The Simpsons. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and the rest. We know them all like family. Not surprising, since they’ve been around for more than 20 years.

But they’re not the same family we loved and grew up with. They’re not as fresh. Not as innovative.

Simply put, The Simpsons have stagnated.

While other shows like Family Guy were coming into play and using pop culture references to keep things clever, The Simpsons were relying on our goodwill for the classic years to carry them by.

The Simpsons Movie was a good diversion. For a while. We even believed that the writers had their spark back and that the show would benefit from the return to form that the movie’s humour promised. Sadly, it didn’t play out this way and the show continued into humdrum.

So now it languishes in classic program No Man’s Land. The network won’t can it, the fans reminisce of the classic seasons and the writers flop about with little conviction.

Now let’s look at you.

You’ve built your name and success around doing what you’ve done for the last however many years. You were fresh and new back in the day, and people still know your name today.

But in what capacity?

Are they saying, “There goes Brand X, love how they keep surprising us” or are they saying “There goes Brand X, remember when they were really good?”. Unless you actually want to be the latter, don’t make the same mistakes The Simpsons did.

Don’t introduce something brand new without testing

Homer Simpson’s catchphrase is “D’oh” but in an attempt to keep him fresh, the writers introduced a new gimmick for him. Remember the collar-tugging and the little “Yoargh” sound he began to use? Annoying and not fitting with Brand Homer. Do your homework and offer something fresh but that is actually wanted. Use tools like Twitter and blog polls for immediate feedback on new ideas.

Use new mediums effectively

Don’t overstretch yourself. Like any popular franchise, The Simpsons spawned countless toys, games, CD’s and more. Rather than offer a great tie-in to the show, many were rushed, lacked quality and were poorly implemented. Don’t go the same route. Review what tools and mediums are available and what ones would best suit your message and brand, and be strong on these as opposed to weak across many.

Spread the love throughout your show

Don’t rely on a core few. The Simpsons tend to revolve around the five main characters and then involve others as and when needed. Don’t be like this with your company. If you have a social media strategy, involve everyone. Get employees talking about your company and representing you. They can be your front line of community engagement – don’t hinder them by sticking to the same social media cast in just one department.

The Simpsons came out of the blocks with intent and soon became the brand that others had to beat. They stayed in that position for a while. But they never moved on. Now they’re living on memories and goodwill. How long they remain on air is up to parents Fox and the fans.

How are you keeping your stakeholders and fans interested?

photo credit: r9M