Jesper heads the R&D Packing & Packaging at the LEGO Group. He is responsible for the transformation from single-use plastics to fiber-based packaging, the development of super-automated packing lines, and the creation of ecommerce / digitally-enabled packing. Prior to this role, Jesper led the Danish division of LEGO’s molding and qualification factory. His work encompassed advanced mass production and the maturation of new technologies. Jesper has made significant contributions to product design and production equipment innovation, leading to the establishment of engineering centers in Singapore, Mexico, and Denmark. Throughout his career, he has held various responsibilities, including oversight of R&D in packaging, decoration, and assembly. He has also managed product development for LEGO DUPLO, LEGO City, LEGO Technic, and LEGO Star Wars, guiding projects from concept to finished product. Additionally, Jesper established a logistics strategy that delivered a turnaround, increasing differentiated services and reducing costs through outsourcing, site consolidation, and redefining logistics service offerings. A true LEGO enthusiast, Jesper places significant emphasis on leadership, the evolution of the LEGO Group’s diversity and inclusion agenda, and ensuring that learning becomes a part of every employee’s development and focus.
Building Digital Trust – How LEGO Connects Physical Experience and Online Engagement
Jesper Toubøl
LEGO Group
Recap:
At Balkan eCommerce Summit 2026, Jesper Toubøl from LEGO Group delivered a keynote focused on one of the most valuable assets in modern business: trust.
Rather than concentrating only on marketing tactics or traffic acquisition, the presentation explored how LEGO has built long-term growth by creating systems that consistently earn consumer trust across both physical and digital experiences.
The core message was clear:
Sustainable growth is not built only through attention and advertising. It is built through trust.
LEGO as a Global Brand Built on Trust
Jesper began with an overview of LEGO today.
The company remains family-owned nearly 100 years after its founding – something extremely rare among global brands of its scale.
LEGO operates in more than 120 countries, employs over 30,000 people worldwide, and has become one of the world’s strongest and most reputable brands.
He highlighted that 25% of LEGO Group’s EBIT goes to the LEGO Foundation and charitable initiatives supporting children and creativity around the world.
This long-term mindset and value-driven culture are central to how the company operates.
Creativity Is the Core of LEGO
One of the strongest themes in the presentation was creativity.
Jesper argued that children are naturally creative and that creativity is one of the most important skills society should continue to encourage.
LEGO products are designed around systems thinking and open-ended creativity.
He referenced the iconic 2×4 LEGO brick and the enormous number of possible combinations it enables, explaining how this simple system logic has helped the product remain relevant for nearly a century.
The point was not only about toys, but about designing products and experiences that continue creating value over time.
LEGO’s Growth Is Built on Trust, Not Traffic
Jesper explained that LEGO has doubled its business since 2016 and continues growing strongly globally.
However, he emphasized that LEGO’s growth is not primarily limited by traffic acquisition.
It is limited by trust.
According to him, many companies become very good at buying attention, but much less effective at earning long-term trust.
Without trust:
customer acquisition costs increase
conversion becomes unstable
retention weakens
growth becomes expensive and unsustainable
For LEGO, trust is treated as a strategic business system rather than a marketing slogan.
Are You Growing or Just Buying Revenue?
One of the most important questions from the session was:
“If you stopped marketing tomorrow, how much of your growth would remain?”
Jesper challenged businesses to think about whether they are building real brand trust and loyalty or simply buying short-term revenue through advertising.
He explained that strong brands create durable demand because customers:
return repeatedly
recommend the brand
trust the product quality
trust the delivery experience
trust the company values
Trust creates resilience and long-term scalability.
LEGO’s Three-Part Operating Model
A major part of the keynote focused on LEGO’s internal operating model for maintaining consistency and trust across the business.
The company aligns all major decisions through three connected value propositions:
Product Value Proposition
How LEGO designs and develops products.
This ensures products are aligned with consumer needs, creativity, quality, and long-term brand values.
Production Value Proposition
How LEGO manufactures and delivers products efficiently and reliably.
Jesper emphasized that operational reliability is a major trust driver, especially during key retail seasons like Christmas.
Customer Value Proposition
How LEGO sells, markets, distributes, and supports its products globally.
This includes customer experience, retail partnerships, logistics, and digital engagement.
The key principle is alignment.
If these three systems are not aligned, LEGO identifies the trade-offs and resolves them before scaling further.
Trust Is Built Through Systems
Jesper repeatedly emphasized that trust is not built through campaigns alone.
It is built through systems.
At LEGO, every department and employee understands their role inside the wider business system:
product development
operations
packaging
supply chain
marketing
sales
retail partnerships
consumer insights
The company trains employees to think in end-to-end processes rather than isolated functions.
This operational discipline allows LEGO to maintain consistency globally while renewing around 60% of its product portfolio every year.
Reliable Operations Create Brand Trust
Another major point was that operational excellence directly influences customer trust.
LEGO is known among retailers as one of the most reliable suppliers in the toy industry because of its ability to:
manage inventory efficiently
maintain shelf availability
deliver during peak seasons
coordinate globally across markets
Jesper explained that reliability itself becomes a form of marketing because it strengthens consumer confidence in the brand.
Connecting Physical and Digital Experiences
The session also explored how LEGO connects physical products with digital engagement.
LEGO no longer sees products as isolated toys, but as part of a broader ecosystem that includes:
digital experiences
online communities
interactive content
consumer engagement
creativity platforms
family experiences
The physical and digital worlds increasingly support each other in building emotional connection and long-term loyalty.
Demand Is Engineered Through Trust
Jesper explained that LEGO focuses on “engineering demand” rather than only driving traffic.
That means building systems where:
product quality
consumer experience
operations
brand values
creativity
digital engagement
customer trust
all work together consistently.
This reduces dependence on short-term acquisition tactics and creates stronger long-term customer relationships.
Key Takeaways from the Session
The presentation highlighted several important lessons for modern brands and eCommerce businesses:
trust is a long-term growth engine
buying attention is not the same as earning loyalty
creativity and emotional connection remain powerful differentiators
strong operational systems are part of the customer experience
brand trust depends on consistency across the entire business
physical and digital experiences must work together
growth becomes expensive when trust is weak
customer acquisition alone is not sustainable without retention and loyalty
successful companies align product, operations, and customer experience
The strongest message from the keynote was that trust is not a marketing campaign.
It is an operational system that must be built intentionally across every part of the organization.
And according to LEGO, that system is what creates durable global growth.
The presentation is not available for sharing.