...HBS’s The Lego Group: Publish or Protect? Innovation and Intellectual Property Project 10.12.2014 Lego Group is the worlds’ fourth largest toy manufacturer. Their core product is a construction play design which allows for bricks to interlock together to design pre-designed or unique creations. In terms of volume and precision, the company relays on their core competence of “high volume precision molding” and has developed further strategies and technologies to ensure their growth and success in the area. The company is therefore faced with the difficulty in deciding how to protect this internal process and technology. Should this information be patented, kept as a trade secret, or published? This paper explores the options and proposes a possible solution for Lego Group, through careful research and analysis. Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Main Body 3. Conclusion 4 Bibliography Who is Lego Group? Lego Group was founded in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kritiansen in Billund, Denmark. In the beginning Lego Group made wooden toys and later (1946) changed their production to plastic interlinking building bricks after purchasing their first Plastic Moulding Machine. Lego group states that the “brick is their most important product” and although they have continued their almost 100 year expansion their core product remains to be their brick. In 1958 their “stud-and tube” coupling system was...
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... INTRODUCTION : AIM, OBJECTIVES AND RATIONALE Aim The Aim of this assignment is to choose a toy and critique it using a range of important criteria. Objectives In order to complete this assignment I intent to: * Compile a comprehensive checklist of assessment criteria with which to assess any toy, equipment or play space. * Use the checklist to assess my chosen toy. * Write up and evaluate my findings. * Outline and evaluate the role of the adult in relation to the toy. Below an imagine of my chosen toy –Duplo Deluxe Box of Fun Rationale I hope that this will allow me to have a more comprehensive understanding of the development and play value of the toy. To see how “Lego Duplo Box”, the toy I have chosen, stands up in relation to play and development values and if there are many changes required to improve it....
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...DSP #1 Argosy University - Atlanta Aziz is a 11.5-month-old, bi-racial male who was born on May 17, 2012. His mother is from Haiti and his father is from Senegal, Africa. At birth, Aziz weighed 10 pounds 9 ounces and was 23 inches long, which are all above average for newborn boys. Currently, Aziz's weight is reported to be 32 pounds, and his height is reported to be 29 inches tall, which places him in the above average percentile for weight, and above average percentiles for length. The observation of Aziz occurred on May 9, 2013, beginning at approximately 7:05 pm and ending at 8:00 pm. The observation took place at Aziz's home, where he resides with his father, mother, and two older brothers (5yrs-old/8 yrs-old). Observations of the home indicated that the family was upper middle class. During the observation period, Aziz's mother and two brothers were present. The three areas of development that were the focus of this observation included biosocial, cognitive, and psychosocial. It was reported that a typical day for Aziz is spent with his 5-year-old brother in his mother's care. His day starts with waking in the morning at 7:00 am. His father and 8-year-old brother have to get ready for work and the school bus. This activities wake up the whole family. Aziz's mother prepares breakfast and dresses Aziz and his 5-year-old brother for the day. His mother is a member of a ladies neighborhood group of stay-at-home moms. The group normally meets at the subdivision...
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...Health and Safety Checklist Age of Children 2 1/2 & 3 Students Name: Carnieshia Simons Date of Observation: March 18, 2013 Time observation began 9-3pm Building Blocks PreSchool While visiting Building Blocks Preschool's 2 1/2 and 3 year class on March 18, 2013 I had the opportunity to observe there class from the start of the learning day up until 3:00pm. Space: As I entered the class room I noticed that the classroom was in good repair as well as clean and accessible to the young individuals I did not notice any thing out of place everything was well put together. As far as light was concearned there was not enough sun light to enter the room being that the class room was in the back of the building. There is no door in the classroom that leads to the outside only the one window. There was more than enought space to move freely as far children with disabilities there are no students that attend Building Blocks with any know physical disabilities. The shape of the classroom is a rectangle where all children are in sight and sound of the teachers at all times. Shelfs were at height and arms reach of the children shelfs were accessible to the child so no needed assistance was needed by the teachers. As I walked around the classroom I observed that all sockets were covered and there were no hanging cords around that the child could have access to. The cabinets that cleaning solutions are kept in are labled and locked with a child resistant strap. The...
