What's wrong with Playmobil? 2

[Alex4420]

Perhaps it is a late 20th century problem endemic to all organizations. I worked for a large and highly esteemed organization which lost its way 15 years ago when it stopped identifying and growing management candidates internally and went to "bias-free" applications and blind candidate boards. They even halted a program wherein each unit had primary and secondary alternate supervisors, which was a wonderful way of testing prospective candidates. As a result,  an organization with a 100 year history is now in disarray and has seen its reputation fall considerably. It is the old adage, "Don't fix what isn't broken."

[Rasputin]

That’s one of the problems of being a fan and thinking “I know what’s best”

When a person is looking in from the outside they have no perspective at to why certain decisions are made. We don’t know actual sales figures and Playmobil isn’t about to share them. We don’t know if a historic theme was a success or a total flop. We have our preferences  but are they realistic at turning a profit .

Playmobil recently has been hit with a 1,2,3 punch

Lost its leader
Brick and mortar shelf exposure (on the web you have to search for it by name)
Economic downturn

They bet on licensing but then again the collectors have no idea if it panned out on the books

[Rasputin]

I think that a Chinese company should just start making Playmobil with out permission from Branstater Company. If the Chinese manufacturers just employ high quality injection tech, use quality ingredients, I’m more than sure they can make the durability just as good

Seeing as the EU is bending laws, it’s a win for fans and will bring down prices . Then collectors might get all the Asian themes they’ve been clamoring about

[Klickteryx]

I don't really think that's accurate. What service it was meant to provide, I've never quite understood. But the simple fact is, without the Collectors Club in place we have more sets aimed at the 'adult' market than ever.

Two different things. The failure of the club is an example of failure of playmobil management in keeping it viable. The things the members were interested in just weren't what the company was interested in providing. They re-released some steck sets as part of the add-ons catalogue which was great but the add-ons wasn't available for much of the world. That similar sets with new figures have since been made available is excellent and I think the nostalgia car market is also a good idea but unfortunately these ideas have come at a time of global belt tightening.

[Klickteryx]

...

There’s actually quite a few that happened well after the PCC disintegrated

I'm not suggesting the PCC was some ray of light for collectors, just that it was poorly handled. That they've gone on to offer collector based sets is the way forward. I don't collect minifigs so can't price compare but it seems that the franchise figures like Asterix and the bug one are quite expensive and I wonder if they will sell that well given the price. Anyone know how pricing compares with equivalent lego themes?

[playmofire]

I think that a Chinese company should just start making Playmobil with out permission from Branstater Company. If the Chinese manufacturers just employ high quality injection tech, use quality ingredients, I’m more than sure they can make the durability just as good

Seeing as the EU is bending laws, it’s a win for fans and will bring down prices . Then collectors might get all the Asian themes they’ve been clamoring about

For a short time, Playmobil did have some things produced in China.  One of these was a free, special 25th anniversary torch to go with a set and it was an absolute disaster as the torches didn't work.  There were problems, too, with other items produced for them there.

[Tiermann]

The PCC had some great long term benefits. The parts ordering system at the European sites is the result of the initial meetings with the collectors setting up the club. Making part ordering easier was a top priority and it is still there, though less effective compared to a couple of years ago. Online availability of the instruction sheets was also a result. The issue at the time of the club was that Playmobil management didn't understand the resource they had in the collectors or how to take advantage of it. We as a community know more about the history and possibilities of their product than most of their management does.

The real issues the company has are the result of HOB doing a bab job of succession management. He didn't understand that making radical changes in the upper structure of management would destabilize the company and lead to erosion to the point of possible collapse. The company went for most of its life with a strict heirarchical structure with one leader having a final say, to a diffuse structure with a three person committee trying to lead things and a board dominated by someone with limited understanding of the things that made the company successful. Coupling all that with the changing face of the toy industry as a whole has been disastrous.

To end on a positive note, they are focusing on smaller sets this year and doing a good job of packing in play value. I have been very happy with the smaller sets this year.

[JLMatterer]

Von der Entstehung bis zur Einführung: Playmobil bündelt Prozesse

TRANSLATION from Google

From creation to introduction: Playmobil bundles processes

The stumbling toy brand Playmobil, Zirndorf, is restructuring its marketing and product organization. From May 2024, all product development processes will be bundled at Playmobil International GmbH - from the idea to the product launch. In doing so, the toy brand wants to “strategically readjust to the rapidly changing and ever shorter product cycles,” the company said. The newly founded Playmobil International will bring together the areas of Global Marketing and Brand Management, New Business Development, Technical Product Development, Licensing and Operations under one roof at the company's Zirndorf location. According to Playmobil, there are no plans to cut jobs as a result of the change.

“With our new, powerful marketing and product organization, we are creating the basis for an optimal portfolio strategy and relevant brand positioning in a dynamic environment,” says Playmobil board member Bahri Kurter. "With the new structure, we are creating the conditions to put consumers back in focus, expand the Playmobil brand internationally and strengthen internal collaboration through efficient communication."

For long-term success, the brand must become more relevant again and grow with new offers and customer segments. In January, Kurter announced the Playmobil brand's new strategy under the motto 'Heading into the future' at the Toy Fair in Nuremberg as part of the 50th anniversary. The first measure in 2024 is the launch of Playmobil Junior made entirely of plant-based materials, the expansion of the range for adults through so-called collectibles, as well as collaborations and alliances with other brands.

[playmofire]

So, re-arranging the deck chairs on the sun deck then.

[Rasputin]

Thanks for the translation . It seems like a management trying to talk their way out of bad past decisions. The only thing they really are changing is where departments are located .