OBJECTIVES
To study the concept of brand mascots.
To understand the effect of brand mascots on the consumers.
To know whether the brand mascots are more product specific &
product loyal than celebrities.
METHODOLOGY
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This project is the mixture of theoretical as well as practical knowledge. Also it contains ideas
and information imparted by the project guide.
The first objective i.e. studying the concept of brand mascots is achieved by the use of
secondary data. The secondary data required for the project was collected from various
websites.
To achieve the second objective i.e. studying the effect of brand mascots on the consumers,
the methodology adopted, is use of primary information i.e. by conducting a survey by
means of preparing a suitable questionnaire, and thus the effect was successfully understood
by performing data analysis of the information gathered after conducting the survey.
Finally the objective to understand how the brand mascots are more product specific as
compared to celebrities, i.e. Brand Mascots Vs. Celebrities is understood with the help of
secondary data i.e. information from different websites & a question was included in the
survey questionnaire which helps to understand about the peoples opinion as to what they
think whether brand mascots are more product loyal & product specific in comparision with
the celebs & why is it so i.e. the reasons for the same.
INTRODUCTION OF THE TOPIC
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Marketing is always being regarded as a form of arts involving various creative thoughts and
methods. Particularly, in today’s severely competitive business world, more and more effort has
been devoted to producing exceptionally creative multi-media communication elements (e.g.
artistic visuals, humor appeals, metaphors, and creative brand mascots) to attract customer
attention and effectively increase product and brand attitude. All these endeavors have
potentially put consumers in a highly creative marketing environment that calls for a strong
creative thinking tendency among consumers as they try to comprehend and interpret these
meanings conveyed through various creative forms.
Brand mascots are a form of branding. They are the different animated characters which are
created by the company. They represent the brand of the company. And these animated
characters are thus called as BRAND MASCOTS.
A mascot is a potent spokesman for a company and its image.
A BRAND MASCOT IS ESSENTIALLY A VISUAL PEG TO A COMPANY OR ITS
BRANDS.
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A PART OF THE VARIOUS MULTI-MEDIA COMMUNICATION ELEMENTS IS
BRAND MASCOTS.
Basically, a mascot allows people to personify your company, enabling them to form an
emotional bond with it. Having a mascot is an incredibly effective way to get people interested
in your company.
Animated characters also give more scope for creativity and flexibility. They have a powerful
impact on the people while the success of the mascot, however, depends on how effectively it
conveys the brand values and the ideals that consumers would associate with. Mascots have to be
dynamic and must be adapted with changing times.
India is not without its fair share of mascots. For years, the cute Amul girl regaled millions of
Indians with her antics and a plateful of products - butter, cheese, milk and chocolates. Today
she is undoubtedly The Taste of India. Other popular mascots include Air India's Maharaja, with
his diminutive stature, giant turban and oversized moustache exuding warmth and hospitality,
and Asian Paints' naughty boy Gattu, holding a bristly paintbrush in one hand and a can of
overflowing paint in the other.
There are lots more that have come up in recent times such as ICICI’s Chintamani, Kellogg’s
animated kid and bear are intertwined in people’s minds, the Handiplast Boy, Sunfeast’s Sunny
and so on.
INTRODUCTION TO BRANDING
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The term brand means different things to the different roles of buyer and seller, with buyers
generally associating brand with a product or service, and merchants associating brand with
identity. Brand can also identify the company behind the specific product -- that's not just a
biscuit, that's Britannia biscuit. This use of brand puts a "face" behind the name, so to speak,
even if the "face" is the result of advertising copy and television commercials. This use of brand
also says nothing of quality, just the buyer's exposure to the brand's PR and media hype. For the
typical merchant, branding is a way of taking everything that is good about the company --
positive shopping experience, professionalism, superior service, product knowledge, whatever
the company decides is important for a customer to believe about the company -- and wrapping
these characteristics into a package that can be evoked by the brand as signifier.
