There is no one who doesn’t know what Lego is. But what are Lego’s secrets?
Since its beginnings in 1932, the colorful interlocking brick has been a staple toy in families all over the world, and the longevity of one of the largest toy companies in the world is no mere stroke of luck.
Lego, the hard way throughout its history, learned that staying true to its core mission was the only way to survive for long ages in the global market.
Lego’s mission and secrets
“To offer inspiring learning experiences that contribute to the development of skills, competencies, attitudes and values in children, young people and adults throughout their lives.”
But it also evolved over time, constantly changing its marketing initiatives, from the partnership with NASA on a project that lets kids build “aircraft of the future” to the debut of a Lego building kit for the new Superman movie, Man of Steel.
What makes the toy company’s message so infectious, and how can you incorporate it in a similar way? Here are the four basic elements of Lego’s success:
1 – Consistency is Lego’s key
Lego’s quality standards are excellent. Every Lego brick is uniquely numbered to correlate with the mold it came from. Through this method, Lego can take pride in one of the most consistent products in history.
Pieces from as far back as 1958 (the date when the first modern Lego brick was developed) still fit well within Lego’s secrets. The company has produced many different sets and developed other components, but the consistency of the actual product has remained the same.
As a young entrepreneur, it is important to continuously deliver high-quality products or services and exceed customers’ expectations.
2 – Build collaboration into the design process
Although design is a factor in Lego’s success, it was almost the architect of its downfall. The late 1990s seemed like a boom for the company.
Sales were up, the LEGOLAND theme park opened its first U.S. location in Carlsbad, California, and kids were stacking bricks as if there were no tomorrow. With that success, Lego made an error of judgment: it let its design team run wild.
Production
The number of uniquely designed bricks went from 7,000 to 12,400, driving up production costs, but demand did not follow suit, which may be one of Lego’s secrets. Instead of entering a downward spiral, the crisis inspired the company to rethink its design process.
Lego implemented a collaborative decision-making process, meaning that all proposals were put to a vote within the design team.
Now Lego is back to 7,000 pieces and still going strong. For a young entrepreneur, it is important to steer your own ship, but don’t dismiss the power of teamwork, and seek feedback from your employees.
3 – Make your mission clear
Lego’s mission statement: “Our ultimate goal is to inspire and develop children to think creatively, reason systematically and unleash their potential to shape their own future – experiencing the infinite possibility of humankind.”
It is easy to see this concept in all of the brand’s products; as a result, Lego’s secrets make the product an easy decision for parents. When launching your startup, take some time to work on your mission statement. It is the foundation of your company, it will help keep you on track, and the values it conveys are what customers will remember you for.
4 – Keep inspiring
Adult Lego fans are a massive organization made up of Lego devotees who organize meetups all over the world, both offline and online on sites like Reddit. They are proof of Lego’s ability to inspire the imagination of every child and follow them into adulthood.
By developing a product that continuously evokes creativity, people not only remember it, they come back to it.
