LEGO news: AFOLs, actors of innovation

Here's a bit of reading (English only, I couldn't find a French version) for anyone who wants to learn more about LEGO's strategy for working with the AFOL community.

The article published in June 2013 that you can download in PDF format at this address is the result of a study conducted from 2003 to 2011 into the relationships that increasingly link the manufacturer and the brand's adult fans / customers when it comes to innovation and new products.

We discover in particular that since 1998 more than 20 AFOLs have been hired as designers by LEGO, that LEGO is following more and more closely the proposals made by the fan community, saving in the process a little money in research and development. is obviously talking about Cuusoo, the initiative of Lisa Taylor who, allergic to metals used in low-end jewelry, launched her own range of brick-based jewelry in collaboration with the manufacturer ...

We also learn that the range of Modular Buildings launched in 2007 is the result of a consultation with fans who suggested to LEGO to produce a series of sets allowing to reconstitute an urban space, that Jamie Berard, AFOL of his state, was then hired to get the project started, and several other AFOLs then joined the team in charge of this range, etc ...

The authors of the study also go there for their advice to enable manufacturers who want to bring their most talented fans into their new product development process: More contacts, more surveys, precise tracking and targeting of members of the the most active community and able to actively participate in the development of new products, the establishment of collaborative platforms such as Cuusoo which make it possible to assess the interest of the community and the general public for a possible new product, etc. ...

I stop there, there is a lot to read and learn from this very interesting article.

If you are fluent in English, go for it. You can download the PDF file to the Hoth Bricks server at this address: The Benefits and Challenges of Collaborating with User Communities.