So Many Lego 'Themes' - Where is TLG headed?

[DrJB]

I can't help but notice that there are way too many themes out there today. The Lego display areas at the local stores have too many sets to choose from, and so many themes. Isn't this 'dangerous' for the future of TLG? TLG certainly can't expect the customer base to increase their bricks 'budget' to go out and buy all those themes ... Too many themes is 'too much'. I personally am not buying as many sets as I used to, and many of my friends as well.

What's your take? Where do you see TLG heading with such aggressive 'diversification' ?

[HawkLord]

I think the diversity in themes is great. Lego is the kind of product that requires little no tooling, so if they're just printing new torsos and faces and making a few new parts (some that can even be used in their primary lines), then it only helps Lego to continue the variety of themes. Personally, I love the fact that Lego includes so much diversity, because it means I will never get bored and I have more materials to MOC with. If Lego over-specialized and reduced themes they wouldn't be able to attract the large sized audience they do.

[BlockLogo]

What's your take? Where do you see TLG heading with such aggressive 'diversification' ?

I would guess complete world domination.

Seriously though, it's probably smart. LEGO only makes one kind of toys, i.e. construction toys, unlike their biggest competitors like Hasbro and Mattel, so it's a good move to try and attract as many customer bases as possible with new(-ish) lines like Friends (to compete with classic dollhouse style toys), Star Wars (becasue SW merch sells like crazy no matter what), Superheroes and other licenses (comic book fans and collectors), Architecture and Creator (AFOLs), constraction (to compete with classic or transformer-like action figures), etc.

I'm just speculating, as I don't know if that is their inentional strategy, but it makes sense to me.

[ilikeboomerang1]

I also think it's good. Having many themes means people can buy what they like. However, if we get more themes, it might turn like in the late 90s/early 2000s, and we all know how it was back then.

[Tariq j]

I think diversity in Lego is excellent. Lego need diversity in their themes to cater to a wider audience. It creates new parts, new minifigures, new techniques etc. I wouldn't call it "Aggressive" either, its just the way companies develop and expand.

[Fuppylodders]

Its nothing but a good thing. Theyre able to reach out to a wider audience attracting new customers who wouldnt have otherwise gotten into it. I seriously doubt there are many people out there that are not buying lego hardly at all anymore simply because the choice is now 'too big'. In fact, id hazard a guess that the number of such people is soo negligable that they couldnt care less. Having more choices than we can spend our own money on is nothing bjt good for them because there will always be someone else that will buy it. They wont continue to produce what doesnt sell...

[Legoman of War]

I would agree that it is a good thing. Lego has its base themes that are a standard i.e. city and injects it's licensed themes until they run their course. It keeps them relevant with current goings on and continues to bring in new customers as well as satiating it's diehard fans. Diversity is the key to staying in the forefront of business. The only problem I see and it really isn't a problem is for fans having to decide what sets they will buy. Evolve or die.

LMW

[AmperZand]

TLG is clearly targeting different segments be it demographic (e.g. girls, adults) or interest areas (such as action figures, computer games, Dr Who) in addition to their core market. That's a good thing for AFOLs. It means more themes and a greater variety of parts.

TLG is not slicing the pie more thinly; they're baking a bigger pie.

[MAB]

TLG certainly can't expect the customer base to increase their bricks 'budget' to go out and buy all those themes ... Too many themes is 'too much'. I personally am not buying as many sets as I used to, and many of my friends as well.

There are two ways to increase income - sell more to existing fans, or sell to more fans. That is what expanding the range does. Before Friends / minidolls, those (mainly girls) were not buying lego, they were buynig something else. Before LOTR, some fans might have been MOCing their own models, but the license brought in many new buyers, who are now probably cutting down on buying. Only to be replaced by fans of license X, who will stay until license X finishes.

[Peppermint_M]

I think what needs to be recalled with the issues in the late 90s early 00s is LEGO was moving too far away from the brick. Clothes, accessories, videogames, tv series, theme parks and anything else with LEGO on it was as in-house as possible. That caused a lot of overheads which sales were not clawing back. These days, TLG is focused on the building toy products and everything else is doled out among partner companies, licensed to use the LEGO logo, minifigures and stud image.

Yes, there are a lot of different themes, but these are offering a wide choice within the building toy market. This means that virtually all building toy purchases would be from LEGO. If you want city cars or Star Wars space ships to build, LEGO supplies. Princesses or city life building? LEGO Supplies. Ninjas or Batman? LEGO supplies. While certain themes (evergreen or not) may suffer from the variety (Like Chima or more classical castle) LEGO will simply retire/replace the line and carry on.

Unlike action figures or fashion dolls, where competing brands have similar products and the choice means profit for one and not the other. Franchises/Themes that Hasbro and Mattel produce are directly competing with each other where LEGO doesn't have to.

