create a strong and relatable brand personality with mascots
What if we told you that:
brand mascots, animated personalities and characters can increase profit and emotional connection with customers by up to 41%
campaigns without a mascot or animated character were only 29.7% as likely to increase market share gain
long-term campaigns featuring a character or mascot can increase profit gain by 34.1%, compared to 26.2% for campaigns without
These powerful statistics are but a few of the many compelling benefits to your brand and brand personality when you decide to invest in a mascot or animated character as the face of your business.
In addition to differentiating your business from your competitors in a more memorable way, brand mascots help your business resonate with your target audience better, and reinforce top-of-mind awareness.
In other words, when people consistently see your mascot (like our adorable buddy Sal on the sofa here hint-hint) they become more primed to keep your business in mind, and are more likely to recognise it in the future.
The research behind it
In 2021, the Moving Picture Company, renowned for its Oscar-winning film characters including The Lion King, published a research-based white paper on the effectiveness of advertising with characters, based on findings by scholars, analysts, market researchers, advertising agencies and industry peers.
The research analysed some of the most effective brand characters of the past decade, including John Lewis’ Monty the Penguin, GEICO’s Gecko, Aldi’s Kevin the Carrot, and Samsung’s Ostrich.
Embarking on initial research, MPC found mounting evidence to demonstrate that advertising with characters and brand mascots has both long-term effectiveness, and facilitates stronger brand engagement, an increase in profit, and the development of a deeper emotional connection with consumers.
amongst the stats we already mention, MPC found that:
a long-term campaign featuring a character fluent device will, on average, increase Market Share Gain by 41%, compared to 29.7% for campaigns not featuring a character.
long-term campaigns featuring a fluent device will on average increase new customer gain by 40.9%, compared to 32% for campaigns without.
emotionally-led campaigns will generate almost double the profit of non-emotionally-led campaigns over the course of three years.
in 1992, 41% of campaigns used a fluent device (a character or running theme). However today the number has plummeted to 12%.
in the UK, just 7% of ads feature a character fluent device. In the US, that falls to 4%.
Mark Benson, chief executive at MPC, said: “We have always believed that characters and creatures can move people emotionally, not only in entertainment but in advertising.
“This research was commissioned to put that hypothesis to the test. We are living through a time in which brands are struggling to cut through ever-crowded media spaces with their advertising. As the global pandemic unfolded in 2020, marketers were presented with some of the biggest challenges yet. We wanted to provide brands with practical information that could help them decide on their next campaign.”
Why should your business have a brand mascot?
connecting emotionally with your audience
People find it easier to emotionally connect with animals and objects by assigning human characteristics to them—-making them relatable. Taking this into account, we can see why mascots or animated characters are so effective in establishing a connection.
establishing a recognisable brand personality
In today’s overcrowded climate, businesses work hard to stand out and be unique. This is where a brand mascot comes in. A mascot explores the more creative and customer-centric side of your brand, thus giving it a recognisable brand personality.
sparking conversation
Brand mascots that easily connect with customers are more likely to inspire them in conversation. Compared to flat logos and faceless corporate quotes, mascots actively encourage customers to take part in brand-related activities.
engaging audiences on social media
In a marketing world dominated by digital media, it’s easy to get lost in the noise. If used properly, a mascot can be the perfect piece of brand collateral to make your social media profiles stand out. Plus, self-promotion done by a brand mascot seems more natural and more appropriate compared to one done by a person.
Ultimately, a mascot is an ageless brand representative with the ability to endure different times and trends to keep your business relevant in any season. When utilised properly, a brand mascot can breathe new life into your company. You can leverage this powerful tool to expand your brand and reach your desired demographic.
