Perhaps the real challenge for organizations looking to find their unique personality is figuring out how to convince clients that newly discovered personality isn’t yet another marketing trick or sales tactic.

When I joined The LEGO Company in 2001, the makers of those ubiquitous plastic bricks had all but flat ignored the adult LEGO fans (AFOLs) for decades. These talented enthusiasts were artists, choosing an odd medium to be sure, but artists nonetheless. Because LEGO was a kid’s toy company, most colleagues didn’t see much reason to support this small market segment. But with the rise of internet and online community, they had begun to collect and connect and their minority voices were carrying new weight.

Almost immediately after I started, I began building a relationship with the adult LEGO fans (AFOLs). I sat in rooms around the world with small groups and large groups hearing complains and concerns about the way they’d been treated for so many years.

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