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The National
03-08-2025
- Business
- The National
Building memories brick by brick at the home of LEGO in Denmark
To be fair, I was a massive fan of LEGO when I was wee, back when it was just simple bricks you bashed together to make unrecognisable approximations of things I loved, like planes and boats. As I grew up and LEGO morphed into a confusing array of theme parks and special ranges – from LEGO Friends and the Asian-themed Ninjago – I lost sight of LEGO as my two daughters grew into it. It was not something at 53 I thought I would take any pleasure re-visiting. READ MORE: Scottish transport company acquires historic English bus firm I thought my honesty with Kathrine would fall on deaf ears. Far from it. 'We too realised we had to simplify things and get back to the core of what this family-run business does,' she beams as she brews me a proper coffee in LEGO House's café – it's always a great sign when a managing director chips in. 'We got back to basics, selling off the theme parks and focusing back on the brick. Again, it's all about the brick.' It is all about the brick in Billund – the self-styled 'Capital of Children' – as we find out when we fly into the airport and see the immediate image of LEGO. Billund is still home to LEGO's headquarters and lives and breathes LEGO, nowhere more so than LEGO House (below), which has been a roaring success since opening in 2017. LEGO House is the single biggest investment by LEGO in years and took a year and a half to build, with 20 million LEGO bricks woven into the structure. I love that the vast reception is free for anyone to enter and play in. And that numbers are strictly limited beyond the ticket barriers to the upper floors so that families can really enjoy themselves without feeling rushed or overcrowded. The focus is indeed back on the brick, with building using LEGO paramount over fancy themed kits. For a family attraction to work, it has to engage everyone; LEGO House does. My daughters delight in building wee boats and buses, taking photos that are recorded on their bracelets, negating the 'need' for my teenagers to walk around with their phones. Indeed, they soon ask us to store their phones while they throw themselves into the action, peeling back the years. Priceless. We bond over family portraits made of LEGO, but they also skip off happily on their own with none of the bickering that can accompany visits to family attractions. And my wife and I don't just slump in a café either, making what is, of course, deemed an 'embarrassing' LEGO movie about how we met and married. As we move from yellow zone to red, to green and to blue, my cynicism slowly dissolves. My own journey is complete in the basement museum, which catapults me back to my childhood. Not ones to stand on their hard-won plastic laurels, Kathrine shows me into the 'Masters Academy'. 'LEGO House already has 20 million LEGO bricks and soon it will have another five million more,' she explains. It doesn't open until September, but the limited slots are getting snapped up fast at this new year-round attraction. It looks like a TV show and will have two actors leading just 40 guests through the weird and wonderful world of becoming a 'LEGO Master'. Often restaurants at theme parks are just refuelling stops bathed in grease. Not so at LEGO House with Mini Chef. Kathrine insists they 'serve proper food'. She is right, just that it is served by robots. The delightful Robert and Roberta dispense our lunchboxes. We choose our meals – mine is falafel followed by a delicious cauliflower curry – on the screen at our table then insert our orders – built, of course, in LEGO. Kathrine insists there will only ever be one LEGO House, but there are 11 LEGOLAND theme parks globally. The original, of course, is in Billund. LEGOLAND may no longer be owned by LEGO, but the second-biggest tourist attraction in Denmark outside Copenhagen swirls around the brick. We spend a whole day at LEGOLAND. Again, it proves, for me, surprisingly enjoyable. The Billund incarnation is much more laidback than the frenetic Windsor one. My teens enjoy bashing around rides that may not have the adrenaline wows of Florida's parks, but are fun for us all to share together. If you're visiting the LEGO House, a visit to the adjacent theme park remains essential. For busier times, they have an efficient fast-track system too – 'Reserve and Ride'. Heading home, I'd expected the kids would be sated with LEGO. Instead Tara is gleaming with the LEGO kit she bought by the designer who was casually signing boxes in the LEGO House, and Emma insists the first thing she is going to do when she gets home is get out her LEGO. I may well be joining her. For more information on LEGO House, see Make sure to book ahead for the house, the Mini Chef experience and the LEGO Masters Academy
