New AFOL Survey

[Staff]

LEGO wants to hear from you! It's been awhile since I posted a survey that was communicated to us through the Ambassador program, but this one is a little more substantial than the last. Some of the questions are ambiguous, so it's unclear exactly what LEGO is fishing for.

Also, if you're not a member of any actual LUG, be sure to put down FBTB. :-D

Access the survey.
---
Permalink: http://www.fbtb.net/2011/06/30/new-afol-survey/

[that guy]

Wow, that was a strange little survey. Either they're self-conscious about treating some AFOLs better than others or there have been some serious complaints. Not that we'll ever get any communication (ironic as it is) about what they are really after here.

[cas]

I took the survey, but I wasn't really sure how to answer those "fan treatment" questions. I live in an area devoid of any sort of Lego user group or organization, the nearest Lego brand store is 400 miles away, so I'm fairly isolated when it comes to Lego, so I said no.

[Mofo Jones]

That was an odd survey. I said that I would not want there to be uniform treatment of all fans if it were to lessen or cheapen the experience for all. I know of a couple of LUGs near me, but I don't have the time or inclination to join them.

[MrCRskater]

Yeah, those questions were a little strange. However, I answered "yes" as I do feel a little shorted on the LEGO experience, simply because I don't live near a LEGO brand store. They're really the only places that LEGO offers fun events and specialty items (keychains, hard-to-find items, etc.), but unless you live in CA, Chicago, or on the east coast, you can't really partake. It bums me out!

[cas]

I do feel a little shorted on the LEGO experience, simply because I don't live near a LEGO brand store. They're really the only places that LEGO offers fun events and specialty items (keychains, hard-to-find items, etc.), but unless you live in CA, Chicago, or on the east coast, you can't really partake. It bums me out!

This is exactly what I was thinking when I was answering, but I figured there wasn't anything I could do about it. Lego isn't going to put a brand store in my area, probably ever, so it doesn't matter how I feel. I miss out on tons of cool Lego stuff, but living where I do, I miss out on tons of cool everything anyway.

[pogsklinc]

Yeah, those questions were a little strange. However, I answered "yes" as I do feel a little shorted on the LEGO experience, simply because I don't live near a LEGO brand store. They're really the only places that LEGO offers fun events and specialty items (keychains, hard-to-find items, etc.), but unless you live in CA, Chicago, or on the east coast, you can't really partake. It bums me out!

Exactly how I was thinking. I live in a small town in North Eastern Indiana. The only store we can pick up any exclusives at is WalMart. The closest Toys R Us is over an hour away and I have no idea how far away the nearest LEGO store is. I feel quite left out of their events and such as I have no way to get to these stores. I believe that Lego should make their stores more widespread, but honestly, I don't know how many they can open up before they start losing money. At the prices they charge for sets though, I guess they won't be losing money for quite a long time.

[lowlead]

Ya, obtuse couple of questions there. I certainly don't feel slighted in any manner, there are no LEGO stores in Maine, but 3 in Mass, so I'm lucky to be relatively close to all of them...if that's what they were referring to. In the meantime simple demographics would likely preclude a LEGO store in Vacationland, I get it, but it would definitely be a bummer if I didn't have the abilty to drive a few hours and have three stores to visit. I have a feeling the survey was addressing something else. Top secret stuff, I guess.

As far as local LUGs, I do not participate in any, but in my opinion anyone with internet access would be hard-pressed to feel completely isolated from any LEGO experience.

[bigospedros]

I answered honestly since as a Lego fan outside of the US, I think I get a slightly raw deal since we don't get access to exclusive sets (e.g. SW Brickmaster sets) without having to resort to the hugely over inflated after market.

I'm leaving the obvious price difference out of this because we've been there and done that.

[Feralcom]

I answered honestly since as a Lego fan outside of the US, I think I get a slightly raw deal since we don't get access to exclusive sets (e.g. SW Brickmaster sets) without having to resort to the hugely over inflated after market.

I'm leaving the obvious price difference out of this because we've been there and done that.

