When you hear the word ‘Disney,’ what comes to mind? Maybe you think of the Sleeping Beauty castle or one of the animated movies you watched as a kid. Or maybe – most likely! – you think of a mouse in a pair of red shorts and yellow shoes. Anyone who sees Mickey Mouse will immediately think of Disney, and this is because, as the mascot, Mickey lends the Disney brand a personality, making it stand out from the multitude of brands competing against each other.
What Is a Mascot For?
The main purpose of a mascot is to build and strengthen brand identity. With a visual associated with your brand, people are more likely to give your business a spot in their mind map. With this, you get to have top-of-the-mind recall and awareness, which will inevitably drive sales.
However, mascots aren’t solely for giving your brand its identity. They also help you build a connection with your target audience. Human brains are hardwired to find similarities between themselves and everything they interact with. By giving your brand a mascot, you can assign human characteristics to your brand and anthropomorphize it. Give your brand a name and a face and turn them into living entities that your audience will be able to connect with.
Your Brand’s Identity Personified
Just like all people are different, all brands are also different – and by giving your brand humanistic traits, you make them stand out even more. Mascots give your brand a distinct and recognizable personality, making it unique and different from all the similar brands offering similar products around it. From within a crowd, if you hear a different voice, you are more likely to listen to it – and branding works in a similar way!
Mascots Lead to Quality Engagement
Not just that, but by giving your brand a mascot, you can engage better with your audience. Nobody likes being spoken to a voice without a face, and this applies to businesses as well. Compared to talking to faceless businesses, people are much more likely to engage in conversation and take part in brand activities if they have a face attached to it.
Of course, at the end of the day, a brand mascot is also a marketing tool, and like any other tool, it is only effective when done right. When creating a mascot, you need to make sure you don’t go overboard with making the mascot too ‘hip’ or ‘trendy’ in an attempt to appeal to the masses. Doing so often comes with the risk of pandering to stereotypes and becomes patronizing.
Pitfalls to Avoid When Crafting a Mascot
Sometimes, while trying to create a brand mascot that is likable and attention-grabbing, marketing executives lose sight of the purpose of a mascot, i.e., representing the brand. A mascot that doesn’t manage to create an association with the brand is a failure.
However, when done right, mascots can help your company in creating awareness, recall, and engagement with your customers, and the best part is that mascots have no expiration date!
If you’re having trouble creating a likable mascot that truly represents your brand, you can hire professional services, such as The Netmen Corp, who have a thorough understanding of what elements make mascots effective.
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