Today’s Wall Street Journal has an article that caught my eye (http://on.wsj.com/1pNgryB). Lego has overtaken Mattel as the world’s #1 toymaker. Boosted by the popularity of the Lego Movie and the new characters it spawned, and a proliferation of Lego stores that charge a fee just to enter, it’s no wonder kids of all ages are drawn to these plastic pieces of fun. That, plus the nostalgia we parents have for this product makes Lego a very easy purchase.

Mattel, the maker of Barbie, is trying to counter with its own toy-brick product but I highly doubt it’ll generate the return enjoyed by the original. It needs to reinvigorate Barbie, perhaps using a similar approach of branded products and movie support, but the momentum is clearly with Lego.

What I found most interesting was a quote from John Goodwin (CFO), “Kids don’t make the distinction between the digital and the non-digital like those of us who weren’t brought in in the digital age. For them, it’s all just one experience.”

This goes back to a blog I did a few years ago. It’s not about the method by which experience is delivered, but the experience itself. Kids don’t separate play by digital vs. non-digital, but by fun vs. not fun.

For B2B marcom efforts that target adult professionals, the same truth holds. It’s about providing content that inspires intrigue and delivers insight that businesses and leadership can leverage to improve in-market success. If the message is compelling, informative and approachable, the target will consume it and, hopefully, learn from it.

So it’s not about using all the whizbang technology tools available to the marketer, but getting the message right and delivering it in ways they can absorb it to the fullest. And just like kids, most professionals don’t have the time or patience to wade through unknown delivery methods. They’re attracted to smart, cohesive, accurate, current insights delivered via formats they prefer or enjoy.

Fewer hoses (delivery mechanism), more water (message). Effective marcom is not child’s play. But when done well, it can have the same effect.