[Question] Influence on TLG?

[roppie11]

Do we, as AFOL's, have any influence on TLG?

Hello,

I have a question (you probably already saw that ;) i was like:

Well, we have a whole community with thousands of post and topics every day and 46k members, but do we have influence on TLG and how much?

I understand that it is not the goal of eurobricks but, we have for example a future whises topic. Does TLG do something with that? Is someone at TLG reading these topics for work? I could have asked this in the general discussion but i also would like to know if we had influence on the techinc/mindstorms line because that is the only theme i care about. and what exactly is the embassy?

thanks!

Edited March 11, 2016 by roppie11

[THERIZE]

Well, the embassy are AFOLS who speak towards TLG 'in name of the community.' So if their are problems with LEGO or suggestions from AFOL perspective the embassy are the people who inform TLG. Or at least, that is what I think it is when I read this topic (http://www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=19100). So I suppose that future wishes for themes are sent to TLG by the ambassadors. The easiest way to see influence would be scrolling through the topic and see what sets came after they were suggested.

[dr_spock]

The AFOL community does have some influence on TLG but it is not as big as some AFOLs would like to believe. 46K EB members is not that many when compared to the millions of other types of LEGO customers out there. There are TLG employees who are members of Eurobricks and some EB members have gone off to work for TLG.

LEGO now have a formal LAN (LEGO Ambassador Network) where ambassadors and LEGO can communicate. The Embassy was set up on EB before there was a LAN. I guess it can be still used as a way for the EB user to communicate with the EB ambassador representative or discuss ambassador type matters.

[Blakbird]

I think we have a certain amount of influence. While it is never confirmed directly, there is plenty of indirect evidence that some of the new parts and sets introduced over the last five years were in response to wishes discussed here. For instance, I think this is true of the 8070 supercar, the V2 longer pneumatics, and the new "UCS" size Porsche.

[nerdsforprez]

I tend to think that we (AFOLs community at large, not just EB members) have perhaps quite a bit of influence. Support for this comes in a variety of ways. Blakbird mentioned one. Another is the power of social media. Business nowadays is more or less ran by media exposure, and the more you can link into popular media the better. I think the brand of Star Wars is a great example. The only way the SW franchise is as big as it is is because it made it into main stream pop culture. Now we have JCP, jewelry stores, and even women's lingerie stores selling SW merchandise for peet's sake. Lego is similar because of AFOLs, building incredible things and posting those things on websites like flickr, youtube, etc. gives Lego incredible press. It is like free advertising. Years ago TLG website began posting little videos on most technic sets that came out. We all have seen them. They are very short, animated films that demonstrate the looks and functions of real Technic sets. But they are nowhere near as often viewed, or as good or informative as people like Sariel's or other's reviews of sets. When TLG gets AFOLs on board they get thousands upon thousands of free little marketing tools that build their brand and open their product to mainstream media, even pop culture. Years ago when a real, working, life-sized pneumatic car was build out of Lego it made it to all the large news networks sites (and even television. I remember seeing the clip). That is incredible marketing power! TLG would have never got that sort of press by just their little sets alone or their little videos they post on their shop @ home site. So, yes, I think they listen to AFOLs. Do they still have many many restrictions in what they will produce? Absolutely. Will they always listen to the restrictions of what turns a profit versus what is possible? You bet. But I do think they are listening.

[Lakop]

I think TLG is listening and watching what we are asking for. I made a request on social media to lego for longer pneumatics and I think I made the same request here at some point. I'm sure lego are more than aware that those who have grown up with lego, are working, earning and are willing to spend on their hobby (Lego). I think they are doing what any good company should do which is to meet demand (ie: longer pneumatics) and give the customer what they want (ie: more advanced sets with longer pneumatics). The second half sets for this year tell me that lego is watching and listening to the AFOL community more than ever.

H

[nerdsforprez]

I think TLG is listening and watching what we are asking for. I made a request on social media to lego for longer pneumatics and I think I made the same request here at some point. I'm sure lego are more than aware that those who have grown up with lego, are working, earning and are willing to spend on their hobby (Lego). I think they are doing what any good company should do which is to meet demand (ie: longer pneumatics) and give the customer what they want (ie: more advanced sets with longer pneumatics). The second half sets for this year tell me that lego is watching and listening to the AFOL community more than ever.

H

lol.... not sure if this is some ploy to send subliminal messages to TLG for even longer pneumatics.......