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...Short Answers 1. Explain the factors that may influence the organisation in adopting RM. 2. Suggest for a company with which you are familiar. Where would you place the company on the hypothetical RM/TM continuum? What factors led to your decision to place them at this point on the continuum? 3. What are the differences between Relationship Marketing and Transactional Marketing? 4. What effect do switching costs have on a relationship? 5. Explain the association between risk, salience and emotion. Part B: Case Study Lego is one of the world’s largest toy manufacturers. It is estimated that more than 400 million children and adults play with Lego each year. However, despite being voted the nation’s favourite toy for a number of successive years and a YouGov pool into the top ten favourite toys of the past century showing Lego as the clear winner (ahead of computer games, teddy bears, Meccano and train sets!) Lego is in serious financial difficulty! With an annual revenue of over £1 billion and employing around 8000 people in North and South America, Asia and Europe, the company has posted a loss for a number of consecutive years. After attempting unsuccessfully to redress its losses with new products such as computer games, the company is attempting to restructure so as to focus on its core values. As Frank Martin, of Hornby toys states, “Children are still interested in Playing. Blaming the TV or computer...
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...physical toys. Children are playing computer games at a younger age, eroding the share of their playtime that was once dominated by toys. 1.2.2 Demographics In developed countries, aging population coupled with lowering birth rates are the primary driving forces for industry players going forward. I believe that this should provide implications on the future directions that LEGO should take. 1.2 External Environment – SWOT Analysis 1.3.3 Strengths and Opportunities The LEGO brand itself is entrenched deeply within the building toys industry. This strength is especially valuable to certain sub-industries under the broader toys industry such as infants’ toys and serious gaming. LEGO is also a trusted brand in education and with parents. LEGO can leverage on this strong brand name to perhaps explore opportunities in non-traditional markets such as the silver industry. LEGO, being an established brand that the older generations are familiar with, can expand into these industries. In addition, the trend towards more playtimes spent on computer games opens up the digital market for LEGO as well. The culture of innovation and LEGO’s unique product offering – providing building blocks for players to create and invent is a valuable and complex strength embedded in its organizational culture that can be used to reliably gain a foothold in the digital games market. 1.3.4 Weaknesses and Threats The consolidation of licenses under Disney, coupled with LEGO’s...
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...5. Summarize the strategic risks using the Strategic Risk Management framework and map the risks on the LEGO PAPA model. The LEGO Group uses a four step Strategic Risk Management model which is comprised of Enterprise Risk Management, Monte Carlo Simulations, Active Risk and Opportunity Planning, and Preparing for Uncertainty. Using the Strategic Risk Management Framework, there are many different risks on the pyramid that the LEGO Group are open to. They are shaded and explained below. Customer Risk—LEGO’s products are geared to younger children. It needs to fulfill otherwise unmet customer needs in the Asian market to make a presence and gain market share in that market. “Market research firms noted a strong preference for preschool and educational toys in most emerging Asian economies. For example, Chinese sales of scientific/educational toys and construction toys had grown 20% between 2009 and 2010.” The LEGO Group has a plethora of construction toys and it prides itself on its ability to use consumer insight in product development. “Anyone can get consumer insight, but many people have a hard time dissecting this information and utilizing it in their product development.”1 We believe LEGO should proceed with caution and do more research because their own focus groups with Chinese mothers contradicts the preference above. “The post-eighties mums grew up in this hard school paradigm. They don’t want to offer their kids that same experience. These parents want...
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...LEGOLAND® Deutschland eröffnete im Jahr 2002 im bayrischen Günzburg, nahe der Autobahn 8 München - Stuttgart, seine Pforten ворота und ist der zweite Versuch попытка einen LEGO®-Park in Deutschland zu etablieren основывать. Den ersten Versuch gab es 1973-1976 in Sierksdorf, allerdings scheiterte неудалось,Dieser und wurde 1977 als Hansaland, dem heutigen Hansa Park, neu eröffnet. Viel durchgestylter hingegen, und mit den besten Attraktionen der weltweit drei anderen LEGO® Parks - Billund (1968), Windsor (1996), Kalifornien (1999) - ausgestattet, geht LEGOLAND® Deutschland an den Start. Allen Parks gemeinsam ist die einzigartige неповторимое Mischung aus Unterhaltung техническое обслуживание, und spielerischem Lernen, wobei причем das Miniland das Herzstück ядро jedes Parks ist. Das Miniland ist der maßstabsgetreue естественный масштаб Nachbau (1:20) berühmter Städte und Landschaften. Hierbei wird viel Wert ценный auf die Details gelegt, denn in fast jeder Szene gibt es sich bewegende движущиеся Objekte, die gerade den besonderen Witz ausmachen включена. Rund um das Miniland versammeln sich сосредотачиваются die fünf weiteren Themenbereiche тематические зоны (ohne Eingangsbereich) LEGO City, Knights Kingdom, Imagination, Land der Abenteuer und LEGO X-treme. Für ein Investitionsvolumen объем капиталовложений von mehr als 150 Millionen Euro wurden hier die Highlights der anderen Parks gebaut, darunter der Feuerdrache огнедышащий дракон oder die Projekt X - Teststrecke...
