Easter is associated with chocolate and rabbits in many markets, but LEGO’s research found distinct attitudinal differences in Germany and the US.US shoppers and parents think of Easter as family time and coming together, while Germans associate it with going out into nature and taking long walks, Kate Sutch, global insights shopper lead at LEGO Group, told the recent Qual360 Europe conference.
US shoppers indicated they would be more likely to buy an Easter-themed toy product, but Germans, thinking more about the longevity of a gift, would prefer a spring-themed product. That has implications for packaging and marketing, Sutch noted: “As a global company, we have one product, we have one packaging; we usually, for global seasons, have one asset campaign.”
US shoppers were prepared to pay over $20 for a gift, while Germans were more likely to be looking for gifts in the €5-10 range.
LEGO also noted a trend to buy children’s books as gifts at Easter – possibly a guilt-induced alternative to the prevalence of chocolate – which is leading it to rethink where the brand appears at this time and to discuss more bespoke products with licensing partners, including collectibles and decorations.
Why Easter matters?
Birthdays and Christmas are key shopping moments for toymakers, but while it’s easy enough to plan a marketing campaign around Christmas, it’s impossible to do the same for the millions of individual birthdays that take place every day. So LEGO is looking to expand its seasonal marketing activities to include other significant events in the calendar.
While 70% of shoppers will buy confectionery around Easter time, just 4% buy toys, Sutch reported – and of that 4%, just over one-third will buy a LEGO set, so there’s lots of scope for LEGO to drive sales by diversifying its offer.
The big idea
Not everybody celebrates Easter the same way and product developers are being asked to come up with something that is tied to Easter, but not so much that it can’t be extended to the longer spring period. “They’re still working on it, but you will see it in-store in 2026,” Sutch promised.
Source: warc.com
