Ronald McDonald, the Michelin Man, Tony the tiger – what do they all have in common? They’re all well known digital mascots. When we think of the relevant brands, we picture the mascots themselves.
There are various images that come to mind when you picture a certain brand. If a brand has created a strong mascot, they will be who you think of when you hear the business name. They’re quite often the face of the brand. All digital advertising videos and still content will be displayed with them playing the main character.
However, mascots aren’t as popular with modern day brands. Typically, the mascots that come to mind straight away are ones which have been around for many years. You don’t see many new mascots coming to light. Is this because they aren’t being made any more, or is it just no new mascots stand a chance?
A strong mascot could sell a company more than any other content they put online. It could be the making of a business in fact, because people will often appreciate a loveable character more than a general business style post. They tend to fade into the background, while friendly characters stand out and can become a brand appeal.
Mascots either really work, or really don’t
You want your business to be memorable. If a silly little cartoon does this then what’s the harm you could say? Well, the issue is, they’re not always appreciated. Sometimes, mascots can be incredibly irritating and do more damage than good to a brand. We can all recall an advert or piece of marketing which winds us up.
Whether it’s down to the tacky jingle, the advert concept, or even a little cartoon character that just gets on your nerves. You don’t want to fall into that trap. People switching the channel or choosing to unfollow your social pages because they can’t stand the sight or sound of the mascot you’ve created.
Perhaps the best way to consider if a mascot will work for you or not is to first consider your audience. Who are they? What age bracket do they fall in and what service do you offer? These questions might help you figure out whether a mascot is the right thing for your company. Then, from there, why not test the waters?
Create a mascot mock-up and find a way to place it into your marketing. You’ll soon see how people take to it. If they interact well, perhaps you could try including the mascot more and more. However, if the content doesn’t perform well, then you have your answer. It might take a little while to know and a few tests, but you should start to see a result either way.