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...This is one of Nathan Sawaya’s signature piece titled “Yellow”. At a glance, the first words that we think of are ‘yellow’, ‘Lego’ and ‘torn’. However, if we look at this sculpture patiently, then more complicated and abstract words like ‘repent’, ‘suffering’, and “absolvent” come to mind. The reason I found this exhibit so intriguing is because of the world of opposite going on within it. Play bricks or Lego, which are such simple and innocent play toys for children have been used to construct a sculpture which has a very eerie and dark vibe emitting from it. The color ‘yellow’ too, adds to this one of a kind ‘unity in conflict’. One would associate yellow with happiness, laughter and maybe even hope. However, the kinds of emotion and sentiment this sculpture screams out are those of a darker shade like black and maroon. I believe this unison of light and dark elements of the sculpture is what gives it its balanced and at the same time, intriguing appeal. My imagination makes me believe that light plays a very important role in the whole exhibit. Without the lighting, the ‘story’ would be incomplete. The sculpture looks up as if it were reaching out to a higher, more divine entity. There are several interpretations that resonate in the sculpture - A devotee performing a cleansing ritual for the God he believes in, a sinner in the middle of a confession, a commoner trying to relieve himself of stress or maybe even a lover ‘pouring his heart out’ to his long lost love! Imagination...
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...3 STEPS TO LEGO GROUP FINANCIAL TURNAROUND * Easy, Fast & Quick Results EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Rivkin, Thomke and Beyersdorfer (2013) suggested in 2004, the market size of the toy industry is worth $61% billion in the wholesales revenue, with a steady growth of 4% per year in the retail market for toys. Thousands of toymakers flourish the market to serve global demand while keeping track of the 3 new trends in the industry which are toys demand rise while product life cycles decline, children has less time to play, and lastly increase demand of technology integration in physical toy or online worlds. Changes in conduct of competitors have change as witnessed by manufacturing in Asia, entering diverse retail channels and engaging in heavy marketing efforts. Therefore, we recommends LEGO Group to first, bring back LEGO DUPLO concepts and offer to unexplored market by establish strategic partnerships. Second, increase investment in R&D of new product designs and innovations. Third, adopt internal supply chain monitoring system and LEGO retailers’ system integrator. As external analysis has suggested increase of retail competition sector in the toy industry and this will have effect on LEGO Group because internal analysis shows that firms have high operational costs and as a result the firm is making no profit. By implementing these recommendations LEGO Group will achieve lower operational cost, establish sustained competitive advantages which will led to higher market shares...
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...and be. When going to any type of toy store, people can clearly see difference between the toys for girls and the toys for boys. Even the simplest of toys are separated by gender just because of the color scheme that it holds. Legos are simple toy blocks, but they have two separate sets, one for girls and one for boys. The appearance of the toy, the activities of each set, and the packaging of the toy reinforces stereotypes and the connotative meaning of boys and girls. One difference between the girl and boy Legos are their packaging. The packaging of the girl and boy Lego sets are almost completely different. The boy packaging has dark colors, such as blues, blacks, greens, yellows and reds. Some of the boy packaging also has just boys playing with the Legos on the front of it. When it comes to the boys’ Legos none of the colors are bright and colorful, but the girls’ Legos...