Brands originated with the 19th-century advent of packaged goods. Industrialization moved the
production of many household items, such as soap, from local communities to centralized
factories. These factories, cursed with mass-produced goods, needed to sell their products in a
wider market, to a customer base familiar only with local goods. It quickly became apparent that
a generic package of soap had difficulty competing with familiar, local products. The packaged
goods manufacturers needed to convince the market that the public could place just as much trust
in the non-local product.
The manufacturers wanted their products to appear and feel as familiar as the local farmers'
produce. From there, with the help of advertising, manufacturers quickly learned to associate
other kinds of brand values, such as youthfulness, fun or luxury, with their products. This kick
started the practice we now know as "branding”
The American marketing association defines a brand as “a name, term, sign, symbol or design, or
a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers
and to differentiate them from those of competitors.” A brand is thus a product or service that
adds dimensions that differentiate it in some way from other products or services designed to
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satisfy the same need. . Brands today play a number of important roles that improve the
consumer’s lives and enhance the financial value of firms.
Brands identify the source or maker of the product and allow consumers-either individual or
organizations- to assign responsibility to a particular manufacturer or distributor. Consumers
may evaluate the identical product differently depending how it is branded. Consumers lean
about the brand with its past experience and the marketing program. As consumers lives
becomes more complicated, time starved the ability of brand to simplify decision making is
invaluable. Brands also perform valuable functions for the firm. First they simplify the product
handling and tracing. Brands help to organize inventory and accounting records. The brand name
can be protected registered trademarks. The intellectual property rights ensure that the firm can
safely invest in the brand and can reap the benefits over a long period of time.
Brands can signal a certain level of quality so that satisfied buyers can easily choose the product
again. Brand loyalty provides predictability and security of demand for the firm and creates
barriers to entry that makes it difficult for other firms to enter the market. This brand loyalty can
translate into willingness to pay higher price. In this sense branding can be seen as powerful
means to secure a competitive advantage. Brands represent enormously valuable pieces of legal
property that can influence consumer’s behavior. Strong brand results in better earnings and
profit performance for firms, which in turn, creates greater value for shareholders.
Brand is the proprietary visual, emotional, rational, and cultural image that you associate with
the company or a product. When you think of Volvo, you think of safety. When you think of
Nike, you think of Michael Jordon or ‘Just Do It’. When you think of IBM, you think of ‘Big
Blue’. The fact that you remember the brand name and have positive associations with that brand
makes your product selection easier and enhances the value and satisfaction you get from
product.
THE ROLE OF BRANDING
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The purpose of branding is to create a powerful and lasting emotional connection with customers
and other audiences. A brand is a set of elements or “brand assets” that in combination create a
unique, memorable, unmistakable, and valuable relationship between an organization and its
customers. The brand is carried by a set of compelling visual, written and vocal tools to represent
the business plan and intentions of an organization to the outside world. What your company,
products and services stand for should all be captured in your branding strategy, and represented
consistently throughout all your brand assets and in your daily marketing activities
The brand image that carries this emotional connection consists of the many manageable
elements of branding system, including both visual image assets and language assets.
Brands identify the source or maker of a product and allow consumers- either individuals or
organisations- to assign responsibility to a particular manufacturer or distributor. Consumers may
evaluate the identical product differently depending on how it is branded. Consumers learn about
brands through past experience with the product & its marketing program. They find out which
brands satisfy their needs & which ones do not. As consumers lives become more complicated,
rushed, and time-starved, the ability of a brand to simplify decision making & reduce risk is
invaluable. Branding can be seen as a powerful means to secure a competitive advantage.
To firms, brands thus represent enormously valuable pieces of legal property that can influence
consumer behaviour, be bought & sold, and provide the security of sustained future revenues to
their owner. The price premium is often justified on the basis of the assumption of the extra
profits that could be extracted & sustained from the brands, as well as the tremendous difficulty
and expense of creating similar brands from scratch. Wall street believes that strong brands result
in better earnings & profit performance for firms, which, in turn, creates greater value for
shareholders.
