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'The Simpsons' clan
Show's characters span all society's segments
By John Grimshaw
Recently I was working with a colleague on a MarComm plan for one of our clients. We had gone through the situation analysis, competitive environment, and the usual marketing 101 stuff.
We were really clicking on ideas and I had dreams of leaving work early that night to maybe hit the gym, or not.
My dreams of an early departure, however, were dashed because we were stuck on a subject that should have been relatively painless to work through: Who is our target audience?
After years of typing out vacuous demographic descriptions of target audiences; Men 25-54, HHI $60+, Married with Children, etc., I was used to blithely spitting out this type of information without really thinking about WHO we were trying to talk to.
But we were really into this particular client’s problem and were salivating at the prospect of wowing them with our genius marketing solutions.
We were working with an easel and Sharpee, my brainstorming weapons of choice, and without thinking too much about it, I wrote out the target audience section on the paper: "Target Audience: Adults, 25-54, College Educated, Professional."
I stepped back from the board and stared at what I had written. These words meant nothing to me as I tried to visualize who these people were. These words, which are arguably the most crucial element of the marketing strategy, had sort of just appeared in front of me.
I mean really. They were just words.
Millions of potential dollars were riding on this one crucial decision and we couldn’t actually picture in our minds what these people looked like.
It dawned on me that if I was unable to really visualize these words so they had some sense of relevance, our client certainly was not going to fare much better.
And what about when it came time to actually purchase millions of dollars of media to be "targeted" to this group?
As I thought more about what the term Target Audience really meant it became clear that "Adults, 25-54, College Educated, Professional" was really nothing more than a placeholder.
If we really wanted to understand whom we should be talking to, then we should come up with a more visual definition.
So, after calling it a night I decided to unwind with a cold Heineken and catch the new episode of "The Simpsons."
I’ve been a fan of the show from the beginning because of the humor but especially due to the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) social commentary.
I’ve also enjoyed how each of the characters seems so familiar and identifiable. I could always watch an episode and say, "Yeah, I know someone like that."
In fact my co-workers would probably be surprised to know that I have a "Simpsons" character that I think of each time I interact with them. Who the characters are will never be revealed. But it certainly helps bring me back to reality during tense work situations.
As I watched the show, I received my Eureka moment.
They don’t happen that often, so I was excited at this new revelation.
There was my answer. "The Simpsons." What better way to describe a target audience than to relate potential customers to "Simpson’s" characters?
The analysis is simple.
Are we going to target the Chief Wiggums of the world, or the Homer Simpsons?
How about Monte Burns, Krusty the Klown, Moe the Bartender, Apu, Sideshow Bob or maybe Smithers?
The great thing about "The Simpsons" is that the various characters represent virtually every sub-segment of society.
At my last count, there were about 300 "Simpsons" characters that have appeared in various episodes over the past nine years.
My guess is that you can probably find a character, or group of characters that can identify the audience you or your client want to reach. For a list of these, and some other great "Simpsons" material, check out the Simpsons Archive web site.
In order to really understand this analysis, you must, of course, be at least a casual viewer of the show.
And obviously it helps if your client is familiar with the characters on the whole. So be careful about who you present this to. There are those who "get" "The Simpsons" and those who do not.
To do this right, you have to get pictures of these characters, cut them out and paste them on boards for your presentations.
Visuals my friends, you’ve got to use visuals.
There are also a variety of action figures, dolls, cut-outs and stickers that can be used to really bring your characters to life.
Of course, there are some realities that come into play as you go down this "Simpsons" road.
I mean, you can’t exactly call up the advertising director for Martha Stewart Living and say, "Yeah, we really want to reach a Marge Simpson type, with a little Patty and Selma Bouvier thrown in. Or can you? What do you think, Martha?
I write this with my tongue partially embedded in my cheek.
Still, I do feel there are some practical applications for it.
Let’s face it. With every agency in the world claiming to have a super-secret proprietary system for customer analysis, target segmentation and testing of media effectiveness, maybe what we really need is to simply implement some good old common sense.
It’s okay to take a break from Blanchard, Trout and Gladwell (all of whom are great resources) and pick up Mark Twain, Garrison Keillor or H. L. Mencken. Stuff a little folksy wisdom inside your marketing "tool chest" and you might end up with something truly unique, a marketing plan with some humanity.
However, if you’re not a reader, all you need do is consult Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.
Just imagine it. There you are, presenting to your client, dressed in your agency finest. You’ve rehearsed your presentation in front of your dog 20 times. You’ve checked the bulb in the projector twice. You are at the top of your game, reciting your marketing jargon with the fervor of a southern Baptist minister. And all the while, your client is staring eye to eye with a plastic replica of Ned Flanders.
"This is your target audience Mr. Smith, this is who you want to reach," you say.
The reality is this. You’ll either get fired, or you’ll get a raise. Hey, you know what they say. No risk, no reward.
But you know what? I’m betting you’ll get the raise. Or, at least a big pat on the back. Not bad for a day's work.
I am dying, dying to see the next new national beer introduction using the following target segments: Primary Target Audience: Lenny and Carl; Secondary Target Audience: "Bleeding Gums" Murphy and Krusty the Klown.
April 19, 2002 © 2002 Media Life
-John Grimshaw is the media director of NYCA, a new agency in San Diego.
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