Consistency and adaptability: LEGO - a happy case

    Consistency has always been a key element in LEGO's marketing communication. A recent ad of this brand was compared to one 35 years old and in essence, they seem very similar. But at a second look, we notice something very important for a brand like LEGO. In the ad from this year the main character is a girl, not a boy. Who would have think of LEGO as a brand equally designed for girls as for boys?

   An analysis with what the brand itself discovered in studying the different ways boys and girls play with Lego is that while males tend to build things in a "linear" fashion—rushing to replicate exactly what’s on the box, females prefer a more personal, less rigid approach. Girls create their own environments, develop personal stories around them and even imagine themselves living inside the things they build. That creation the girl is holding is, as the ad tells us, "exactly what she wants it to be." Or, as Davidson puts it: “It’s less about building and more about lifestyle.”

   And, of course, it's all still Lego, which Davidson (senior manager of brand insights, Creative Consumer Concepts) believes is the marvel of the brand itself. Retaining its essential consistencies, it has adapted enough to change with the times and broaden its market. "This is still a brand that empowers kids, but the invitation to make something has become more nuanced," he said. "What had been a brand traditionally designed around replication is now about uniqueness of expression."

   In conclusion, we see from LEGO's example that we can adapt without losing the consistency that was one of the main attributes in communication for a brand for a long period of time. The two needs (of adapting and of being consistent) are equally present in any brands' case, but we clearly notice that, in fact, it is not a matter of making a choice and the communication surrounding the brand can preserve both aspects.

     See the full article here:   http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/legos-consistency-has-been-key-its-success-148553

Raluca Apetrei