BRAND IDENTITY
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Brand Identity includes brand names, logos, positioning, brand associations, and brand
personality, brand toons etc. A good brand name gives a good first impression and evokes
positive associations with the brand. A positioning statement tells what business the company is
in, what benefits it provides and why it is better than the completion? Brand personality adds
emotion, culture and myth to brand identity by the use of a famous actor (Shahrukh khan), a
character (Chintamani), an animal (Tiger) etc.
Brand associations are the attributes that costumer thinks of when they hear or see the brand
name. McDonalds television are a series of one brand association after another, starting in yellow
arches in the low right corner of the screen and following with associations of Big Mac, Ronald
MacDonald, kids, happy meal, food quality etc. The first step in creating a brand for your
company is branding workshop.
How do we determine our Brand Identity?
Pound that message
in every ad
in every news release
in communications with employees and customers
in every sales call or media interview
By continuous repetition of messages customer will think of your product and then buy it.
TOOLS FOR BUILDING BRAND IDENTITY:
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Brand builders use a set of tools to strengthen and project the brand image; Strong brands
typically exhibit an owned word, a slogan, a color, a symbol, and set of stories.
SLOGAN:
Many companies successfully added a slogan or tagline to their brand name which is repeated in
every ad they use. Here are some well-known brands slogans, which people on the street may
easily recall or recognize:
COMPANY SLOGAN
British Airways
Ford
LIC
“The world’s favorite airline”
“Quality is our number one job”
“Jeevan ke saath bhi jeevan ke baad bhi”
COLORS:
It helps for a company or a brand to use a consistent set of color to and in the brand recognition.
Caterpillar paints all its construction equipments yellow. Yellow is the color of Kodak film. IBM
uses blue in its publications, and IBM is called “Big Blues”.
SYMBOLS AND LOGOS:
Companies would be wise to adapt a symbol or logo to use in their communications. Many
companies hire a well-known spokesperson, hoping that his or her quality transfer to the brand.
Nike uses Michael Jordon who has worldwide recognition and likableness, to advertise its shoes.
Sporting goods manufacturers sign contracts with top athletes to serve as their symbols, even
naming the product after them.
CARTOONS AND ANIMATIONS:
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A less expensive approach is to develop a character, animated, to etch the brand’s image into
customer’s mind. The advertising agency Leo Burnett has successfully created a number of
memorable animated characters. Here are some well known brand cartoons which people may
recognize:
Company Cartoon or Animation
ICICI Prudential
Amul Butter
McDonalds
All Out mosquito Repellent
Pillsbury
7 Up
Chintamani
Utterly Butterly Girl
Ronald
Louis
Doughboy
Fido Dido
OBJECTS:
Still another approach is to choose an object to represent a company or brand. The travelers’
insurance company uses an umbrella, suggesting that buying insurance is equivalent to having an
umbrella available when it rains. The prudential insurance company features the rock of
Gibraltar, suggesting that buying an insurance is equivalent to “owing a peace of rock “which is
of course, solid ad dependable. Companies have developed many logos or abstracts, which are
easily remembered by people. Even the way the brand name is written makes a brand
recognizable and memorable.
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BRAND MASCOTS
Remember Fido, the cool swanky doodle that endorsed 7 Up and the Pillsbury doughboy hooting
ooo-ooh? Asian Paint’s Gattu, ICICI’s Chintamani, Air India’s Maharajah, Sunfeast’s Sunny-
these are few of the animated characters that have a strong connect with many of us.
“BRAND MASCOTS create excitement, and also serve as a memory hook to pick a
particular brand from clutter”.
Brand Mascots are generally selected to be memorized and to favour a strengthening of the
producer’s message, stimulating the formation of favourable attitudes in the public. Most
consumers grew up with the characters and associate them with their brand.
