Lego has just moved up in the toy world, passing Hasbro to become the second largest toymaker on the planet.(US-based Mattel, maker of Barbie and American Girl dolls, remains the world's top toymaker.)
One big reason for Lego's continued increase in sales and market share: the global success of the best-selling Friends play sets for girls.
Another big reason: Lego's Chima sets, which feature animals--especially popular in China, a market being targeted for additional marketing attention. 'Asia has not been a major focus for us as a company up until this point, but we see now with the emerging middle class, more and more consumers that are really interested in our ... products', the Chief Financial Officer tells Reuters. Not surprisingly, Lego will be building a factory in China so it can meet growing demand for its bricks and figurines.
Lego also has some highly popular brand licenses (Star Wars, for example) and marketing partners that have licensed its brand (such as Merlin Entertainment). The company's knowledge of customer behaviour, branding expertise, product development skills and distribution savvy have all contributed to its worldwide success.
In UK shops and online stores, Lego's products are often featured on special themed shelves and pages. Argos has web pages devoted only to Lego, as do Amazon and Toys 'R' Us. This allows display of the full Lego range and keeps the focus on the brand and its unique personality.
