If there is one brand that has learned how to grow a devoted fan base and bring together a global community, it’s toy giant Lego. Spanning generations of brick-building fanatics, it’s become a rite of passage for a child to be given one of its sets while growing up somewhere in the world, creating a new fan (and customer) potentially for life.
Having amassed a database of millions through various touch points, Lego has revamped its loyalty strategy with the creation of Lego Insiders.
In the works for nearly three years, Lego Insiders will replace the brand’s commercial initiative, Lego VIP, which was launched in 2009 as a free loyalty program. The new platform offers Insiders exclusive access to the Lego creative community and the chance to win points to spend on merchandise and play sets.
Inside the plan for Lego Insiders
Jason Whiting, global director of Lego Insiders, told Adweek the company reviewed about 500 naming suggestions to find the right one.
“This is really resonating, bringing people closer to the brand and bringing them inside,” he explained. “You’re going to get something not just when you’re transacting with us, but also when you’re engaging with us.
“The second part is where everyone is welcome, and that was important to really communicate that inclusiveness that is reflective of the brand, but also needs to be reflective of the membership.”
This entire strategy is built around really getting to know the end user.
Jason Whiting, global director, Lego Insiders
The move will unify the company’s separate memberships and logins for Lego VIP, checkout, Lego Life magazine, Lego app and Lego Ideas. The users who were previously members will be automatically referred to join Lego Insiders.
The process involved bringing together the four different teams handling each of the digital experiences to combine their missions within the new platform.
“We all had to get together and say, ‘Hey, listen, it’s not about our own individual experiences. It’s about, how does it come to life for the user? And we must work together to make this work for them.’ And that was really that first step,” he explained.
“This entire strategy is built around really getting to know the end user, having a direct relationship with them and being able to nurture them into a lifelong passion for these products.”
The hunt to deliver new experiences
To launch the initiative and drive registrations, Lego has released a six-week global treasure hunt in which users will seek out millions of prizes hidden within their bricks at home using augmented reality.
Prizes include points to spend within the Lego Insiders Rewards Center, as well as being able to unlock digital downloads of images from across the company’s history.
Also available to Insiders will be the ability to share designs, vote on other fans’ designs and potentially see their own creations become a real Lego set. Registrants must be 18 or older to hold an account; however, children that already hold verified accounts will retain them.
“We’re a very digital world at this point, but we’re a very physical product and that’s what people really love about what we do. But we know there’s an opportunity to cross into those spaces,” said Whiting.
Alongside the Treasure Hunt, marketing will include takeovers in store and on Lego’s owned channels. Organic and paid social media will be pushed to build awareness of the campaign and of the rebrand to Lego Insiders.
“You’ve seen it in our games over the years, and some of the different sets now we have digital building instructions. But people still enjoy the physical building experience and being able to disconnect. So we want to make sure, as an inclusive brand, we’re really allowing for both.”
It’s a fundamental business imperative that they know pays dividends for both the future of the brand and the bottom line.
Zoe Scaman, founder, Bodacious
Innovation and inclusion are key pillars of the Lego marketing playbook, said chief product and marketing officer Julia Goldin. Earlier this week, Goldin announced the launch of Braille Bricks, which include printed letters, numbers and symbols on each brick. In the cover story for our 2023 Brand Genius issue, Goldin said the Lego journey is about building “direct and personal relationships with all our fans, whether they come from the digital to the physical world, or vice versa.”
Zoe Scaman, founder of brand innovation strategy studio Bodacious, described Lego as having been a “pioneer” in fandom, community building and understanding ownership of direct audience engagement platforms.
“Lego Insiders promises to be the anchor point for all their initiatives moving forward and will tie together the threads for customers, from physical products through to gaming and virtual worlds, to real-world experiences, shared community creativity, positive play and much more,” she said.
“If other brands are looking for a benchmark when it comes to how to cultivate, empower and collaborate with fans, they need to look no further than Lego—because it’s not a fad to them, it’s a fundamental business imperative that they know pays dividends for both the future of the brand and the bottom line,” Scaman added.
“We don’t look at this as a one-day or one year engagement experience,” said Whiting, who was previously head of loyalty and director of membership for Lego. “We’re talking generational loyalty. These are people who have loved the brand as a child and, as a parent, have nurtured that with their own child—we want to celebrate that.”