The concept behind mascots is very clear. Marketers create something memorable, see that it is
in tune with the architecture and values of the brand, give it a prominent place in all
communication, and then they have the satisfaction of having played corporate God. They have
breathed life into something inanimate and it acquires powers of its own. It can be put to work in
many creative ways and brand recall increases with the increased usage of the mascot.
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With the world of advertising turning more experimental, animated characters are increasingly
becoming the face of Indian brands. And with more and more animated advertisements being
shown on Indian television, it is evident that instead of using models or celebrities, companies
are more open to using the tool of animation. The concept of brand mascots is used by many of
the companies.
These days, companies are trying to create a character that matches the characteristics of the
brand, lending it a fresh look and promoting a new medium of communication.
The world over, more and more businesses are finding out what a corporate mascot can do for
them - businesses as diverse as computer companies (Tux the penguin is the face of Linux),
investment companies (the Sharekhan has the tiger i.e. sher as their mascot), food chain
companies (the Ronald of McDonalds), insurance companies (the Chintamani of ICICI), and
many more.
Mascots are considered lucky charms and the choice of a mascot is crucial too. Anything from an
inanimate object, an animal or a person can be a brand mascot; provided they fit into the product
category and personify the company that they represent. Their appeal across several segments is
undisputed. Some remain a childhood memory as a reminiscent of a childhood smell or taste, As
mnemonic flow thick and fast characters get established in the consumers mind. However at
times they are given a hasty burial. Asian Paint’s Gattoo was the rage, but the kid was killed after
he was linked to child labour.
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THERE ARE INNUMERABLE BRAND MASCOTS SUCH AS:
Ronald Of Mcdonalds
The Kingfisher Bird
The Utterly Butterly Girl Of Amul
The Dough Boy Of Pillsbury
The Maharaja Of Air India.
The Gattu Of Asian Paints
The Devil Of Onida
The Super Agent Of Bajaj Allianz
The Chintamani Of Icici
The Sun Of Sunfeast Itc
The Nirma Girl Of Nirma
The Fido Dido Of 7up
The Penguin Of Linux Operating System
The Tiger Of Britannia Tiger Biscuits
The Coco Of Kellogs Chocos
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ROLE OF BRAND MASCOTS
As far as the brand mascots are concerned, these can have several function/ roles to perform:
The first & foremost role of a brand mascot is that they should be the main visual
expression of the brand. Just by having a look at the mascot people should recognize the
brand. Example Amul
Generally, mascots are drawn to be memorized, allowing the passage of the producer’s
message. The mascot should definitely convey the producer’s message.
For example: the Maharaja mascot of the Air India conveys the message that the people
who travel through i.e. the journey would give a feel of maharaja. In simple terms a very
cozy & comfortable journey.
Enduring favorable effects in the attitude formation and at the level of the product
identification.
Brand recall is the most important role of a brand mascot.
The mascots can also impersonate the consumer’s enemy or symbolise a problem with
consumption, which will be solved by the product owning the mascot.
To convey the characteristics of the brand. A mascot should always transmit the
characteristics of the brand.
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UNIQUENESS OF BRAND MASCOTS
MAKES YOUR BRAND MORE MEMORABLE
Memorable mascots effectively make visual and tactile impressions with target audiences.
Today, we all have shorter and shorter attention spans simply due to the vast number of “things”
to see. Having a meet-and-greet mascot can fuel the company’s promotional efforts by creating
lasting impressions and powerful brand association.
Having a mascot ‘in your corner’ builds recognition and loyalty for your corporation, team, or
organization. A mascot can open doors to the kinds of exposure that are not available with a print
ad, flyer or even a TV commercial.
Essentially, mascots are walking, waving, dancing, and animated characters- that generate vastly
more impressions per dollar or rupee spent than any other form of traditional advertising.
Remember that a consumer emotes with brands essentially on the sensorial level. The mascot
becomes an essential associative element with the brand on tout. We typically start associating
the brand name, its colour, its logo and most certainly its promise, with the mascot in question.
