On a trip to the Lego store at my local mall I came across a display for the “Lego Mini Monthly Build” program. This program gives a small (<40 pieces), free kit, based on a seasonal theme to fans who arrive at an appointed time. A great idea that flows nicely with other trends in ecommerce/retail:
+ Borrows from other successful industry trends – In this case blind box urban vinyl popularized by Kid Robot. Like Kid Robot, these slick designs are hidden until the last minute, rare, and highly collected.
+ Creates an “Appointment Dynamic” – I don’t want to lump this project in in with the fad du jour of “Gamification”, but it is part of a trend of companies that have turned what were once discreet purchases into an ongoing, regularly scheduled product experience. BirchBox and Foodzie are other examples of this subscription based commerce.
+ Two way communication – Some of the designs are created by the users and Lego actively solicits customers to suggest the next year’s design.
I have no idea if this gooses sales any more than releasing another Star Wars based kit, but it seems like a great way to foster engagement at a relatively low cost and a reminder that “co-creation” can be fostered as much by the calendar as cool technology.
Related articles
- LEGO Gears of War Lancer Assault Rifle (techeblog.com)
- Lego bricks meet iPhone with Life of George augmented reality game (geek.com)
- Lego Introducers Lego Mini Modulars Set (shoppingblog.com)
- How a father-son Lego project turned into our latest app. (jacksonfish.com)
