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Posted May 5, 2009 On defining ourselves If we were a buggy whip manufacturer in the early 1900’s, at the dawn of the age of the automobile, and if we defined ourselves as a buggy whip company, we would likely be out of business today. However, if we were a buggy whip maker and defined ourselves as a supplier to the transportation industry, we might have been able to adapt to the changes in transportation, and survive. Fisher Body once made buggy and carriage bodies, and then transformed themselves to make automobile bodies. We once defined ourselves as toy designers, and then changed our name to Lund and Company Invention, and our self-image along with it, to reflect that we invent, rather than just design. Invention is more technological, resulting in patentable features, while design is more aesthetic and marketing focused. Changing our name and our self-definition has made us better at what we do. As the industry changes now, and as we ourselves have changed, we still ponder what is it that we do. How do we define and redefine ourselves, so that we can adapt, survive and thrive in the changing toy industry? During the first week of May I will be at the Toycon in Phoenix; a confab of industry executives to discuss the industry today and its future. I hope to come back with some insights on this very question.
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