It’s understandable of course that LEGO would want to expand into as many markets all over the world as it could, to get more consumers for its toys and affiliated products. But they’ve also got their pedigree as an educational aid to add a learning element to their marketing campaigns.
There’s been a trend of a reduction in LEGO sales for several of its original market countries. But in China, LEGO’s still a relatively recent newcomer, and that gives the company an advantage in establishing itself. By partnering with Chinese schools, they plan to promote the LEGO brand and make it a household name like what we in other parts of the world.
Jacob Kragh, general manager of LEGO China, notes that their educational collaboration with the school system in the country would “generate a new and more progressive way of teaching science, technology and maths”. This link would provide select Chinese schools with LEGO sets as special teaching tools.
This initiative hopes to help improve motor skills, creativity and attention spans in Chinese schoolchildren, all while letting them have fun. Local institutions, private schools and the state education department have all corresponded with LEGO to better determine which academies and such could benefit from a gift LEGO collection.
The LEGO Group’s chief marketing officer Julia Goldin remarked on the great level of interest by the People’s Republic government on the use of LEGO “to develop children’s creativity, to develop some of the soft skills like global collaboration, problem-solving [and] communication” in schools. Chinese parents have also expressed support.
LEGO has had a factory in Jiaxing, China since 2015. It was also only late last year that they received legal branding assurances in the country with the distinction of “well-known trademark” to protect against notorious Chinese knockoffs. Other co-ventures by LEGO in China include a partnership with Tencent.
