Are Brand Mascots on the Verge of Extinction or Are They Still Valuable, Immortal Spokespeople?
Think back to your childhood. I’m willing to bet there is a full cast of fun, colorful, over-the-top characters hidden in the recesses of your mind — and you know them all by heart, name, and the intonation of their voices.
I’m not talking about old school Saturday morning cartoons. I’m talking about the other cartoonish characters that appeared in the ad breaks between those cartoons — and most other TV programs. You know the ones: Ronald McDonald, Tony the Tiger, the Coca-Cola Polar Bear, Mr. Peanut, The Noid, The Colonel, The Kool-Aid Man.
Throughout the years, mascots have served a unique and memorable purpose for sports teams, companies, and brands all over the world. But when it comes to marketing your brand or product, are mascots still as effective today as they were in the earlier, less technologically dependent days of marketing and branding?
What is a Brand Mascot?
A brand mascot is a character or animal used to represent a company or product. They are often used in advertising and marketing campaigns, but they can also be found on packaging, signage, and other promotional materials. The purpose of using a mascot is to create an emotional connection between consumers and the brand through something that’s fun and memorable — the same way we remember our childhood friends, pets, or favorite stuffed animals.
Mascots have been around since the early 20th century when advertisers would hire people dressed up as animals (think Tony the Tiger) to hand out samples at grocery stores or fairs. Today there are thousands of mascots representing hundreds of different companies across numerous industries ranging from fast food restaurants like McDonald’s (Ronald McDonald) and Burger King (The King) to financial institutions like Wells Fargo (Wells Fargo Wagon) and household products (Mr. Clean).
The History of Brand Mascots
Outside of advertising, one could claim that the history of brand mascots goes back as far as ancient Egypt where hieroglyphics depicted animals like cats and crocodiles wearing headdresses representing pharaohs’ names. However, the modern concept of a brand mascot in advertising has been around since the early 20th century. One of the oldest and longest standing brand mascots was born in 1922, when Coca-Cola introduced its polar bear character in a French print advertisement. Even older and still kicking today? The Michelin Man was born in 1898 (and the 1910 iteration is a thing of nightmares).
Since then, countless brands have also used mascots in many different ways to promote their products and services — and sometimes even themselves as companies.
Brand mascots come from all over the world — and they’ve evolved over time, too! They’re used by companies big and small alike; some are well known by consumers while others may be more obscure (but still very important).
The Power of Brand Mascots
Brand mascots are a powerful tool for brands to use in their marketing efforts. They can be used to attract new customers, increase brand awareness and loyalty, and even build trust with existing customers. The most successful mascots have a personality that resonates with their audience while also representing the values of the company they represent.
Brand mascots influence consumer behavior by increasing brand recognition and recall by providing an easily identifiable image that consumers will remember when they see it again later on. This helps companies get more exposure than they would otherwise receive because people are more likely to recall seeing something if they’ve already seen it once before.
The Impact of Brand Mascots on Advertising
According to a 2019 survey conducted by Crestline, the most memorable mascots among U.S. residents polled were the Starbucks mermaid, Col. Sanders from KFC, the Geico Gecko, M&M’s talking candies, and Ronald McDonald.
But brand mascots are more than just cute characters that help you remember a brand. They can also be used to create an emotional connection with consumers, and this connection can have a significant impact on advertising.
Brand mascots are used in many different ways by companies and marketers, but they all serve the same purpose: to make consumers feel something when they see or hear about a product or service. The most common use is as part of an ad campaign, where these characters interact with real people in real situations. For example, if you’ve ever seen an advertisement for McDonald’s featuring Ronald McDonald or Burger King’s The King mascot holding hands with someone else (usually another character), then you know what I’m talking about! These types of ads allow customers who may not have been previously aware of your company to consider buying from it because they like how friendly everyone seems here at “McDonald’s” or “Burger King”.
The Role of Brand Mascots in Customer Experience
Brand mascots can be an effective tool for creating a sense of trust and loyalty in your customers. They also help you to influence customer decisions, which is why they’re often used in advertising campaigns.
The most common way that brand mascots improve customer experience is by providing an emotional connection between the consumer and brand. Customers feel more connected to the products they use when they have a familiar face associated with them — it makes them feel like part of something bigger than themselves. This can lead to increased loyalty, as well as increased sales because customers will be more likely to buy from companies whose mascots they know and like (or even love).
Another way that brand mascots improve customer experience is through their ability to create trust between companies and consumers; people tend not only trust those who look like them but also those who resemble their friends or family members — and this includes animals! When we see something similar to ourselves (like another person), we automatically assume that whatever they say must be true because there’s no reason why anyone would lie about being like us unless there’s some sort of ulterior motive involved; therefore, if they say something bad about someone else then it must also be true because otherwise why would they say such things?
The Big Question: Are Brand Mascots on the Verge of Extinction or Are They Still Valuable, Immortal Spokespeople?
The future of brand mascots in advertising is a topic of debate. Some experts believe that mascots will continue to play a significant role in branding due to their ability to create emotional connections with consumers, increase brand recognition, and boost profits. Plus, as technology continues to advance, we will likely see more and more brands finding additional immersive ways for consumers to interact with brand mascots through the use of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Others, however, argue that mascots may be a dying breed, as their use in advertising has decreased significantly over the years. Bottom line: Brand mascots are not on the verge of extinction, but they do need to adapt to remain relevant. According to a 2020 Transform article, brand mascots won’t die or become irrelevant, but brands must give them a reason to exist to avoid redundancy further down the line. Additionally, a 2021 article in The Drum explains that mascots will continue to have a role in the future of branding, in part because the influencer economy is in flux and influencers do not have the same training as mascots.
Mascot or not, are you ready to put your brand in more hands? Get in touch with Madison+Main by calling the office today at 1-877-623-6246! #BoldBrandsWin.