LEGO interview in Monocle
Via the David Report blog I’ve learned of this new magazine Monocle, trying to be “a monthly magazine delivering the most original coverage in global affairs, business, culture and design.”
This spans five fields … ABCDE
– Affairs – A global mix of reportage, essays and interviews with the forces shaping geopolitics
– Business – Devoted to identifying opportunities and inspiring the reader.
– Culture – With a tight group of opinionated columnists, reviewers and interviewers, it delivers the best in film, television, music, media and art.
– Design – Bypassing hype, design is dedicated to unearting emerging and established talent.
– Edits – Bite-sized and thought provoking, Edits are vital life improvements curated in a fast-paced well-researched collection.
Looks interesting, too bad the online site has not much text on it … but there are some videos: I fancied an interview with Lego CEO Jørgen Vig Knudstorp (link to the flash-video file).
Founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Christiansen, Lego started life in the wooden toy business. Derived from the Danish words ‘leg’ (play) and ‘godt’ (well), the company’s play-well concept has turned Lego into one of the most recognised premium toy brands in the world, and one of Denmark’s most iconic companies. An assault from the electronic gaming industry and evaporating play time in Lego’s key age groups means that both Lego and its competitors are having a tough time on shop shelves.
In need of business model innovations, but who isn’t? LEGO is finding some answers while leveraging their deep understanding of design and markets. And they’ve made some cool strategic moves in the past, like the Mindstorm initiatives, that leveraged customer engagement and creativity in a good way early on, that is before it became fashionable to employ “user-generated content” …
