As a business first and foremost, you know that if you’re going to spend a lot of time and resources into something that you want a positive return on investment. Naturally, you’re going to question what benefits a mascot will bring to the table? How will they help your brand and your products? What influence will a mascot have on your audience?
A large part of this is going to depend on you and how you design your mascot. So long as you align the mascot with company values, you should be on the right track.
Allstate’s Mayhem, for instance, is a unique and different take on mascots. His job is to show audiences why they would want insurance through damaging property, ruining belongings and causing general chaos. The personality of Mayhem is remarkably different from something like Mickey Mouse or Tony the Tiger, who are lovable cartoon characters that promote positivity and happiness. But that doesn’t mean Mayhem is a poor choice for a mascot.
He still has an influence on Allstate’s audience, and that’s the most important thing to take away from this. The bulk of the outcome will depend on the mascot you choose, the personality you give them and the message you want them to portray.
Of course, there are general benefits to having a mascot too.
- They make your company name and brand stand out from competitors.
- They increase brand and product awareness in the marketplace.
- They make your company more personable
- Mascots and characters connect with your audience in a way that conventional advertisements, company spokespersons and general content cannot.
- You create a family-like company culture, and your employees will learn to love the mascot just as much as your customers.
