In a world full of people, we see many, talk to a few and become friends only with the ones that have a vivid attractive personality. The same is the case with brands, in a world full of competing brands, consumers see many ads, pay attention to fewer and remember only the ones that have a strong brand image and brand personality.
The more we provide opportunities for consumers to connect with a brand, the more likely they are to recall the brand and purchase it. Remembering a brand name is more difficult but as soon as a brand is given a face with the help of a mascot, an instant connection is built with the consumer. This increases the recall value of the brand manifold as well as provides a strong brand image and builds a brand personality.
A mascot is an effective symbol for positioning a brand’s personality to sell its products. It can provide a vehicle for customers to express their own identities or simply highlight the functional benefits of the brand. This makes the identification of a brand personality an extremely important task to drive communication, enrich target audience understanding, contribute to a differentiating identity, guide the communication effort as well as create equity in a brand.
The success of giving a face to a brand is quite evident from the many examples currently present in the market. The line’ Utterly butterly delicious’ can never be imagined without thinking about the Amul Girl with her little pony and dotted bow. Amul as a brand is now incomplete without its mascot. The consumers seem to have formed an emotional connect with the Amul Girl and thus they tend to believe whatever she tells us about the brand. Similarly, Hutch chose the pug dog as its mascot to popularise the brand as a loyal and customer-friendly brand. The campaign became so successful that now the pug breed is inseparable from the brand even after its disappearance from the market.
As compared to brand ambassadors, mascots are a better and more effective advertising option because brand ambassadors are prone to falling into scandals, sickness and aging which will affect the brand image as well. Brand ambassadors may also endorse a variety of brands but mascots are unique, ageless and reflect the entire personality of the brand and are consequently more reliable.
So when there is a missing link between a brand and the consumer, bridge the gap by giving a face to your brand!