7 Ways Lego's Marketing Proves Everything IS Awesome

Weighing up my entertainment options this weekend I rather curiously stumbled across The Secret World of Lego – a one-off documentary which offered viewers a sneak peek behind the scenes of the world’s most famous toy brand and the lucky individuals who get to work there.

With secrets locked behind intimidatingly large window shutters and tightlipped staff watching their words, the HQ in Denmark gave no more away than it wanted to. It did however provide inspiring insight into the world famous brands marketing.

What Lego do perfectly is demonstrate the value of Traditional Marketing & Strategy and what it can do to aid a business when executed with precision and understanding.

Contrary to what many current articles suggest, Traditional Marketing is far from dead and to those who have struggled to understand its benefit in the past, I say you haven’t been working with the right marketeers.

Here are some of the key areas where I think Lego smashed it out the park…

Aspirational Brand

Lego is very clever in its approach to marketing and how it differentiates its product offerings to meet the individual needs of a broadening audience. Through listening to its customers, Lego inspires great brand loyalty.

The fact it is the world’s most profitable toy brand and still has family values at its core, shows an understanding of the relationship era and reinforces the ideals of quality, integrity and reliability – the key characteristics of a successful brand!

Brand Values

The Lego values of imagination, fun, creativity, learning, care and quality are evident in every aspect of the business, both internally and externally, from product to person. To Lego, its values are not just writings on a wall but a code for everyone in its ‘family’ to live by.

Customer Engagement

Lego doesn’t shy away from interaction and dedicates time towards listening to its audience, many of whom are lifetime supporters. By doing this Lego encourages tremendous brand loyalty, plus generates opportunities for leveraging its customers.

For example; one afol (adult fan of Lego) pitched an idea for a Lego magazine which specifically targeted adults. He pitched at the HQ and was met with excitement; resulting in the backing of his home grown venture. Lego’s acceptance of his contribution not only added to the wealth and development of the company but also reaffirmed for him, its humble working ethos.

Employee Engagement

Referring on numerous occasions to the company as a ‘family’, the staff at Lego embody the brand. Lego put a great emphasis on brand culture and encourage staff to engage and collaborate.

This freedom for staff to express themselves, drums up incredible loyalty. Lego actively work to ensure its staff enjoy their employment journey, much like we prompt our clients to do for their customers. Build a strong relationship and you have a loyal follower for life.

Family Values

Family is at the heart of everything Lego do. Deciding to incorporate the ‘family run’ angle into your business can be a hard decision to make. However as its family run and have families as its largest target demographic, it would make no sense to ignore this relatable USP.

So the story of how the company has been passed down through generations has become central to the Lego company ethos. In addition, the now global enterprise remains in Billund, Denmark, showing a desire to stay true to its heritage.

Target Audiences

Catering to a broad target market could be seen as undesirable – however Lego’s ability to segment its audience, tailoring products to each specific taste is what makes them a success.

Being a luxury item, their entire sales pitch rests on creating a desirable and sought after product. Through understanding the personas of their core audience, Lego continually meet the demands of fans of all ages.

Adding Value

Lego do exceptionally well at utilising trends and finding niche markets to break into. They understand the value of their brand and how to build collaborative affinity partnerships. A great example is the new Jurassic Park Lego – using another brand to leverage their sale, without there being a conflict of interest.

If you’re interested in finding out more about maximising your marketing efforts, come along to our next Marketing Leaders Lunch