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...Through Younger Eyes Child Observation Paper Courtney Beck Spoon River College Through Younger Eyes Child Observation Paper On May 5th, 2009, I was blessed with my son, I will call him Timmy for this paper. He is now five and a half years old, has brown hair, hazel eyes, average weight and a little taller than his classmates. He is my only child and I am sure there are many great excuses I could use in order to explain our circumstances, but the main factor is I had him at a young age before I was ready or had any idea how raising a child can make you, break you, shake you and wake you up, especially going at it alone. I suppose many choose their children as an easy way out or a more convienient way to get an assignment done in situations such as this one, however I decided to observe my son so I can grow as a mother. It also gave me the opportunity to learn more about him on a deeper level. Of course we observe our children everyday as parents, but do we really take it all in or just do it by natural force. With that being said, now it is time to get down to it. Observing a child, we can see how a young person thinks, plays and interacts with the world around them. Observing him while playing with his toys was an easy route because it is the only activity that allowed me to watch him for a longer period of time without him noticing persay. I observed his physical attitute, his individual way of thinking along with memory skills and what his likes and dislikes were....
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...Part 1: Background info In 2004, Lego found itself losing up to $1 million dollars a day (page 39), a position no big company wishes to find itself in. It had been determined that new leadership was vital to the company’s survival. As a result, Jorden Vig Knudstorp took over as CEO five years later. Knudstorp immediately noticed poor internal organizational structure that ultimately resulted in frustrated retailers and less shelf space (page 39). Knudstorp successfully cut production costs by creating new designs. He also successfully introduced new markets for Lego products, such as movie collection and video game products targeting adults and girls. From within the organization of the company, Knudstorp successfully shifted the culture away from ineffective and costly innovation and geared more towards profit. Some of these organizational changes included incentives for developing cost cutting methods, innovation and sales. He also took the initiative to create new markets in the virtual world through video games and movies (page 40). With these changes brought about by Knudstorp, Lego found itself in a situation where they were successfully developing new technology, new methods and a more simplified information of enterprise systems, all which were cost effective and ultimately brought the company back to success. Part 2 (discussion questions at the back of the book) The key change in business strategy was to cut costs and gear more towards profit. The objective was...
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...Alisa Olson MGT405 Section 7 Sunduramurthy 29 November 2012 Case Write Up: LEGO Group LEGO Group has been a successful company in the toy industry since they started in 1949. As of 2010, LEGO remained a privately held company by the Kirk Kristiansen family. Annual sales reached an all-time high equaling over $3.7 billion. The company’s strongest lines were LEGO Star Wars, LEGO City, and LEGO DUPLO. Even though the company has maintained a competitive advantage, they face some seriously threatening issues. Some of the current issues they face are maintaining patents, company acquisitions, court battles, and new competition. In 1984, TYCO introduced Super Blocks, which were almost identical to the plastic brick design that LEGO has. TYCO had advertisements that stated “if you can’t tell the difference, why pay the difference”. LEGO launched a four year lawsuit against them, but by 1988 the patent for LEGO’s building block design expired, so they lost the lawsuit. All the effort against TYCO was wasted. LEGO should have renewed their patent to prevent incidents such as this one from happening. Once this patent expired, the barriers of competition were lowered significantly in the building toy market. In 2009, Disney acquired the comic book company Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. This provided Disney with control over Marvel’s vast catalogue of over 5,000 comic book characters to be used in future publishing, movie production, and licensing operations. This was...
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...Case Studies Lego The Danish company Lego is one of the most famous brands in the world when it comes to children’s toys and has grown since it was founded in 1932 into a global business. Its origins lie with Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund (where the firm is still based) who bought a woodworking business in 1916 and made furniture for local farmers. For various reasons he shifted his production range in the 1930s to make children’s toys and in 1934 named the company ‘Lego’ from the Danish words leg and godt, meaning ‘play well’. His early products - wooden pull toys, piggy banks, cars and trucks – were reasonably successful but a key turning point for the business came in the 1940s when they began making plastic toys including a truck which could be taken apart and re-assembled. In 1949 Lego began producing a set of interlocking bricks (based on an original patent by the UK Kiddicraft company for which they bought the rights) made from cellulose acetate and using an early version of a hollow design with holes and studs. The now familiar Lego bricks appeared on the market in 1953 but were not initially very successful, partly due to poor perceptions amongst consumers and retailers of plastic toys. The key was probably the emergence of the idea of a building system based on interlocking bricks – an idea which took some time to develop and is closely linked to the son of the founder, Godtfred Kirk Christiansen. His discussions with buyers, especially in the USA...
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