A brand mascot has the ability to create a strong brand association in the minds of consumers
and non-consumers alike. When you think of Gattu, you think of Asian Paints, and when you
thought of Goody the tiger, you thought of Nerolac, in the old days. In many ways, the brand
mascot is a midway device between the brand logo (which is pretty inanimate and mostly low on
the emotion-score it can elicit in consumers) and the totally alive brand endorser.
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ARTICULATES ABOUT YOUR BRAND
Mascot: the face that speaks a thousand words
A glance is all it takes to recognize the friendly tiger with a brush and a can of paint in hand to
know he is a part of Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd. A mascot is the most inexpensive way to get
around with your brand; and yet they are the most visible. They create an excitement and a
resonance in your brand image. With that one character association of your brand, the consumer
can rattle off product specifications in his mind and know for sure that he has opted for the right
product. It is almost a voucher. It’s an identity, an image that is powerful than a company
description of values and principles. It is personal and more often, a symbol of reassured faith.
The benefits of a mascot are numerous to marketers who are serious about establishing personality
for their brands. A strong mascot is always successful in creating media exposure and excitement,
generating goodwill for the brand, providing tie-in identification at point-of-sale (the mascot
boldly featured on packaging, in-store merchandising, trucks and T-shirts) and selling products.
Mascots make your brand more human and help with retention. One might wonder the expediency
of having a mascot at an age and time as advance as today. Many companies are also doing away
with the mascots that they have been identified with for all these years, but what one fails to
understand is that the mascot today in a cluttered media environment still manages to establish the
product image in the minds of the consumer. And this clutter is not only with regards to the media,
but it is also in terms of the competitors involved in every aspect of marketing. Mascots are a
“soft-sell” way to get people to remember you. Mascots are highly effective in creating awareness,
building loyalty and most importantly selling the product. They help create media exposure and
excitement. A mascot’s personality evokes traits by which a particular brand can be distinguished.
They serve as the vehicle to quickly remind customers about who you are and what you stand for.
They create the necessary positive image needed for a message campaign to be a success. Mascots
are truly a unique marketing tool for any organization.
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It is becoming increasingly difficult to expose business or introduce new products to the public,
and adopting a mascot for promotional purpose is a good solution to the problem. A mascot is not
limited to visual attention alone but through careful planning and consistent use, it can portray a
character with definite personality and purpose. Character costumes will be instantly associated
with a company or a trademark creating a lasting impression in the public eye. A mascot is very
versatile and can be used in a variety of applications. It establishes a strong reputation and creates a
highly visible image. In a cluttered world of body copies and slogans, a mascot is a refreshing
value that adds up to the corporate personality of the company.
SERVES AS A GOOD MARKETING TOOL
Brand Mascots - The World's Most Powerful Marketing Tool
Cartoon characters, or brand mascots, do the impossible. In very mature markets, under incredible
competitive pressures, where it is hard to tell one product or service from another, they enable you
to differentiate. They give you a way to be unique in markets when it's hard to do it with features,
benefits, service or price.
Cartoon characters have been used in advertising for more than a hundred years, and they won't be
going away any time soon. They are quite possibly the most powerful and versatile marketing tools
ever invented. How hard would it be to sell a virtual commodity like bread dough if Pillsbury
didn't have the Doughboy? Can we think the Amul Company would be anywhere as successful
today without the Utterly Butterly Girl? How hard is it to differentiate in bread dough, vegetables
or candy? For that matter, what about service industries like insurance? When all else fails,
marketers turn to brand mascots because they work. Face it, what could be harder to sell than
insurance? Thus the insurance companies are also coming up with brand mascots.e.g. chintamani
of ICICI.
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So what is it about brand mascots that make them so powerful? Personality is one reason. People
tend to do business with entities they trust and LIKE. In today's hustle-bustle world, there's not as
much time for a salesperson to develop a relationship with a customer for the sake of a sale. People
are on the move and won't sit still long enough, but they can still catch a glance at a familiar
smiling face that takes them to a happy place if only for a nanosecond. For that brief instant, they
can experience the comfort and gratitude they feel from doing business with a trusted friend - the
familiar brand mascot.
