Mascot: What It Is and How It Helps Attract Customers

A mascot is a recognizable character that symbolizes a brand.

The mascot of Duolingo

Where, by who, and why mascots are used

Sometimes, even the largest brands need a memorable image. If you operate in a competitive market or your company doesn’t stand out, a mascot can be an excellent solution.

A branded mascot becomes the face of your business. People tend to remember characters better than logos, names, or slogans.

Mascots are bright, memorable symbols that evoke positive emotions.

Geico insurance company's mascot

Mascots can take many forms, ranging from human figures to abstract concepts. The tradition of using mascots dates back over a century. For instance, the famous Michelin Man first appeared in the 19th century. Today, mascots have become an integral part of our lives, appearing in various areas—from social media advertising to live events.

Mascots are especially beneficial for brands targeting a young audience, as well as for companies offering complex products or competing in saturated markets. A vibrant character simplifies the perception of information and makes it more memorable.

The use of mascots in B2B marketing is less common than in the consumer segment (B2C). Companies operating in the business-to-business space often opt for a more formal and rational approach to communication.

Purposes of using mascot characters

To enhance brand recognition. A well-designed mascot character is not just a brand symbol but its visual embodiment that resonates with your target audience. Even a static mascot can become a memorable visual reference, especially if you need to stand out in a competitive market. Using a unique mascot increases the likelihood that customers will remember your company and associate it with the character. Through a mascot, it’s easy to express the brand’s values, helping customers better understand your business.

Want to learn how to analyze competitors and stand out? Read the article “Competitive Analysis: When, Why and How to Conduct.”

To engage customers. By creating vibrant, memorable characters, companies build deep emotional connections with their audience. The loyalty and trust resulting from this connection make consumers more receptive to the offered products and services. Mascots are actively used on social media to create diverse content, organize contests, and host games. Communication with the audience becomes more dynamic and engaging.

A meme featuring the Duolingo mascot has racked up two million views on Twitter

How to effectively promote a brand on social media? Read the article “SMM: What It Is and Why Businesses Need It.”

Where to use mascots

In branding. Mascots can be utilized anywhere the brand is present. This includes internal brand materials, promotional videos, mobile apps, as well as events and trade shows.

On social media. Mascots become a source of active interaction on social platforms. They can feature in posts, engage with customers, share company news, and make the brand’s presence more vibrant and memorable.

On the website. Mascots can effectively boost engagement and reduce bounce rates. For example, your mascot, enhanced by AI, can respond to audience inquiries as part of customer support services.

In advertising. Marketing campaigns featuring mascots often achieve higher levels of engagement. This is due to the unique appeal of mascots and their ability to become a recognizable symbol of the organization.

At events. Mascots become the center of attention and create a welcoming, friendly atmosphere.

Types of mascots

By design. Mascots can take the form of humans, fictional creatures, animals, or even plants.

Mr. Clean as an example of a human mascot

By function. A mascot can act as a helper, always ready to support and entertain. For example, a character might give advice on healthy eating or motivate people to exercise. If your product is related to a complex topic, the mascot can serve as a teacher in that field. For instance, an owl might act as a wise advisor on financial matters.

There are also mascots with superpowers who save customers from various issues. For example, a robot could protect a computer from viruses.

Another application is villain mascots. These villains can be abstract, like stress or fatigue, or specific, such as germs.

By application. There are physical and digital mascots. Physical mascots are better suited for sporting events and in-store promotional activities. Digital mascots, on the other hand, offer greater flexibility and a wider reach.

How to create a mascot

Let's break down how to design a mascot that will resonate with consumers.

Immerse yourself in your brand. For the mascot to be an excellent representative of your company, you first need to thoroughly analyze your product. This step involves deep research into your brand’s values, mission, personality, target audience, unique selling propositions, tone of voice, positioning, and other key aspects. Understanding the emotions your company evokes is critical for creating a truly impactful mascot.

Want to learn how to identify your target audience? Check out the article "Target Audience: Why to Define It, How to Classify and Segment It."

Study the market. This step involves conducting an in-depth market analysis to identify current trends and untapped niches a mascot could fill. Study competitors’ mascots and explore consumer preferences to create a character that stands out to your audience. This research will help design a mascot that not only captures attention but also becomes a cornerstone of your marketing strategy.

Develop the mascot’s world and story. This will help you highlight your brand’s uniqueness and strengthen its market positioning. By crafting a backstory and creating a detailed world, you can seamlessly integrate brand values into the narrative. Such an approach not only enriches communication but also fosters long-term customer loyalty.

Focus on the character itself. The mascot should embody the most vibrant associations with your company. Define its unique appearance, personality, and style that reflect your brand’s values. Work on various aspects of its look, behavior, and even manner of speech. Choose the image that best captures your company’s spirit. Will the mascot be cheerful or serious? How will it talk, move, and interact with its surroundings? All these traits should align with your brand values and appeal to your target audience. The goal is to create a mascot that customers will love and want to connect with. At this stage, you should also choose a fitting name for your character.

Design the mascot. This step starts with a detailed character brief. Typically, several designers are involved in a single project to bring diverse creative ideas to the table. After working on the concept, the next step is to create a 3D model of the character. At this point, the mascot comes to life with detailed expressions, poses, and other elements. The character becomes dynamic. The final design should be approved by all project stakeholders.

Protect your mascot’s intellectual property. A branded mascot is your intellectual property, and trademark registration helps protect it from unauthorized use. If you have multiple characters, each must be trademarked individually.

Launch the mascot. Your mascot needs to make a strong first impression. Introduce your audience to the character through various campaigns and channels, such as social media, email marketing, or advertisements. Choose the right platforms and develop innovative campaigns to capture attention and strengthen your brand’s position in the market.

Continue using the mascot in marketing. Even after the launch, the mascot should remain an active part of your marketing strategy. To ensure its effective use in the future, you can create a style guide that includes information about its goals, audience, and visual appearance. This will enhance brand recognition and improve marketing performance across various channels.

Examples of mascots

Below are some of the most popular mascots.

Mr. Peanut.

An anthropomorphic mascot of the Planters brand, Mr. Peanut first appeared in 1916 and quickly became one of the most recognizable symbols in the United States. His elegant appearance, complete with a top hat, monocle, and cane, is associated with high-quality nuts and snacks. He has a British origin and even a full name—Bartholomew Richard Fitzgerald-Smythe.

Quiky the rabbit.

The choice of a rabbit as a brand symbol is logical: rabbits are associated with speed, perfectly reflecting the quick and easy preparation of the chocolate drink. The character is often depicted in sporty attire, emphasizing the product’s benefits.

KFC mascot.

One of the most recognizable brand mascots is Colonel Sanders, the founder of KFC. Created years after the real Sanders passed away, this friendly, smiling man with glasses, white hair, and a goatee proved to be an incredibly successful choice for a brand character. He symbolizes professionalism and rich culinary expertise.

Linux mascot.

Tux, the lovable penguin, became the Linux mascot following a contest held in 1996. Linux sought a bright and memorable image that would embody the spirit of openness and accessibility of the operating system. The winning design was created by Larry Ewing. The name "Tux" was derived by combining “Torvalds” (the surname of Linux’s creator) and “Unix.”

Conclusion

Mascots play a key role in marketing: they help increase brand recognition, establish an emotional connection with the audience, and stand out among competitors. These characters embody a company’s values, make the brand more memorable, and enhance the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.