Nylon
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Nylon
LEGO creates She Built That campaign to empower a new generation of girl builders
It's always been said that girls grow up with Barbie dolls and boys grow up with LEGO but over the years, this stereotype has changed and LEGO is looking to redefine and reclaim what it means to be a builder, and celebrate the female creativity. Image courtesy of LEGO. In a recent global research commissioned by The LEGO Group, it found that 80% of adults polled believed that society still viewed boys as naturally better builders than girls; which often led to girls and mothers undervaluing their own building skills compared to boys and their fathers. The study also uncovered a confidence gap in children, with girls rating themselves lower in building abilities than boys, and finding it hard to think of themselves as someone who is good at building things. Through the She Built That campaign, The LEGO Group aims to challenge societal stereotypes that stifle any girl's potential and inspire the next generation of female builders. Image courtesy of LEGO. With creative play, LEGO hopes to unlock every girl's creative confidence and inspire them to see themselves as creators and pioneers through their bigger portfolio of LEGO that caters to diverse interests and passions so that girls can create endless worlds across various themes such as LEGO Friends, Disney, Botanicals, Creator, and Gabby's Dollhouse. 42671 LEGO Friends Plant Café & Flower Shop. Image courtesy of LEGO. 42663 LEGO Friends Friendship Camper Van Adventure. Image courtesy of LEGO. Among these exciting and fun LEGO sets is the 42671 LEGO Friends Plant Café & Flower Shop that is designed to inspire the creation of friendship stories using elements such as a flower store, café with outdoor seating and LEGO Friends Aliya, Esma and Nugget the Cat. There's also a 42663 LEGO Friends Friendship Camper Van Adventure for girls who love camping and adventures. 43267 LEGO Disney Princess Castle & Royal Pets. Image courtesy of LEGO. 43278 LEGO Disney Princess Mini Arendelle Castle & Elsa's Ice Palace. Image courtesy of LEGO. For girls who love their Disney princesses, the detailed 43267 LEGO Disney Princess Castle & Royal Pets and 43278 LEGO Disney Princess Mini Arendelle Castle & Elsa's Ice Palace are the ones to get with their interactive play elements such as the movable furniture and the inclusion of well-loved characters Ariel, Rapunzel, Mulan, Elsa, Anna, and the first-ever Mushu character. 43249 LEGO Disney Stitch. Image courtesy of LEGO. 43257 LEGO Disney Angel. Image courtesy of LEGO. Disney fans can also build and bring their beloved 43249 LEGO Disney Stitch and 43257 LEGO Disney Angel to life for more storytelling or as a fun display. 10347 LEGO Botanicals Petite Sunny Bouquet. Image courtesy of LEGO. 103349 LEGO Botanical Happy Plants. Image courtesy of LEGO. 31169 LEGO Creator Typewriter with Flowers. Image courtesy of LEGO. Girls who would like to flex their creativity muscles can consider the 10347 LEGO Botanicals Petite Sunny Bouquet or the 103349 LEGO Botanical Happy Plants to arrange and create their own beautiful, cheerful floral display. There's even a 31169 LEGO Creator Typewriter with Flowers for those who like to build a combination of things. As part of the campaign, LEGO has also re-imagined Run D.M.C.'s hip-hop track 'It's Like That' into a vibrant celebration of girls' creativity together with its Global Girls Crew featuring US teen scratch sensation and spinner-to-the-stars DJ Livia, 15-year-old British drumming prodigy Nandi Bushell, Chinese alt-pop icon Canine, and Dutch-Surinamese vocalist Pink Oculus. Check out the music video below.