Eye contact also has a surprising affect on people. If someone is staring at you from across the
room, you'll sense it, and soon turn around and look. Brand mascots make that kind of eye contact.
They are a smiling, friendly face looking straight at you.
Smiles also have a magical affect on people. Smiling lifts peoples spirit & makes them happy &
cheerful.
The ability to talk is a tremendous asset as well. What other marketing tool does that? A brand
mascot can tell your company, product or service's story. It can demonstrate and educate. It can be
the voice of your company and reflect your culture. It can articulate in terms your target audience
identifies with. It can be charming, endearing and likable. Even if your brand mascot is not
animated, it can still talk with a cartoon bubble. And what the cartoon character says is generally
the most read part of any advertisement. People tend to tune out ads, but still want to hear what a
cartoon character has to say.
The other characteristics include:
Friendly
Attractive
Cute
Product loyal
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REQUISITES - WHILE DECIDING A
MASCOT
Marketing with a mascot is a cost-effective way to help consumers remember your brand.
You could pay Amitabh Bachhan or Kareena Kapoor or Sharukh Khan crores of rupees to
represent your company. But if a company does not have that much budget, some creativity and
a four-legged friend could take its business far. After all, who doesn't immediately recognize the
utterly butterly girl of amul or the fidodido of 7up?
Even for companies that don't advertise on TV, brand mascots still hold plenty
of marketing power.
But there are certain things that should be kept in mind while a company decides to go for a
mascot, i.e. there are some small but very important things that should always be well thought-
out & should not be neglected.
When selecting a brand mascot to represent the company, they should look for one that
conveys its brand's benefits.
The brand mascot should be easily recognizable and thus the mascot or the cartoon
should have a potential to influence the customers.
He should be energetic, lively kind of and should create enthusiasm. The key is to take
advantage of people's preconceived notions about particular mascots be it animals or
toons.
It should bring out the core values & benefits which the brand stands for.
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It should be an extension of the brand and live up to your core value and characteristics,"
and thus indirectly should reflect the company's culture.
While the goal is to grab potential customers' attention, mascots in the ads should convey
the right message.
Remember that you're not looking for just an entertaining character. There must be strong
identification with the brand.
Spend whatever it takes, within reason, to develop a professional character that is worthy
of your product; don't let your character look amateurish and cheaply produced.
Once you've got the character, it should be used everywhere from signage to collateral to
in-store merchandising to packaging, advertising and events.
The company should use the services of a professional firm to guide through the
important development phase. Character development, particularly for mascots, requires
a special base of knowledge to make it work successfully. Most ad agencies and design
firms don't have the complete skills set. So finding and using the services of specialized
& professional firms will prove beneficial.
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STRENGTH OF BRAND MASCOTS
Here are a number of ways that a character costume can benefit a company A strong mascot
marketing effort will:
Increased exposure of company
Highly effective in creating awareness, building loyalty and importantly, selling the product.
Thus they are cost effective as compared to celebrities and loyal.
Mascots also create media exposure and excitement.
Appeal to the human awareness: A mascot's personality can distinguish a brand.
For e.g.: the smiling sun of the sunfeast biscuits helps consumers especially children that the
sun represents the sunfeast brand
Build brand recognition of a product
Generate goodwill for the brand
"Certainly a mascot can help build a brand image,"
Act as an ambassador for the brand by providing a voice for the company's social conscience
Can act as a rallying icon for community identification
Create a more memorable marketing hook for promotional campaigns
Provide tie-in identification at point-of-sale (the mascot boldly featured on packaging, in-store
merchandising, trucks and T-shirts)
Serve as the vehicle to quickly remind customers who you are and what you stand for.
They create the necessary positive image need for a message campaign to be a success and
reminds the customers about the company’s product.