I commented on the same thing. There are sets that have not been released in the US (though at least one should be coming soon). It would also be nice if we didn't have to wait longer for them, but I understand how that works.

[Chief]

If this survey is coming directly from the Community team, they were/are very concerned with favoritism shown to different sites/LUGs. If I remember a conversation I had with Jim Foulds correctly, they'd heard from some fans that the Community team had been playing favorites with certain people or groups, and that was something Jim wanted to nip in the bud. I don't know which people/group(s) felt they were being favored/ignored.

[Feralcom]

What have people considered favoritism? I look at the different sites and functions and they all seem the same to me.

[GrayMattR]

I've always thought LEGO was very fair with websites and made an effort to allow different ones announce exclusive news. I've never noticed any LUG getting more attention from LEGO than another unless you want to argue that NELUG or the SoCal LUG get more attention but that's because of proximity to the LEGO US headquarters and LEGOLAND. Pretty flimsy complaint if you ask me.

[Chief]

Which SoCal lug? We have lugola in los angeles and sandlug in san diego. Both participate in Lugbulk, and both have done different shows and events with local Lego stores, but that's not exactly receiving attention from Lego itself. And don't let the Legoland name confuse you: the Legoland parks are operated by Merlin Entertainments, not TLG: there is no correlation between The Lego Group's community activity and events Legoland throws like Star Wars days that fans are invited to.

[Daz Hoo]

I don't know which people/group(s) felt they were being favored/ignored.

Well, I for one have been complaining for quite some time that certain LUGs do get more from The LEGO Company (but not necessarely from the Community Team) than others, and it all seems to depend on who you know in the company and where your LUG is located.

For example, I know for a fact that, in the last two or three years, FreeLUG and PLUG have been getting quite a few free sets from their local LEGO representatives, and that those sets weren't destined as prizes or giveaways for the public. I also heard that, in many other areas, LUG members are often asked by LEGO to take part in building events or other community activities organized by LEGO in exchange for discounts, free sets or other compensations.

On the otherhand, here in Quebec, we have one of the largest and most active LUG in Canada, yet we're having a really hard time just getting the time of day from the Canadian LEGO representative. Even more frustrating, he has often referred us event organizers from Quebec seeking the support of The LEGO Company to organize local LEGO shows and/or displays, yet he did not bother to offer us so much as freebies to giveaway to the public.

In short, he relies on us to represent LEGO in our corner of the world, yet offers us very little support to do so. So by comparison to what PLUG and FreeLUG get, I feel that yes, some LUGs do get better deals than we do.

But like I mentioned, this doesn't necessarely reflect the work of the Community Team, but rather a lack of policies and standardization in the relationships between LUGs and their local LEGO representatives.

[legodavee123]

Well, I for one have been complaining for quite some time that certain LUGs do get more from The LEGO Company [...] than others, and it all seems to depend on who you know in the company and where your LUG is located.

Honestly, I think that's true, but I don't have a problem with it.

My honest view is that LEGO owes me nothing, and anything beyond nothing that I receive from them is great. I don't begrudge the nice things that happen to other people or clubs by assuming that I or my club should get equal treatment.

Of course, sure, I'm from NELUG, and as an active member of the community, I've gotten my share of perks over the years from LEGO. But I hold the above viewpoint perhaps because I adopted it in 1999, effectively before LEGO handed out perks to anyone. From our club's founding in 1999 up until 2003, the only thing I remember ever getting from the LEGO company was some "playtable" brick for an event in 2001, where we received a single K8 of bricks. And to do that, we had to go through the same request process that other events did across the country-- we didn't have any real "contacts" at LEGO at the time.

Ever since then, my philosophy has been to volunteer and show up at events, never expecting anything other than to have fun. If some other group got a special deal for doing the same thing, then great for them! You can always spend time lusting after the awesome things that happen to other people (like being invited to the Inside Tour, getting free brick, having special discounts, etc), but it's best not to expect those things, or else you may just end up disappointed.

DaveE

[Daz Hoo]

I don't do shows because I expect something from The LEGO Company for myself. I do shows because, most of all, I want to see the smiles and wide open eyes of the kids the same way I had when I saw my first LEGO exposition.

