LEGO marketing leader meets with Carthage public relations students

On March 3, public relations students working with Professor Colleen Palmer on developing a campaign for United Way of Kenosha County met (via Zoom) with James Gregson, LEGO brand and creative marketing leader.

The purpose of the talk was to hear from one of the world’s most popular brands about what goes into creating the number one thing in public relations today: storytelling!

Mr. Gregson is one of only four creative directors working for LEGO on their brand, social media, CSR, and all things PR-related. He had just come from a meeting between LEGO and Disney, in which he had met with a Disney villain expert to talk about the new campaign the two companies are launching really soon: #MakingWonder.

Mr. Gregson likened storytelling to the popularity of TikTok these days. What makes TikTok work, in his mind, is the story behind what you’re doing — not just the thing they are doing. TikTok has taken the idea of influencers to the next level by bringing in storytelling devices. Mr. Gregson referenced the recent news of a daughter whose 17-second TikTok about her dad’s book, which no one was buying, moved him into the top 10 best sellers on Amazon.

“In the world of social media, you have a millisecond to share your story,” Mr. Gregson said.

In a world where we, as public relations, advertising, marketing, and digital creation professionals get a “millisecond” to engage our audiences, storytelling is everything. Mr. Gregson’s parting advice to the students was to “stay curious and consume valuable information,” things Prof. Palmer stresses with her students in public relations classes at Carthage.

Sponsoring Department, Office, or Organization:

Comunications and Digital Media Department

For more information, contact:

Colleen Palmer: cpalmer5@carthage.edu