It increases customer count; the typical shopper sees it and tells friends. It brings them back to
the store." And also attract new potential customers to learn more about your company.
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Vs
BRAND MASCOTS
VS
CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT
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Now-a-days, CELEBRETIES & BRAND MASCOTS both are considered as a powerful means
of promotion. Both have a tremendous effect on the consumers.
Some like celebrity endorsement while some prefer brand mascots as more convincing &
impactful rather than celebs. This is a debatable topic as it depends on people. Not every person
has the same opinion. Every consumer has different likes, tastes and preferences.
CELEBRITIES:
Brand ambassadors are famous personalities who have made a difference in their own way and
who are a public figure with a larger than life image.
They are famous, they are popular, and have a great impact on the consumers. Brand
Ambassadors are faces popular in their own way. A human recalls a thing which makes impact
on the mind. People like stars & they follow them. So brand ambassadors become popular &
through them the brands.
BRAND MASCOTS:
Though nowadays many people think that brand ambassadors have a greater recall and connect
with consumers than brand mascots but still the concept of brand mascot cannot be regarded as
redundant since some brands have effectively used mascots to highlight and communicate the
inherent culture and ethos of the brand. Some of the classic examples are 7Up's Fido, Air India's
Maharaja, and Sunfeast’s Sunny among many others which the target audience strongly connects
with. The impact and success of the mascot depends on how effectively the mascot conveys the
brand values and the ideals that consumers would associate with.
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Air India's Maharaja is one of the best examples of an effective and enduring use of a brand
mascot. The consistent usage of the Air-India Maharajah has surely helped the Air-India business
and has created a special identity reflecting the rich culture and splendor of India and its history.
COMPARISION OF
BRAND MASCOTS & THE CELEBS…
Both the celebs and the brand mascots have their own advantages and some disadvantages.
Mascots over time emerge as integral parts of the brand identity kit. We essentially identify the
brand with a single mascot. In many ways, the mascot is different from the celebrity who
endorses brands. There was a time when cartoons were used excessively on ads, people loved to
see such animated creations & that too along with their kids.
Mascots, being a created character, have several advantages towards celebrities, while in some of
the cases celebrities are more advantageous as compared to the Brand Mascots.
A detailed description of the both is given below:
When a character is created, marketers have the autonomy of creating its individual
characteristics, whereas celebrities already include certain features, which do not allow
manipulation. Marketers may specifically draw features with various attributes for the
created characters. In this age of expensive brand ambassadors, mascots provide a
creative, sustainable, low-cost model for communicating a brand's values and
personifying the company's desired image. The other advantage is that as mascots are
created and owned by the companies, switching loyalties, which is a frequent incidence
with celebrity endorsers, can be ruled out.
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As creators, we can design a completely new persona for the brand; we can make the
animated character do anything, which is not always possible with models or celebrities.
Cricket stars and film stars occupy limited bandwidth and limited purposes within the
minds of consumers today. This is limited to the awareness-creating phase.
One of the fact is that the mascot is a unique associative element, whereas in the case of
an Amitabh Bachchan, we are not too sure if he is a Parker, a Zandu or an ICICI persona!
An endorser must convey the character of the brand. Though celebrities help getting
quick recognition there is a problem of multiple endorsements. Often celebrities become
more powerful than a brand, this is not the case with mascots.
Another point that can be worth noting is that a MASCOT is truly yours, but an
AMBASSADOR is not. When I think of Shahrukh Khan many brands 'Pepsi, Santro,
Sunfeast' strike to me, BUT 'Hutch dog’ reminds of only Hutch. Soto sustain the similar
identity of the brand(with minor changes over time) a mascot can be developed and its
relation to the brand is much longer than that of a CELEBRITY! Its a valid point about
brand ambassadors being more effective for brand recall, but there is so much repetition
with these ambassadors with so many brands.
