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In this essay, Buchanan’s principles will be effective in analyzing the research conducted about LEGO stores. These principles were of great help in the step-by-step evaluation of the cultural and development ideologies present in this company. Basically, they just enable a researcher to acquire comprehensive documentation regarding the place in question.
Power is one of Buchanan’s principles and it is clearly depicted in the LEGO store at South Coast Plaza in Irvine City. It is clear that LEGO is a well-known international company. This means that it is a company that attracts not only local consumers but also international consumers. Although it is commonly known to manufacture toys, LEGO also deals with different fields in people’s life. LEGO is referred to as an international firm because it has opened many different stores worldwide. Actually, it is located in most of the major shopping malls. The LEGO store under analysis is part of the world’s biggest toy manufacturer known as The LEGO Group. This is a company that was founded in 1932; over the years, it has continually expanded into the largest toy manufacturer globally. Due to its immense presence in the market, LEGO stores have highly influenced numerous consumers. There are many stores in different regions, especially in North America. The company’s influence is so great that the number of its consumers has kept doubling over the years. Their diverse creations keep attracting more consumers. The rate of production in the LEGO factories is quite high in order to satisfy the enormous consumer demand. LEGO also has developed strategic collaborations with other major institutions such as the US National Hockey League, Harry Potter, and the US Basketball League, NBA. These partnerships enable the firm to effectively tap the consumers’ interests. The store at South Coast Plaza in Irvine City definitely displays power. Its exterior and interior prove that the company is the biggest toy manufacturer in the world. One cannot just simply walk by the store; one has to enter it. Therefore, the store has power.
Moreover, in the category of ideology, the LEGO store commonly focuses on cultural and developmental ideologies. Clearly, the products that LEGO manufactures have highly influenced people’s lifestyle. LEGO is known for the production of toys, which people have highly incorporated into their life styles. Its ideas when manufacturing these products focus on attracting the family unit. This means that their consumers are actually both children and adults. In order to attract both children and parents, the store has things like puzzles, where they can spend quality time. It actually has a great influence on culture of parents and children spending time together when sharing an activity. Moreover, LEGO is highly competitive in developmental changes because of the ever-changing interests of the consumers. Clearly, it has manufactured numerous diverse types of toys that keep the customers coming back. The current market indicates the urgency to take serious considerations on the changing fashions and the volatile clients’ interests. LEGO illustrates the cultural traditions of the American citizens. It has a significant influence on cultural and social activities in the American society.
On the other hand, LEGO’s developmental ideologies are highly evident. The firm also creates products such as programs that provide mass customization with a range of bricks. Basically, LEGO’s ideology is to offer its consumers the capability to develop their creativity through a Digital Designer program that can be easily downloaded. LEGO felt that the idea of mass customization procedure would be significant for any organization. This is the program that enables any organization to have their own creations. Being in the toy industry, LEGO keeps developing its products with new ideologies based on the transforming needs of children. The ideology behind the mass customization process is also to minimize the time that children spend with video games and sustain their physical building experience. Still, LEGO developed a product known as TajMahal that focuses on the enormous number of adult consumers, who are mostly enthusiasts. The ideologies in product development focus on both children and adults; thus, the store is able to satisfy its consumers’ needs. LEGO has also developed other technologies, such as robotics according, to its ideology of constant enhancement and improvement of its products. The store at South Coast Plaza in Irvine City clearly demonstrates and follows the company’s ideology. It provides eye candy, the possibility of family activities, a comfortable atmosphere and, most importantly, fun.
In the category of representation, the toys being manufactured by LEGO represent a culture that has been adopted by American society. They represent the way the majority of people spend their time. The LEGO store under analysis has an accommodating area where parents and their children get along well, thus portraying family warmth. Children spend most of the time playing with the available toys and programs. One can also see that adult enthusiasts also spend their time playing with products such as TajMahal in the store. Moreover, the LEGO store’ unique and iconic design is also an effective representation that is easily identified by its consumers. The yellow lighting in the store also serves as a representation of family warmth, which actually attracts many families into the shop.
Seduction is also one of Buchanan’s principles. Basically, the principle is not portrayed in the LEGO store. The company focuses solely on attracting its customers based on their products and services. The company can be described as a commercial zone and their ideologies are not sexual. LEGO does not portray any sexual activities because children are their main customers. The LEGO store under discussion has created an environment that is acceptable to both children and adults. It is right to state that the activities in the store are commercial and not sexual. The shop attracts their customer’s attention by means of visual imagery that does not contain sexual content. As a result, seduction as one of Buchanan’s principles is useless in this case.
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Gaze, in its turn, is another principle which can only be perceived from the side of the customers in this case. The LEGO store actually benefits from the act of gaze because the clients first have to see the products in order to buy them. The store at South Coast Plaza in Irvine City exposes their products mostly at the main gate in order to allow its potential consumers to gaze at the latest models of puzzles. The LEGO store also has their logo printed on a huge red light box, which people have to look at in order to locate the shop. The store under analysis also has colorful interior decoration; people gaze at its beauty and get enticed to visit the shop. Basically, the LEGO store uses the art of colorful decoration to acquire the consumers’ gaze, which actually leads them into exploring and buying their products.
Lastly, intertextuality and multimodality are also part of Buchanan’s principles. In this case, intertextuality was not portrayed in any circumstance. The LEGO store under discussion uses one language in its advertisements and computer monitors within the store. Basically, literature is not commonly used in these stores because consumers need only see the physical appearance of the products in order to purchase. In fact, activities are more important than literature in the LEGO store. Still, the name of the store on the red box is not translated into any language. Therefore, intertextuality is not relevant in this research evaluation. Multimodality is also not visible in this site. Basically, it is only art that is visible in certain instances in the store. The interior decoration of the store is performed using different colors. The colors have different purposes: the white color attracts potential consumers and the yellow one portrays family warmth; the red color, probably, means fun associated with the store’s toys. In the store, there are distinct shapes of yellow furniture and floor mats, which are also part of art in the site.
In conclusion, using Buchanan’s seven principles in the evaluation of this research was highly effective in understanding the ideologies and development of the LEGO stores. There is a lot to be learnt from the LEGO stores; following these principles step-by-step enabled me to cover a lot of information. The LEGO Company contains many elements that require studying them strategically. Looking at the LEGO store physically, one would regard it merely as a shop for toys. However, based on a comprehensive evaluation, it is a representation of American culture that has become international too. It has built a culture where people have abandoned electronic gadgets, such as televisions and video games, and spend more time with the brick toys. It shows that people have highly embraced these products and that these toys have formed a unique lifestyle. Therefore, LEGO stores have become part of human culture.
