20 THE BIG INTERVIEW DREW BRAZER, LEGO UK Building for growth
Lego is the number one toy firm in the UK this year so far, but faces stiff competition from Mattel and Hasbro. UK and Ireland VP and GM Drew Brazer tells Dominic Sacco just how it is coping with increased competition, its solid plan for double-digit growth, the runaway success of the new Lego Friends brand and living on the same street as a rival toy company boss…
WE’RE NOT going to describe Drew Brazer as the man who saved Lego, partly because he stresses to us that isn’t true.
But he did join Lego’s North American operation as VP of sales in 2003 – a time when the group wasn't at its strongest – and is undoubtedly one of those who helped play a part in its revival following its loss-making years and subsequent supply chain restructure. Today Lego is back on track, having delivered five consecutive years of growth. And Brazer – who moved to England in May 2011 to head up the UK – wants a sixth. “Our goal is to deliver sustainable
double-digit growth and build our market share year in, year out, and we are on track for that,” he explains to ToyNews. “There were a lot of things that
weren’t right with our company around eight or nine years ago. And we worked very hard over the last eight years to improve our business model so we can deliver that consistent growth.
“Right now we are the number one toy company in the UK year-to-date with a 9.1 per cent market share, ahead of Mattel and Hasbro, but we know they will continue to work hard and it will be very competitive for the rest of the year.” And as if he doesn’t need reminding about his rivals further, Brazer coincidentally lives just a few doors away from Mattel’s UK general manager Geoff Walker – a constant reminder of the competition.
LICENCE TO THRILL
Lego stands apart from its rivals with its unique licensed brick-building products, from Harry Potter to Star Wars and [Marvel/DC] Super Heroes to Lord of the Rings. And Ninjago has proved that its internal properties
SEPTEMBER 2012
can prosper too. Plus, the Lego Minifigure was the top-selling toy of 2011, and the new girl-friendly Lego Friends line has smashed internal sales estimates this year, giving Lego a nice-to-have headache. “It’s probably sold at least twice as much [as we anticipated],” adds Brazer. “It’s exceeded all of our expectations.
We launched it on Boxing Day last year and right now it’s hard for us to keep up with the demand, which is a high-class problem. It’s been way more successful than we could have anticipated. Lego Friends will be with us for years and decades to come.”
Brazer names Lego Minifigures and Lego Friends as particular highlights from the firm’s portfolio this year - he even has his own figure (top right)...
Brazer says Lego’s strategy is to find the perfect balance between licensed product and its own internal IPs. “When we look at licences, we ask, which ones have the right target audience? And which can express Lego in the best possible way? We look for properties that are not tied
to one movie. In my mind Star Wars is more than a movie property. It’s part of our culture. When you look at Lord of the Rings, you see a property that will probably have years of relevance ahead of us.
“Back in 2003 we lived and died by the next Star Wars movie. And we