We all know famous company mascots, whether we realize it or not. If you heard a clip of the audio, “It’s grrrrrrreat” or saw a short clip of a small gecko speaking in a British accent, you would most likely immediately conjure images of Tony the Tiger and the Geico Gecko. The saturation of company mascots in our cultural knowledge exemplifies enormously effective marketing tactics.

If you’ve read the first blog post in this series, ‘Does your company need a mascot?’, you will have realized that a company mascot is just what your business needs to gain a greater level of recognition.

The challenge then lies in how to get your company’s mascot recognized in a way that will positively boost your popularity and company sales. This guide will assist you by providing vital advice about how you can get the most out of your company mascot in order to achieve maximum success.

12 Effective Ways to Use a Mascot

Think a company mascot isn’t very versatile? Think again! Here are 12 of the most effective ways you can use a mascot to increase brand awareness and boost sales of your products or services.

1. As Part of Your logo

The great thing about a mascot is that similarly to a logo, once you’ve solidified your concept and art, you can easily use your mascot in a variety of creative ways. Incorporating your mascot into your logo can allow people to associate your brand with your mascot, bringing an image into their mind in a subtle, yet effective way.

Your logo should be the visual that people associate with your brand, and adding your mascot to your logo allows that to similarly connect to the knowledge of the services you provide. By connecting your logo with your mascot, you open the doors to future marketing using your mascot, with the benefit of it already being familiar to your audience.

Here are some examples of companies effectively using a mascot in their logo:

• Pringles
• Monopoly
• Michelin
• KFC
• Wpforms

2. To Promote Your Products and Services

Your mascot can sell to your audience, clearly and effectively. You can share information about your products and services in a way that feels more lively than simple words on a page.

Instead of paragraphs promoting your products and services, your mascot can provide that information in a variety of creative ways that break up the sometimes-lengthy descriptions we use in promotional materials. For example, while using your mascot, information can also be presented in a:

• Speech bubble
• Sign or flag
• Item of clothing i.e. words emblazoned on a t-shirt
• Visual manner i.e. an illustration of the mascot interacting with the product / service or performing a particular action relating to it

3. On Print Marketing Materials

Your print marketing materials serve as the most traditional method of getting information out to your consumers. Adding the mascot can create a cohesive feel between your print and digital marketing materials. Although with print materials, your mascot will not have the depth of movement or sound that it may have on your digital materials, the familiarity and personality can still act as an effective means of marketing your brand.

One brand that uses their mascot successfully in their print marketing materials is KFC. As you can see, they’ve been featuring mascot Colonel Sanders for decades now, whether as part of their logo or as an individual figure.

4. To Speak with Your Audience

Forming an authentic line of communication with your consumer is no easy feat. The goal is to speak to your audience without appearing to give them the “hard sell.” Many people had adverse reactions when they know you’re trying to sell to them, so having a seemingly separate third party speak with you is beneficial.

A mascot can serve as a sort of ambassador to your products, allowing your consumer to connect with an entity that almost appears to be separate from all other marketing strategies. By personifying a mascot, you create the best spokesperson you could ask for.

Just one brand which effectively uses their mascot to speak directly with their audience through television commercials, for example, is toilet paper brand Charmin.

Notice how their Charmin Bear mascots mimic a more traditional product commercial? When consumers are being influenced in their purchasing decisions by a mascot (in this case, a cartoon character), rather than a human, the commercial comes across as less ‘salesy’.

5. To Make Pages on Your Website Go Viral

The fantastic thing about living in the age of technology is how quickly you can connect with your audience and how quickly people can view your content. “Going viral” is an amazing way to reach thousands of people, who, in turn, will share your website with others. This exponential spread of exposure will help you get on the road to becoming a household name.

The chances of going viral improve if your mascot is something genuinely original with characteristics, sometimes comical, that will appeal to a broad audience and make them pay attention to your message.

6. In Your Blog Post Images

Blog posts are a way to connect with your audience directly. You can provide a greater level of detail and information about what you’re selling and how you’re selling it. Associating your mascot with the more personal side of your business can form positive associations for your customers.

You can have your mascot play an interactive role, sharing information within the blog post itself, or just put the image at the top of each post. You can even have your blog post related to your mascot’s theme, further integrating your brand.