Campaign ME
07-05-2025
- Business
- Campaign ME
Customer centricity: Embracing the outside-in perspective
Marketing and brand management have undergone significant changes in the past decade, mainly driven by rapid advancements in technology and their impact on customers' daily lives. Widespread internet access, the evolution of e-commerce, the availability of information, and more recently, the rise of AI, have shifted the balance of power from brands to customers. This shift allows customers to set the narrative and influence brand perception and behavior. Looking back 50 years ago, communication was mainly one-way, with brands controlling the storyline, and customers being highly influenced by advertising through traditional channels. Today, with the democratisation of the internet, customers can set the narrative, access unbiased sources of information, and influence the rise or fall of a brand. Social media has further accelerated this shift in power, enabling customers to directly shape brand perception and drive conversations. So, what does this mean, and how has it impacted the way organisations behave and bring their products or offerings to market? Simply put, it has made the concept of the customer is king truer than ever – not only for customer brands but also for any brand that wants to lead in its sector and remain profitable. It has opened a direct dialogue between brands and customers, allowing customers to voice their opinions on the good, the bad, and the ugly. Customers now demand that brands listen, take their feedback seriously, and act on it. This shift ensures that customer satisfaction is prioritised over profit-making. We have seen numerous examples of this shift, such as the case of Volkswagen in 2015, when it was discovered that the company had installed software in diesel engines to mislead emissions tests. This resulted in billions of dollars in fines, a significant drop in sales, and long-term damage to the brand's reputation. On the other hand, LEGO, which faced declining sales and financial difficulties in the early 2000s, engaged with its community, incorporating feedback into product development. This led to the successful launch of lines like LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Friends, resulting in a resurgence in popularity and significant business growth for the brand. While the strength of this argument is clear for business-to-customer (B2C) brands, the same applies for business-to-business (B2B) brands as well. The shift in the relationship between customers and brands supports the importance of putting the customer at the center of any go-to-market strategy, making a customer-centric approach more critical than ever. Understanding the customer's needs, pain points, and decision-making drivers is necessary for any brand to succeed and differentiate itself from competitors. Deeply understanding customers and identifying key insights that encourage an emotional connection is essential for standing out and building customer loyalty. Below is a closer look at the key benefits of making customer wants and needs key drivers of strategy: Building sticky relationships: Enabling customers to feel that a brand understands their issues and is committed to providing the appropriate solutions will help build a strong emotional connection, keeping the brand top of mind. This fosters loyalty and trust, encouraging customers to return. Research reveals that 88% of customers who trust a brand will buy again. Sticky relationships are not easy to build; they take work, but once established, the benefits are well worth it. Trusted companies outperform their peers by up to 400 per cent in terms of market value, according to Deloitte research. Relevant innovation: Keeping an open dialogue and gathering feedback is a great way to gain relevant insights that can drive innovation. Innovation should address clear customer needs to make it relevant and enable adoption. Increased loyalty and trust: When customers are happy and feel understood, they are more likely to return, ensuring a more consistent revenue flow. In line with human nature, people tend to gravitate towards what they know and trust – change is not always easy or comfortable. Therefore, it's very important for companies to prioritise a positive customer experience at the core of their strategy. This approach helps build brand loyalty and affinity, encourages customers to prioritise the company's products or services, and motivates them to refer their friends or leave positive reviews. All of this will help the business retain revenue and attract new customers. Increased and accelerated growth: Focusing on customer needs will often lead to upselling and cross-selling opportunities. Knowing a client's challenges allows brands to think strategically about more ways to cater to those needs. This not only makes customers feel more understood but also increases their openness to considering additional services, which will lead to business growth. It's a win–win situation for all. An example to illustrate all of the above is Patagonia, which has been successful in building trust with customers while positioning itself as environmentally friendly. By being transparent with their customer base, sharing information about their production process, and showing that they put their money where their mouth is, Patagonia has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability. The company is honest about its sourcing; upfront honesty has paid off for them, retaining a loyal customer base and gaining trust. Their openness has also driven innovation, which has led Patagonia to look for more ways to bring sustainability to the core of their business, ultimately leading to significant business growth. Patagonia's brand promise isn't just a slogan — it shapes every element of their business. According to an article on Statista, Patagonia has achieved annual sales of over $1bn for three consecutive years, starting in 2019. It is important to note that profit figures from the company are not publicly available. Taking the outside view and bringing it in is not an easy task. It requires time and effort to truly understand audiences and gain the right insights. This process often requires combining various data points and personal information to understand the customer journey, while still keeping market trends in focus. When applied consistently across an organisation, this approach offers a competitive edge, driving sustainable revenue growth and success. For organisations to truly succeed, gathering relevant customer centric insights must be a core element of their strategic planning. They need to be intentional about acquiring these insights and allocate the necessary funds and resources to do so. While this investment may seem significant at first, it is one that is bound to produce substantial returns in the long run. By Nour Khoury, Brand Communications and Marketing Leader, Deloitte Middle East
