How LEGO is Supporting COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter Movement
There are many companies that responding actively and positively during COVID-19 and the recent Black Lives Matter movement and one of the best examples is LEGO. I’ve known the company for a long time, but their reaction to these two recent events made me a fan of them.
Lego response to COVID-19:
1. Making protective visors:
LEGO made protective visors for healthcare workers in Denmark by converting some of their machines and manufacturing around 13,000 visors a day.
2. Donation:
At the beginning of the pandemic, LEGO supported relief efforts in Wuhan and Hubei Province by donating RMB 1 million and face masks to China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation. Later on, LEGO and the LEGO Foundation donated $50 million USD to address the needs of children and families impacted by the COVID-19. They are also continuing to support local charities in communities where they have a significant presence.
3. Supporting kids and families:
During COVID-19, there are lots of kids and families who are spending time at home and looking for fun and educational activities. LEGO has known that building with LEGO bricks is a great way to get everyone together to do it, and continuously shared some ideas and inspiration for kids’ activities on their website, app and social media pages. They initiated the letsbuildtogether challenge on social media and encouraged their fans to post their LEGO creations. They also posted weekly tutorial videos to teach how to build LEGO.
Lego response to Black Lives Matter movement:
1. Pause on marketing of police sets:
Lego requested affiliates to remove a wide range of kits from all sites and marketing. The list featured a number of different kits involving police minifigs along with the White House.
2. Donation:
Lego released a three-part statement to its social media pages: “We stand with the black community against racism and inequality.” The second part continues “There is much to do.” The final part announces the company’s plan to “donate $4 million to organizations dedicated to supporting black children and educating all children about racial equality.”
In summary:
Lego has taken effective action such as donation, and making protective kits to support communities, promptly and actively expressing their point of view towards the events which reflects the company culture, and actively delivering useful and interactive content on social media to encourage follower participation by using digital tools such as social media challenge, Facebook live, and Youtube video etc.
In the long-term:
LEGO’s responsive reaction to COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter protest clearly delivers the message that it’s a socially responsible company that strongly supports the community and society. It will help to build the brand stronger, receive more recognition, love and support from consumers, and successfully convert them to loyal customers like me.
