Do companies really care what we think ?

[Takama]

I contacted Safari, asking about how often a suggested figure gets made. here's what they had to say

We definitely take suggestions, Nathan, and we keep them on an Inspiration list (it's very large!) We're interested in hearing what our fans want, and yes, many figures we've made have been suggested by fans.

[Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus]

I contacted Safari, asking about how often a suggested figure gets made. here's what they had to say

We definitely take suggestions, Nathan, and we keep them on an Inspiration list (it's very large!) We're interested in hearing what our fans want, and yes, many figures we've made have been suggested by fans.

Of course the company would say that. If I contacted Schleich, they'd probably say the same thing. Doesn't mean they do it.
And besides, an "Inspiration list" isn't the same as models they're going to make. Make sure you actually read all of the recent posts on this thread before you make another post that is, in my opinion, just headstrong instead of actually listening to others. For instance, SBell's post will tell you exactly what Safari does-and it's not what you say. Companies do not cater to every individual out there. But a professional they have a relationship with...that's a different matter.

[deanm]

My 0.02$ - from a Product Manager point of view (no I don't work for a Toy company - I work for a scientific instrument company).

As a Product Manager - I do listen to customers thoughts, requests, issues, problems, solutions, etc.

And I do track that information - there are special software databases for it (or like me you can use excel, word, pieces of paper...).

All information whether supplied by a customer or by the company itself can be used as part of the product development roadmap.

Does this mean that a specific suggestion was or was not used. Hard to say. Simply because it does vary by each specific business case. Yes, it does boil down to a cost/profit (benefit) ratio.  Cost & benefit are not just the simple dollar, cents, etc - I mean the business connotations which are a lot more complex than just $.  There is a cost for every item - that cost can be lost or gained opportunity (you can only do so much so you need to make choices), gain/loss of a market segment, are you first to market or a fast follower, etc... And the etc is a long list also.    Then there is the whole pricing strategy around an item, good, service, bundle, etc.

Being a Product Manager has given me a lot of insight & sympathy into what toy or any other company goes through when putting something on the market.

As I said, my 0.02$  I am not speaking for Safari or any other company on this thread. 

[Takama]

I never said, that They take suggestions from just one person. I believe it takes a lot to get a Company interested to make a figure. I not saying a inspiration list is a list of figures that will come out. Im just saying Safari Does make some products thanks to some suggestions. Im now leaning this thread because I fell like I walked into a debate similar to that of a Creationist VS Evolutionist debate.

[tyrantqueen]

Of course the company would say that. Duh. If I contacted Schleich, they'd probably say the same thing. Doesn't mean they do it.

Especially since the aforementioned reply sounds very much like a generic, "thank you for your business" type response you get from big business conglomerates.

The bigger the company, the less attention they are able to pay to individual needs or concerns. That's why some of the smaller companies, such as Mojo, are happy to listen to fan requests. They're small and they need the good feedback to grow.

[Spinosaurus Aegyptiacus]

Of course the company would say that. Duh. If I contacted Schleich, they'd probably say the same thing. Doesn't mean they do it.

Especially since the aforementioned reply sounds very much like a generic, "thank you for your business" type response you get from big business conglomerates.

The bigger the company, the less attention they are able to pay to individual needs or concerns. That's why some of the smaller companies, such as Mojo, are happy to listen to fan requests. They're small and they need the good feedback to grow.

Exactly.

[tyrantqueen]

Hey guys, we got a mention in Prehistoric Times #109, by Randall Knol in Dinosaur Collector News:



I know this was far from the first time we've been mentioned, but it was a weird feeling seeing that in print

[DinoToyForum]

Hey, that's cool, thanks for sharing

Gooooooo, dinotoyforum!

[Blade-of-the-Moon]

lol cool !

I can't recall a lot of complaints about the baby dinos though ?

[sauroid]

Randall Knoll is one of our regular/helpful/knowledgable contributors named DC.

[tyrantqueen]

Randall Knoll if im not mistaken is one of our regular/helpful/knowledgable contributors named DC.

Did not know that

[DinoToyForum]

Randall Knoll if im not mistaken is one of our regular/helpful/knowledgable contributors named DC.

Did not know that

Yep: DC = Dinosaur Collector, which is also the name of his website.

[CityRaptor]

I'm not too sure if the new color schemes of the babies are actually due to them listening to collectors. They rather seem to be the result of them getting new colors in order to better match the adults of their species. 

[SpittersForEver]

I don't really think they care what we think. They only care about making money.
On the rare occasion that they do the model will be over priced and really
expensive

[Daspletodave]

I think companies do care what we think, but there's no way ANY company could possibly please everyone. If 100 forum members submitted their top 20 requests you'd get 2,000 different choices. So companies tend to do the same (popular) dinosaurs like T-Rex over and over again. They play it safe - predators outsell prey so they do the same five or six predators to death - T-Rex, Allosaurus, Spinosaurus, Carnotaurus, Ceratosaurus and Dilophosaurus. Did I miss any? It doesn't matter since all other predators are garbage or nearly identical to one of the above, and therefore irrelevant.

The only time a company takes a chance is when there is a major new discovery that hits the news, or a movie comes out that propels a forgotten dinosaur into the public conciousness. Remember Jurassic Park III? It turned a nothing dinosaur like Spinosaurus into a must-do for every dino toy company out there.
So keep pestering the toy companies with your top 20 or top 100 requests - once in a while one or two of them will actually get made. That's what I think anyway.

[tyrantqueen]

I'm not too sure if the new color schemes of the babies are actually due to them listening to collectors. They rather seem to be the result of them getting new colors in order to better match the adults of their species.

I know, I'm not saying that I personally agreed with the point that the author of the article made, but I merely posted it because I thought it was cool we got a mention and it ties in with the thread subject pretty well.

[Sauropodlet]

I have often wondered this--I think someone from Safari must read this forum and its predecessor.  The Safari Cambrian Toob was mentioned in the Safari Rumours thread on the old forum years before it came to be.  An obvious idea? Perhaps, but I don't know that they would not have picked up on it from here and run with it.  I have no idea who decides what new products will be made, but they'd be fools not to look here for ideas, since they're free. We do their market research for them. The adult dinosaur collector portion of their target demographic, anyway... but many of us have children and I don't know about you but I buy animal figures for mine.

Likewise I remember decrying on the old forum that nobody had done a decent flat-headed Hadrosaur in years and Safari has done a Gryposaurus and an Edmontosaurus since.

So I don't know about the rest of you, but clearly they listen to me.

[Hynerpeton]

This is what your all seeing.

Cute!! what is it? Gonna check on vacation for this.