Mascot Design. Do you really need one?
by Chris Streeter of Izzat Design
Do you have a product? Moreover, do you have competition?
If you answered yes to either of these questions then I would say that you would definitely benefit from the use of a specialised marketing tool like a mascot design.
Let me put it this way. If you have a product and your product has competition, then in order to set yourself apart from the opposition a brand becomes a necessity. This brand imparts to the consumer all the relevant information about what they can expect from your product or service. It focuses your message into an easy to digest symbolic construct.
A beneficial extension to this brand experience is the corporate company mascot design.
There really is no end to the guise that they can take, and an almost infinite variety of ways that they can be utilised or implemented. They create or refer to the personality of your corporate body. They act as ambassadors, conveying a message or series of messages. They can rally people for your cause, or even create controversy, if this is what you desire. Wherever they are, they attract attention and rouse consumer curiosity. They are the perfect medium for creating an emotionally charged and infectious atmosphere anywhere and at anytime.
Corporate company mascots, as you can see are a versatile tool. However, at the end of the day they serve one purpose, and one purpose alone, to promote.
What you should understand is a mascot does not have to be a fluffy bunny hopping around shopping malls giving out Easter eggs from a basket, unless of course you sell Easter eggs. Your design could be, for instance an honest faced accountant with a huge cranium and receding hairline, thick black rimmed glasses and plaid pants that are far too short. Imagine him complete with a pocket protector, and a bunch of oversized pens, waxing lyrical on prime time television, expounding the benefits of professionally prepared tax returns. Alternatively, consider a design that becomes a national symbol, encompassing a nation’s dream of zero carbon emission.
The message can range from the light-hearted comedic approach right through to the serious campaign with a focus on traffic safety. There really is no limit to how you can utilise such a tool for increasing your brand awareness, or getting your particular message across.
You can send them to trade shows, have them outside your mini golf course, utilise them as educational aids in schools and at social events or even associate their unique voice or particular personality traits with your company through a series of radio or television campaign.
The corporate company mascot design, as you can see, becomes a unique marketing tool for any organization, adding value to brand identity and benefiting the consumer in terms of your particular brand experience.
Before you go, let me ask you one question.
Would your business benefit from an increase in public awareness?