When LEGO invited me to participate in the 40th anniversary celebration event in Spain, I met, at the Madrid office, Joachim Schwidtal, Marketing Manager Iberia at LEGO, great communicator and thorough connoisseur of the products of this famous brand. As I wanted to know more and we also approached Christmas 2014-2015, it seemed appropriate to ask Achim for an interview to tell us more news of LEGO and many more features of their products. There goes the interview that includes the latest news and future plans of this extraordinary company:
What are the values of LEGO?
The values of the LEGO brand are imagination, creativity, fun, learning and also, the responsibility towards consumers, the environment, customers and the employees themselves. Each of these values has the same importance in itself and contributes to the mission of the brand: "Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow".
What is the inspiration of LEGO to develop new products and successful gaming experiences for kids?
Creative teams in Denmark are inspired by various elements such as new game currents, lifestyles, or as is the case today, through licensing. Increasingly, factors such as technology are gaining importance and help create new concepts for a renewed and innovative gaming experience. Creative teams also try to be very close to children to get their opinion first hand. Many of the ideas we get from them and in fact, until a new set goes on the market it is subjected to numerous studies and product tests. In any case, all these new ideas and sources of inspiration follow the DNA and values of the LEGO brand.
What news are we going to see at Christmas 2014?
Apart from the news of universes of Lego City, LEGO Friends, LEGO Star Wars or NinjagoWe have a big surprise for all Christmas fans of the virtual game Minecraft. The Minecraft game system is very much in line with that of LEGO and hence, in January of this year the idea of creating a collection was born LEGO Minecraft with the close collaboration of the fan community of this video game. The result is already in the market since November.
What is the responsibility for LEGO that has become the largest toy manufacturer in the world?
Nothing really has changed for us in our sense of responsibility. In LEGO, children are our reason for being and whatever we do, continue with the philosophy of the founder Ole Kirk Christiansen "only the best is good enough."
LEGO keeps the philosophy of founder Ole Kirk Christiansen alive: "only the best is good enough"
Are there LEGO pieces for people of all ages to play?
LEGO encompasses three parts systems. On the one hand, LEGO DUPLO, which offers large pieces for small hands and is designed for girls and boys in preschool age up to 4-5 years. From this age, LEGO offers several lines based on smaller pieces, but there really is no age limit to create, build and play with LEGO. We are aware that there are many adults who continue to build with LEGO with the same passion as children. In fact the line Creator Expert or LEGO Architecture They are aimed at an adult audience. As a last resort, and for those interested in technology and mechanics, there is the range LEGO Technic which includes, for example, motor vehicles.
What licenses are the most demanded by buyers and how do they impact sales?
The most demanded license at the moment is undoubtedly that of Star Wars ™. Usually, a license has 2-3 years of life in LEGO but Star Wars is the big exception since it has been with LEGO for 16 years and many more are expected. In addition, LEGO has many other licenses such as Disney, Warner Bros or Viacom. The main licenses this year, apart from Star Wars are Disney Princess, Cars, Plans, Jake and the Pirates, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Marvel, Ninja Turtles, The LEGO Movie, Hobbit and the Simpsons. All of them account for 40% of total sales.
Licenses account for 40% of total LEGO sales
How is the experience with LEGO Ideas going as inspiration for new products and how is it impacting on sales?
LEGO Ideas is actually a development of LEGO Cuusoo that was launched in 2008 as a pilot project. LEGO Ideas allows the adult fan community to interact through the presentation of new concepts and models. Thus, the ideas that reach the most votes on the web www.ideas.LEGO.com, go ahead and become a new set of the LEGO Ideas range. The creator of the model takes a commission of 1% on sales as compensation. LEGO Ideas is the line that best reflects the values of the LEGO brand: creativity, fun and learning.
How do you carry out the analysis of the products before putting them on sale and where are these tests performed?
The tests carried out by LEGO before launching a product are numerous and are carried out at different stages of its development. Thus, conceptual tests are performed to define and validate different “routes” as fantasy universes versus present versus historical or future universes. Subsequently, product tests are carried out with the participation of children where creative teams observe the interaction of children with the game. Each phase of product development ends in a product test. Most of the tests are performed in the United States and in European countries such as Denmark, Germany or the Netherlands.
Should we be a little child and have ideas as a child to work in LEGO?
I think so. All of us who work for LEGO are a bit "kids." We love being creative, experimenting, trying new things, having fun and we all have a very curious mind and eager to learn.
Everyone who works for LEGO is a bit "kids" and we love being creative
The construction is the engine and the base of LEGO, what skills allows the kids to develop?
LEGO is a toy that helps, with construction, to develop motor skills, as well as concentration or systemic thinking and in three dimensions. However, LEGO also helps to express itself, stimulate creativity, reinforce the sense of improvisation and favors group play. In addition, after construction, it allows the identification of the child with a character because it is also a role play.
Is there a difference in how to approach LEGO among children from different countries?
There really are no important differences in how to approach LEGO as such. However, there may be small differences in tastes and preferences in different countries. Sometimes the “time” factor also influences for a product to have greater acceptance in a given country, for example, because a license or concept is more popular.
What do fan clubs bring to a company like LEGO?
The calls AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) are something very special and important for the brand since its members are the best ambassadors. Fans, through events, meetings, magazines and collaborations with museums and other partners, are essential to promote brand values. Fans are also very important when assessing new products and concepts. In Denmark there is a specialized team to coordinate the different groups of AFOLs. In addition, locally from LEGO Iberia we have a very close collaboration with them.
Is there going to be more LEGO movies?
According to the latest information, Warner Bros will release three movie films from 2016 related to LEGO. In 2016, one of LEGO Ninjago will be released; for 2017, the premiere of one of LEGO Batman has been confirmed and, finally, in 2018 the expected continuation of The LEGO Movie will arrive. The LEGO Group has, within its organization, a specialized licensing team which develops projects with partners such as movies, television series, merchandising products, books or video games. In this way, we are certain that the final result has an authentic “LEGO” personality, reflecting the values of the brand.
And here the interview with Joachim Schwidtal from LEGO. I have to thank you for your generosity in the answers, your transparency and professionalism with Peques and More and wish him and his company many successes because they continue to encourage children to make their dreams come true with imagination and creativity.
