The building blocks of life: Lego!

I was looking at tweets from the Economist and I noticed an article relating to "Toy makers". You might think the toy makers Lego are as far removed from any Life Science business as it is possible. But all businesses share common elements, and I was curious to know why Lego had come to the attention of the Economist. Two things interested me. First, I like the Economists's "daily chart" in which they showcase data in the form of an "infographic". The presentation of Scientific data (like any set of numbers or observations) is central to ensuring the next stage in an experiment is as informed as possible and that its significance is fully recognised. Data presentations are also a key component in communicating Science to an audience whether they be experts, funding agencies, students, politicians or any member of the public. In my view, this is the responsibility of all Scientists. 

Back to the Economist. The Danish plastic brick makers claim that everyone on the planet owns on average 86 blocks! Its profits and numbers of employees have both doubled over the last 5 years, during which time its major competitors have more or less "flatlined". One of the key elements to their growth has been diversification. Their first foray into cinema, "The Lego Movie" made $70m in its first weekend of release. Then there has been the release of themed sets, such as the Star Wars series and the growth of Lego theme parks. All of this illustrates that once a brand becomes established and trusted, it becomes a platform for the expansion and diversification of business opportunities. Compare this with Unilever, who were early pioneers in branding and innovative marketing in the UK (as Lever Brothers originally). I recently read Charles Wilson's fascinating "History of Unilever": just a look at the web link will show you that they utilise a multiple branding model, which relies on the company name rather than their major product. So when you ar looking at Business Planning, don't confine yourselves to me-too companies, look a little farther afield. There are certainly business models that are tried and tested that relate to classes of products (just think of breakfast cereal and washing powder advertising), but innovative Science must be combined with business innovation in order to improve the chances of business success.