executive impact

Building blocks for the future

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By Mike de Jong for EURObiZ Japan

In this digital era, where children are often found playing computer games or gazing at handheld devices, some might say there is little room for old-school toys. But Danish-born Steen Lauge Kokkenborg would dispute that thinking. As representative director and general manager of LEGO Japan, Kokkenborg says children get tremendous value from hands-on play.

“We know from research that kids actually need a spatial understanding,” he says. “And you don’t get a spatial understanding from a two-dimensional TV screen or phone. I think that’s where the active play with LEGO products comes in, as an important way of developing children.”

Kokkenborg, who calls the LEGO brand “purpose-driven”, sees the firm as more than merely a toy retailer. He believes LEGO is also in the business of child development.

“If you put kids in front of LEGO, they will intuitively start immersing themselves in building,” he says. “It’s suddenly them deciding 100% what they want to do. If you play a computer game, you are always depending on how the game is designed, who are the players, how do I go through the game … With LEGO products, you just build whatever is in your head. To me, that’s the fascinating thing.

“We’re very conscious about how much children can actually cope with at a certain age. We investigate that strongly — to see what spatial and motor understandings [they have] at different ages. That’s where we figured out that spatial understanding is something that comes primarily from using your hands. You don’t get a spatial understanding watching a computer screen.”

Originally from a small town, Kokkenborg joined the firm’s Japan office two years ago after a three-year stay in South Korea. It wasn’t his first stint with the iconic Danish company either — he first worked for the LEGO company after graduating from business school. However, after spending time with other firms with Germany and Denmark, Kokkenborg returned in 2007, as head of marketing for Asia and emerging markets.

“When I came back, after a few months, it was as if the company had never changed,” he recalls. “I felt so much at home again. During the 15 years that I was away, I was always following LEGO; always cheering on LEGO. So I think LEGO is a company that you never really [leave]. You never leave LEGO; it’s in your heart and your DNA.”

Part of what drew him back was the ability to work and have fun. The firm’s head office in Tokyo is populated with massive LEGO-shaped stools and chairs, while each meeting room has a bowl of LEGO on the desk. Kokkenborg believes people “think better if they just put a few blocks together”.

The timelessness of LEGO’s products was also appealing, and the fact that they cut across generations.

“This product hasn’t changed for 40 years,” says Kokkenborg. “Obviously the moulds and colours have become better, but it fundamentally hasn’t changed. It’s still the same product.”

With stiff competition from Japanese toy manufacturers, Kokkenborg says Japan has been a tough market to crack. LEGO’s market share here is nowhere near that of its other global markets. However, Kokkenborg is optimistic that LEGO will continue to catch on with parents and children in the world’s second-largest toy market.

“The funny thing is that Japanese kids are not fundamentally different from kids … anywhere else in the world,” he says. “They like playing with computers, but they love this hands-on experience you can have with [our] products.”

Kokkenborg adds that he hopes to remain here for the foreseeable future, to see the company grow.

“The potential we have in this market is probably somewhere between three-to-five times what we’re doing today. So the potential for the LEGO brand in this market is huge,” he says. “I would like to be on that journey for still a couple of years.”

Time spent working in Japan: less than 10% of my career. Would like it to grow to 25%.

Career regret (if any): None. I have been lucky that new and interesting challenges have emerged at the right times in my career.

Favourite saying: The highest amount of learning is achieved if you stretch yourself to the max … and then a little more.

Favourite book: "The Chrysanthemum and the Sword" by Ruth Benedict.

Cannot live without: Two essentials: Danish Rye bread, kindly supplied by my Norwegian wife.

Lesson learned in Japan: if you can imagine a product, it has already been launched in Japan.

Do you like natto: Interesting taste and definitely worth exploring further. Still too early for a final judgement!

© Japan Today

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LEGO -- the best toy ever.

I played with LEGO when I was younger, as did my daughters and now my grandsons. With enough time, talent, and bricks, you really can build anything.

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He makes a good point about the comparison between a real hands-on experience like LEGO and an imaginary one like video games. But he could be preaching to the converted (I'm one).

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