An example of a company that does this particularly well is battery brand Energizer, as their bunny mascot features heavily in their blog post imagery.

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7. On Social Media

In its own right, social media is a hugely successful way to provide quick, visually appealing content to your customers. Including your mascot in your social media and featuring it in posts can only add to the level of recognition by your followers.

For example, if your customers are already acquainted with your brand and logo, seeing your mascot in a weekly promotional post, will only further their familiarity and comfort.

Don’t just take our word for it, though. Case studies have shown the Nesquik rabbit triggers 51% more shares, the Keebler Elves enjoy 203% more shares and Frosted Flakes' Tony the Tiger gets 279% shares than those brands' non-character images.

Need help designing your own social media posts? Download our social media design templates! We’ve done the hard work for you, including making sure they’re perfectly sized to meet the requirements of each platform.

8. In Limited Edition Designs

People love variation, especially something that appears to be exclusive or limited. Particularly with holidays or special events for your company, you can change your mascot’s design to represent that special time.

For example, you could dress your mascot up to represent a particular holiday. If you have merchandise to sell or give away, you could create limited edition items with that unique design, creating something new and exciting for your consumer.

9. Give Your Mascot an Identity By Naming It

Your mascot name is a critical component, as it is a name that has the potential to ring out over the family dinner table if you succeed in making it a household name. The name should be memorable, but not overly complicated.

Usually, companies like to create alliterative names, giving the name of their mascot a nice ring to it. Examples include:

• Tony the Tiger
• Gecko Geico
• The Michelin Man
• Mickey Mouse
• Chester Cheeto

While there are equally famous mascot names that are not alliterative, this might be an effective way to help your mascot’s name get “stuck” in consumers’ minds.

10. Create a Personality for your Mascot

While your mascot’s name is important, even more so is the personality you create for it, as it truly personifies the character you’ve made. This is also where you decide the voice of your mascot. Is your mascot funny? Serious? Inspirational?

An example of a well-known mascot that’s full of personality is Aleksandr Orlov, the meerkat mascot for price comparison website, Compare the Market.

Within just seconds, we can already determine a number of traits about Aleksandr Orlov, thanks to his accent, location, costume, and more.

Here are some additional questions to help you flesh-out a personality for your mascot:

• Are they male, female, or ‘genderless’?
• What is their age?
• What are their interests or hobbies?
• What are their quirks?
• What personality traits do they share with your target audience?
• Do they have family or friends? If so, what are they like?
• What are they most passionate about?
• What do they dislike the most?

Want to learn more about creating a mascot persona? We provide an in-depth guide to this topic in our next blog post, ‘How to create a memorable company mascot’.

Once you’ve decided which route you prefer, you can add that personality to all of your materials, elevating your marketing materials and defining your own company’s character.

11. Present Your Mascot Through Its Own Socials

When you create a personality for your mascot, you open the world to how you can present it to your audience. By giving the mascot its own socials, you had the opportunity to post and speak directly to the customer in an engaging manner.

The options are endless when you create socials for your mascot. You can comment on customer’s posts as your mascot or respond to their comments on your own posts, adding a personal touch, and allowing your customers to feel as though your company is accessible.

You only need to look to well-known brands, such as Aflac, for example, to see how effective this method is. Their duck mascot has a separate Facebook page, Twitter account, and Instagram profile, each with their own large following.

12. Flesh-Out the Imaginary World of Your Mascot

The creative measures that go into creating the imaginary world that your mascot lives in are the attention to detail that will set your mascot apart from other mascots. Similarly to their personality, the world of your mascot helps set the tone for your company.

The amount of detail you go into does not have to be extensive; rather, it can be sufficient to create a backstory for your mascot. Here are some important things to consider:

• Where did they come from?
• What’s their backstory?
• What type of location are they most suited to?
• Who also lives here?
• What language do they speak?
• What are the rules of this world?

The Bottom Line

Your brand mascot can elevate your marketing and connection with your consumer in an affordable and time-efficient manner. Additionally, a mascot can boost your business by adding depth and personality to form a lasting relationship with your customer.

If you need help designing your mascot, reach out, and our design team can help you bring your vision to life.

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