20 year anniversary for The Simpsons

The Simpson are 20 years old!  When the programme first started it was rebellious and iconoclastic.  It was not aired here in the UK for some time.  I  remember neighbours who had gone to live in the States saying how they loved it, but many of their new friends didn’t feel comfortable with the humour.

From rebellious child to national treasure.

Homer has been extolled as an example of fatherly virtue, (by George Bush if I remember correctly)  and the programme has included the names /voices / voice alikes of many mainstream celebrities .  After a while a new contender arrived who was more ground-breaking than the original  (in this case it was “Family Guy” )  and The Simpsons  became perceived as the  old friend we were all comfortable with.

Expectations of a product or service change as it becomes better known and liked.  Customer loyalty can become fanatical.  Star Trek fans come to mind… and I am sure there are adults in their thirties who know most of the words to the Simpons programmes!

If you have a well-loved service or product in your arsenal make sure you take the loyal fans with you when you update it. The brand they love may need to be tweaked for changing conditions, but it should still be easily recogniseable.  Customer loyalty means opportunity.