leadership's mind-set and values in readiness for their business transformation journey challenges. With Arvind at the helm, we strive to provide you with the agility tools to make your company that can thrive, and not just survive.
To book a consultation, or for any enquiries, you can contact Arvind via the following email address: arvind@theagileworks.com
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