[Milan]

Yes, lego is listening, and they read this site, too.

I made a request on social media to lego for longer pneumatics...

There is a one person, member on this forum, that did 95% of work for all of us to get longer pneumatics :)

[Brickthus]

TLG has embraced the general idea of listening to the AFOL community. For legal reasons they cannot just take every idea suggested by an AFOL on a public forum and use it.

Therefore the ambassadors are asked to listen and feed back in response to the channels and questions that TLG opens.

The LEGO Ideas site is the accepted forum to suggest ideas for sets, though the main rules of "no new parts" can seem restrictive. In reality TLG has made prototypes of many of the pieces we would want. Each new piece has to go through rigorous safety checks and suitability-for-manufacture tests.

Certainly those who work for TLG are also AFOLs to varying degrees, so they listen when they visit various forums. As centres for Technic expertise, this forum and TechnicBricks will be viewed by TLG employees.

I am glad TLG has listened to more than 10 years of pleas for more powerful motors. We have done well with the Power Functions selection, though an updated version of the obsolete 5292 motor would be welcome.

The most influence I have had was when I visited Billund for a workshop, to help with the development of Power Functions parts. This is an experience I treasure.

It followed my term as an ambassador and also needed my professional skills as an engineer. So many things have to line up at once that such experiences are rare treat for AFOLs.

One thing I would like to see is Technic sets branching out a bit from the standard car / truck / aircraft / farm and construction plant machinery sets.

I would like to see more Technic models emulate animal movements. I have tried making an octopus arm and also experimented with cuttlefish propulsion fronds.

This sort of thing might widen the appeal of Technic to a broader section of the population. I don't mean "friendify Technic"; universal colours with just a few rarer-coloured highlights would do.

My latest project, a moving BB-8 Droid with Power Functions, also fits the bill as an out-of-the-ordinary Technic set, with potential for popularity. It would fit the £170 price point.

The longer pneumatics are welcome but we need the cylinder bracket from set 8421 to be updated so that the 2/11 cylinders can be placed end-to-end for crane jib raising.

We need the new pneumatic pieces to be available to order from Customer Services. The 2/11 cylinder is not listed yet and the others are out of stock.

We also need a new 2/6 cylinder as that is a better size to push the valves that control other cylinders and hence make pneumatic automata such as a pick-and-place robot.

After all, pneumatic automation is something TLG started in 1991 with the alternative model to 8868.

Mark

[Karle]

It would be nice if Lego would just produce some of the parts that they have already issued. Short steering arms (6571) and the left and right yellow fairing panels (64681 and 64393) come to mind. I'm sure others can add to this list.

[Cwetqo]

First, about LAN (Lego Ambassador Network): It used to be (before it was named LAN) nice and cozy, but disorganized forum. Previous CEE boss Keith Severson got the task to improve and organize it and of this came LAN (I was part of workgroup who worked on it but at the end it turned out mostly as Keith wanted).

Rules on LAN are simple:

-you have new product idea -> go to LEGO ideas and post it there

-you have complaint about quality - call customer service

-you want to suggest new theme etc... -> call customer service

-you want to report leak -> call customer service

-you want to comment on TLG policy etc... - call customer service

So, basicly, If you want to achieve anything which is not directly linked to LUGs and their relationship with TLG, you have better chance if you call customer service (and enough people think as you do). At least thats what Kim and others told us.

TLG of course follows many forums, sites and social media network. Right now, they have "task" force, which follows all those with intention of discovering and preventing leaks (_which could do a lot of damage to TLG). They also follow activity of some sites and ther influence on the cummunity (type and leve of support which they give depends on this).

Of course many TLG employees follow sites forums and social media networks out of their pure interest in what people are doing, to get ideas and inspiration and of course also to see how people react on their work. I talked to many designers including most known ones like Jamie Berard and Mark Stafford and they all "confessed" that they follow fan's work and discussions. Does that mean that they steal? In my opinion not, becuse they still produce original and top quality sets, lmited mostly by TLG rules and not their knowledge/imagination.

[Lakop]

Yes, lego is listening, and they read this site, too.

There is a one person, member on this forum, that did 95% of work for all of us to get longer pneumatics :)

You know what I meant by that, fellow forum members.

H

[MaxSupercars]

Here the CEO of TLG clearly says that he speaks and listen to Lego fans. And the results can he clearly see in all the new upcoming parts and sets...

Max

Edited March 14, 2016 by MaxSupercars