On the otherhand, it's also very obvious that by doing those shows, I'm directly promoting LEGO and its products, especially when the event organizer was directly referred to me by the marketing director of LEGO Canada. So although I don't expect to get a free set or a discount from LEGO, it would be nice to feel that LEGO is supporting us in some way (just little things to giveaway to the kids would be enough for me).

To clarify, my point isn't that I too should also get the free stuff that other clubs have been getting. My point is that it shouldn't be THAT hard to get promotional items to give away to visitors when other clubs are getting free perks just for themselves.

[furryCuds1z]

I finished the survey. It's interesting that they put out these surveys for AFOl's. I wonder if they actually use the data. Toy makers can use it to find the best toys. It seems like a great way to communicate with customers.

Check out the Top Toys For Christmas 2011 here.

[legodavee123]

My point is that it shouldn't be THAT hard to get promotional items to give away to visitors when other clubs are getting free perks just for themselves.

Just to be clear-- are you suggesting that LEGO routinely gives other LUGs promotional items for visitors to their shows? Or are you saying that LEGO routinely gives other LUGs perks for LUG members (not event visitors)?

The only thing I remember ever getting from LEGO to give away to visitors were catalogs and posters, and that happened twice, in... 2003 maybe? But it left us sitting on piles of unused catalogs that nobody wanted.

I've also heard of LEGO giving away "playtable" brick for visitors to play with, and I've heard a very scant smattering of LEGO giving individual events small polybag sets, minifigs, or printed bricks (like printed Duplo 1x2x2 bricks or 2x4 bricks) for visitors. But those aren't very common to my knowledge-- they're more for things like major conventions, door prizes, and so forth.

What sort of show(s) are you talking about that your club is doing? Train shows? Public expos? Museum displays? Conventions?

DaveE

[Daz Hoo]

QuéLUG participates in a wide variety of events all over the province of Quebec. You can check out the club's Flickr account to see pictures of the different shows we did in the past.

In short, we put together a big train layout at a model train show held every year in the Canadian Railroad Museum (that's where we started out and still our biggest show every year). We also put together a much smaller display (City and Space layouts plus an interactive NXT/Power Functions table) at the Montreal ToyCon (a vendors event) held both in Spring and Fall of each year. For a while, we also participated in demonstrating the NXT capabilities to the public for a local toy shop.

Lately, we'd been asked to participate in two distinct events held at the McCord Museum of Canadian History (that one was directly referred to us by LEGO Canada). Also, more and more small local fairs are asking for displays, but mostly for us to organize and provide them with LEGO related activities (mega-builds, bins of playable bricks, prizes for contests, etc.), and, again, most of them are referred to us by LEGO Canada.

Unfortunately, our club only has a few bins of basic bricks (provided by LEGO Canada after meeting with them at the flag building event in Quebec city), we don't have much experience in organizing and hosting building events, and none of our members has pockets deep enough to provide prizes for draws and things like that.

That leads me and other members of QuéLUG to feel that lately, we've been doing LEGO Canada's promotional work here in Quebec FOR TLC instead of WITH TLC, and without the ressources that the company has normally at its disposal.

The best example of this situation was l provided to us last year. A local charitable organization had contacted LEGO Canada to ask for help in putting together Christmas baskets for families in need. Having been included in the exchange of e-mails by the LEGO Canada rep, many members of our club were willing to volunteer to help out on the weekend that the baskets were to be distributed (the organization makes a big party and invites the families to come and get their baskets), but we all felt like just putting a display would be kind of rubbing the children's face in what they couldn't have.

So we told LEGO Canada that if they were to provide items to give away, we would gladly distribute them to those needing children and families in their name. But there was no answer from LEGO Canada, and we had to drop the project all together.

See what I mean? We weren't asking for discounts or for free sets for us. We were willing to give our time, and all we wanted was a little financial effort from LEGO Canada. So to hear that other club members do get perks just for participating in events organized and led by LEGO (with all of its ressources) is kind of frustrating.