Understanding Hasbro's G.I. Joe Division

Lots of us have gripes about the way Hasbro handles the joe line. I know I have quite a few, from assortment cases to the 40+ version of snake eyes (never been much of a ninja fan). Their inability to give us concrete information on upcoming lines and most of our intelligence coming from Chinese 5 finger discount merchants.

I guess that I'm done complaining for the moment, and just want to try and understand how Hasbro does its business.

Who are the key players?
Who does Hasbro consult for marketing purposes?
Are some forums more influential then others?
What exactly is the relationship between Hasbro and the Collectors Club? I was told they were completely seperate entities but then i hear that Hasbro can pull their chains and force them to do their will.

they are really a terrible business.... Or maybe they are a good business because they make money with rereleases, but they still suck at making good figures. It should not take 20 years to revitalize a toy line.... it should not take more than one year for your figures to be near perfection... the fact that we still get trash hands, single jointed knees, and arms that cant do 90 degrees is insane. If I worked for them things would be much much better. Its also insane to compare them to GIJoe in the 80s, they were spot on every time... now it is very hit or miss. It is also crazy to me that all parts arent interchangeable at this point, they should know the best neck height and swivel joint size. Also... Star Wars hips?? Do they know how many more figures they would sell if they had Joe hips? They should just produce one wave like that and see if it is worth there time. As it stands I only own IG86 because he has the hips that I require.

I'm sure the Joe Brand Management team leads their own marketing efforts (brand management is just a segment of marketing), so there is very minimal marketing consultation (besides, that's the point of having a brand management team -- to lead the marketing efforts and define the strategies).

the Joe collectors club is essentially a glorified licensee, paying Hasbro for the rights to run a fan club and make figures. and like any licensee, what they can and can't do is dictated by Hasbro, whether it is because of concept or mold availability or other factors.