Kre-O and Mega hardly dominate the aisles like LEGO (here in the UK anyway). These brands are just as likely to be crammed in with each other and the generic cheap brandless brick that the store carries.

Anyway: Variety is healthy and expansion is good for us fans!

[Aanchir]

I can't help but notice that there are way too many themes out there today. The Lego display areas at the local stores have too many sets to choose from, and so many themes. Isn't this 'dangerous' for the future of TLG? TLG certainly can't expect the customer base to increase their bricks 'budget' to go out and buy all those themes ... Too many themes is 'too much'. I personally am not buying as many sets as I used to, and many of my friends as well.

What's your take? Where do you see TLG heading with such aggressive 'diversification' ?

The average LEGO buyer is not expected to buy every set from every theme. Some will buy just a handful of sets from several themes, others will buy every set from just one theme. The point of having so many themes, though, is to have options to suit the tastes of lots of different buyers. There are some buyers who might have no interest in LEGO Star Wars but love LEGO Ninjago. Others might have no interest in LEGO City but love LEGO Friends. Still more might have no interest in LEGO Creator but love LEGO Technic. If LEGO didn't have all those other themes, they might not have anything at all that appealed to those particular customers.

I don't have any idea why you and your friends would buy fewer sets just because there are so many themes out there. Seems to me no matter how many themes are out there, you should be able to buy the sets you want and ignore the sets you don't want (or can't justify buying). And yes, sometimes it can be tough to make the choice between two sets or themes you really like. But would you really be better off if you didn't have that choice at all

[dr_spock]

I have no issues with LEGO coming out with so many themes. I don't see it a problem unless you're trying to build a LEGO museum collection of every set. I too buy fewer sets now but more individual pieces from LEGO like PAB wall.

[paul_delahaye]

I kind of agree with what has been said above, if your not interested, you don't buy it. I personally don't get some themes, I think it's all to do with age? I completely missed Pokemon as an example. I totally don't get it. And I think some of the Lego themes are the same. I don't understand Ninjago, but it appears to be a strong brand/theme.

Is there a risk of a repeat of the early 2000's? I think the world has changed, I don't think Lego will end up in that senario again, I think it stands the test of time, and the way it can be passed down through the generations, although I was a little worried when I saw those oversized Star Wars figures with the funny heads, it did bring back memories of Galidor! Hopfully these will sell better for the collectors of Star Wars?

[Aanchir]

Is there a risk of a repeat of the early 2000's? I think the world has changed, I don't think Lego will end up in that senario again, I think it stands the test of time, and the way it can be passed down through the generations, although I was a little worried when I saw those oversized Star Wars figures with the funny heads, it did bring back memories of Galidor! Hopfully these will sell better for the collectors of Star Wars?

Other than being human and alien characters, the Star Wars buildable figures generally have more in common with Bionicle than Galidor. All their parts besides their heads are far less specialized than any Galidor parts, and they have far more of them. The biggest Galidor set by piece count, the $20 Ooni, had less than 30 pieces, while the smallest Star Wars buildable figure, the $20 First Order Stormtrooper, has more than 80.

A lot of people generalize LEGO action figures as overspecialized, Galidor-esque nonsense, but it's important to remember that, in the words of company CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, "Bionicle is the theme that saved LEGO." (Brick by Brick, p151) "In 2003—the year the rest of LEGO came crashing down—Bionicle's soaring sales accounted for approximately 25 percent of the company's total revenue and more than 100 percent of its profit (as the rest of the company was tumbling to a net loss), making a financial anchor in turbulent times." (Brick by Brick, p155) "In early 2004, an internal survey of the company's entire product portfolio revealed that 94 percent of LEGO sets were unprofitable. Only Star Wars and Bionicle kits were making money." (Brick by Brick, p98).

Now, none of this is a guarantee that the Star Wars buildable figures are a sure-fire money-maker, but from what I've seen, they've been selling like hotcakes. If LEGO were in a 2003-esque situation (which they're not), these sets could potentially be working towards a better bottom line for the LEGO Group, not against it.

[Cagast]

Well, diversity is never bad, obviously that's how they attract wider audience. I don't think every fan of Lego is supposed to buy everything that's on shelf, lol. Lego collectors who buy sets from all themes just for the collection are rare. So no, they don't have to worry about that.

[MrHerofan]

I agree with what's being said here, having more diversity helps LEGO as a company. Now as for what those themes are and what they include, some recent themes don't quite do it for me. I personally would love something like Power Miners or Atlantis. Cool sets like that are what I wanted as a kid, though sadly never got a very good majority. But really LEGO has so many cool sets for all ages, that only people like JANGBRICKS can afford.