BRAVE COMMERCE – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Our LEGO Agency’s Jennifer Berry on Building Connected Commerce Beyond Channels
Release Date: March 31, 2026
Hosts: Rachel Tipograph (MikMak Founder & CEO), Sarah Hofstetter (Profitero President)
Guest: Jen [Surname not provided], VP of LEGO Agency Commerce and Digital, the LEGO Group

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into LEGO’s innovative approach to connected commerce, focusing on their in-house agency model, the blending of creativity and commerce, and how the brand is navigating new digital and physical consumer expectations. Jen, the VP of LEGO's agency, shares insights on the structure and advantages of their internal agency, balancing brand consistency across all channels, integrating technology and AI, responding to cultural moments, and building experiences for diverse consumer journeys.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The LEGO In-House Agency Model

• Why Build an Agency Inside a Brand?
  • Jen: LEGO’s agency was established to bring creativity, commerce, and retail closer together, reflecting how their audience sees the brand. Traditional organizational separation isn’t consumer-centric.
    • "The audience has never been separated like in terms of creativity, commerce and retail. ... What we've done at LEGO is deliberately bring those worlds closer together." – Jen (06:27)
  • The in-house agency enables:
    • Deeper brand understanding and alignment.
    • Faster, more integrated collaboration with business partners.
    • Cohesion in creative storytelling across LEGO’s business ecosystem.
  • “We have this deep brand understanding ... accelerating our speed and collaboration because we are with those partners.” – Jen (07:15)

2. Agency Model: In-house vs. External Perspectives

• Host Experiences & Industry Context
  • Sarah and Rachel discuss the rarity and challenge of successful insourced agencies, citing talent retention and organizational fit.
    • “One of the biggest challenges with insourcing and creating these agencies within the client is talent turnover ... It is hard to scale unless you've got a really interesting dynamic.” – Sarah (03:18)
  • Jen credits LEGO’s iconic status for attracting and keeping top talent.

3. Integrating AI and Workflow Smartness (08:05–09:59)

• Early Days with AI
  • LEGO values human creativity but is exploring automation and shared toolkits for efficiency.
  • AI helps free people for more creative/focused work and dynamic problem-solving.
    • "We'll always believe in the value of human creativity. But we need to be thinking about making our processes smarter, more automated and hopefully effective as we are actually global brand." – Jen (08:59)

4. Orchestrating Stakeholders, Speed, and Cultural Moments (10:18–10:55)

• The importance of:
  • Clearly defined “North Stars” for organization or campaign direction.
  • Getting the right cross-functional talent together at the right time.
  • Placing the audience at the center of every strategy.
  • Thoughtful automation to accelerate impactful execution.

5. Omnichannel Experience: D2C, Retail, & Third Parties (13:08–15:54)

• Channel Roles and Cohesion

  • LEGO influences experiences across owned e-commerce, physical retail, and third-party retail.
  • Each channel serves different consumer needs and journeys; channels shouldn’t compete but complement.
    • "Not having channels compete with each other ... being really choiceful and deliberate about it." – Jen (13:29)
  • Example: Smart Play product launch (immersive digital PDPs and real-life in-store demos).

• D2C versus Retail Preferences

  • No strict preference – both are critical: LEGO.com and stores are "brand lighthouses", while retail partners are key ecosystem players.

6. Balancing Long-Term Planning with Real-Time Agility (16:24–18:46)

• Strategic Flexibility
  • LEGO balances long innovation cycles (e.g., for major IPs) with the need to respond quickly to cultural moments and trends.
    • “We need to separate out the needs of what needs to be fixed and what really needs to be flexible.” – Jen (17:14)
  • Example: Launching campaigns with Stranger Things and experimenting with live shopping and evolving .com experiences.

7. Physical Experience & Audience Evolution (18:46–20:20)

• Growth in IRL experiences, especially for Gen Z and new adult customers.
  • "64% of our Gen Z's would prefer to be in store than online. That means we need to show up." – Jen (19:20)
• Differentiates between immediate sales and long-term emotional brand connection.
• In-store experiences are content engines themselves, fueling digital commerce.

8. Global Playbook & Localization (20:20–21:34)

• LEGO uses a global playbook but heavily localizes, drawing inspiration from regions where retail is entertainment (e.g. Asia).
• Audiences compare LEGO to experiences outside their category (e.g., major pop culture events), not just other toys.

9. Personal Insights & Notable Quotes

• Is There Brand Envy?

  • Jen: “I don't feel like I'm jealous of any brand right now. I feel... so privileged to be working on LEGO right now.” (21:49)
  • She admires how brands like Gentle Monster transform their categories with experiential retail.

• Bravest Thing Jen Has Done?

  • "Other than jumping out of planes, I think, honestly, moving countries three times. ... New York, London, and now Copenhagen." – Jen (22:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On in-housing agency functions:
  "I've only come across it a true handful of times because ... it's really hard to pull off in a sustainable way."
  – Rachel Tippograph (04:27)
• On connecting creativity and commerce:
  "From an in-house perspective, it allows us to be closer to our brand partners and really ... leading in creative commerce globally."
  – Jen (06:27)
• On AI and creativity:
  "We are a very creative business and we'll always believe in the value of human creativity. But we need to be thinking about making our processes smarter, more automated and hopefully effective."
  – Jen (08:59)
• On IRL vs. Digital:
  "They build an emotional connection that provides long term value even if we don't see the sale immediately then and there."
  – Jen (19:20)
• On comparing brand experiences:
  "Our audiences aren't just comparing us to category ... they're comparing us to the types of experiences that they're just having in their life."
  – Jen (20:26)

Key Timestamps

• [06:27] – Jen explains the logic behind LEGO’s in-house agency and its integration of creativity, commerce, and retail.
• [07:15] – Advantages of being embedded inside the business.
• [08:59] – Jen on AI and process automation, emphasizing human creativity.
• [13:29] – Omnichannel experience philosophy, with Smart Play launch as an example.
• [15:59] – D2C vs. retail – no strict preference, both are ecosystems.
• [17:14] – Balancing long-term IP planning and short-term cultural agility.
• [19:20] – Role of IRL experiences, Gen Z store preference, and offline/online synergy.
• [20:26] – Global playbook meets local adaptation; cross-category experience expectations.
• [22:35] – Jen's bravest move: three international relocations.

Summary Takeaways

• LEGO’s successful in-house agency is rooted in integration and connectivity, not channel or functional silos.
• A focus on the audience journey drives their omnichannel strategy; channels should complement, not compete.
• AI is being introduced slowly and thoughtfully, primarily to enhance human-centered creativity, not replace it.
• Physical retail and IRL experiences remain vital, especially for younger demographics.
• Agility and creativity aren’t just about campaigns—they’re foundational to LEGO’s ecosystem, from planning to execution.
• Global strategies are always localized for highest relevance, and consumers expect experiences rivaling those across all industries, not just within toys.
• Personal insight: Privilege and passion for the brand drive internal culture and external perception.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in brand-led commerce, organizational design, and building omnichannel consumer experiences that connect beyond traditional channels.