I love the Simpsons.  It’s one of the longest running shows on TV because it somehow remains relevant, funny, timely, and simple.  Lately it seems you can’t open up a link without hearing, “consumers are in control” and “let the consumer decide.”  I’m finding it tougher and tougher to swallow these statements. It’s almost gotten as bad as “stimulus package” messaging advertisers are flocking to.  This isn’t the time or place to get into a lengthy debate on whether consumers are in control and if we should simply let them decide what products are launched, in addition to controlling the messaging/marketing used to support the product.  I’ll make time in a future post to discuss this in detail.

Coming back to the Simpsons…there’s an episode called “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?”  The Wikipedia entry does a great job of providing details of the episode.  In short here’s what happens:

1. Homer learns about his half brother Herb
2. Herb owns a car company, called Powell Motors
3. Herb and his team are working on a new car
4. Herb decides to let Homer, the average consumer, have full control over the development of the new car
5. Homer leads the development and names the car, The Homer
6. The Homer is unveiled and is a complete failure – not only is it ugly, but it’s insanely expensive
7. Herb’s company goes bankrupt

Here’s a video showing what The Homer looked like:

Consumer input is one thing.  Marketers have been doing that for years through product testing, ethnographic studies, focus groups, and more.  The methods for how we engage these consumers for feedback has changed; it’s evolved.  That’s a good thing.  But, to think that we can blindly shirk our responsibilities and simply do whatever the consumer wants is potential recipe for business suicide.

Herb, learned this the hard way.  Let him be a lesson.