When one thinks of Shahrukh Khan several brands such as Pepsi, Airtel, Santro, come to
one’s mind. Fido, however, will instantly remind one of 7Up. The strength of mascots
therefore lies in effectively communicating the ethos of the brand and registering in the
minds of consumers.
Brand mascots are, therefore, loyal associative elements whereas celebrity brand
endorsers are highly promiscuous and flit from brand to brand, often causing confusion.
Celebrities get associated with too many products and therefore it is difficult to relate
them with one particular brand. With celebrities endorsing a number of brands, viewers
are not much convinced. Celebrities often represent more than one brand, while the
created characters are conceived to represent only one single brand or even one single
-25-
product. One of the principles of efficiency of the characters depends on its consistency
with the product(s) represented. This consistency is commonly superior when the mascot
is created. Brand mascots represent a special type of signals, particularly important in the
children segment, as they allow children to establish an emotional bond with the brand,
and because, simultaneously, they enhance its memorization.
When one has a look of Fido, it immediately leads them to 7 up. When one watches
utterly butterly girl, their first thought will be Amul.
but, when one thinks of ShahRukh Khan, it leads to so many directions. It may be
Sunfeast, Navratna, or Pepsi. It can be anything. so brand mascots r more preferable.
Brand ambassadors who focus on one brand can achieve great results.
Brands that use the promiscuous brand endorser who will endorse a car just now,
carburetor oil next and a fmcg product in yet another advertisement blitz do not
contribute much to the brand-building process. At best, these endorsements yank up the
brand awareness for the duration of the use of endorser-at-large.
The brand ambassador tactic therefore works in categories where the focus is solus. I
think this thing would be really effective if one celebrity endorsed just one brand Look at
the use of Ustaad Zakhir Hussain by Taj Mahal tea. Zakhir is today an in-built
proposition of Taj Mahal tea. Wah Taj! Wah! Brand endorsement works here in the case
of Taj Mahal tea as a brick that is helping build a mega brand in the mind of the
consumer.
Celebrities are useful at the time of crisis or for overcoming some hurdles. This is an
advantage over the mascots. Once in a while, one may choose a celebrity to overcome
some hurdles, as in the case of Cadbury, but not in every ad and promo. When Cadbury
India had to restore people's confidence in its products after the worm-infestation
episode, it hired Amitabh Bachchan to convey the message its chocolates were safe and
came in improved packaging.
-26-
Some think brand ambassadors are certainly far more powerful than brand mascots.
Because the brand mascots fade away after a period of time. Gattu, the boy mascot for
Asian paints was quietly withdrawn. The brand was being given a fresh look and was
rejuvenated. In the process, the mascot was removed. Probably most of us didn't even
realise it, as we are likely to associate Saif Ali Khan more than' Gattu 'with Asian Paints.
Same goes for the cute tiger 'Goody', the brand mascot of Goodlass Nerolac who has
actually lost it to 'Big B'.
Aren’t they both likely to be equally influence with market dynamics. The Gattu of Asian
Paints is remembered by generations show the little boy with brush and paint and here
everyone’s says undoubtedly Asian Paints just like the Amul girl. These mascots have
been instrumental in creating and generating undivided clutter free brand recall till date.
All this mascots have life of 10 yrs + at least... At the same time brand ambassadors who
actually give a push to the brand recall and create involvement and awareness, all this is
restricted to their fans itself.
Another set of thought is one can't have the celebrity substitute for the performance of a
brand. They supplement the image and generate trials, but it's not going to be magical.
Credibility is more important than celebrity. The celebrity's non-performance will rouse
the consumer's ire, with the brand coming under the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
Celebrities association with brands is as long a they are famous and performing. Soon
after the Sourav Ganguly departure from the team he was ruled out from all
advertisements because their (celebrities) negativities have an adverse effect on the brand
unlike the mascot who remains the same life long. But as an exception the kingfisher bird
of the kingfisher group starts flying movement the group launches its airlines.
-27-
So in terms of power both are powerful but the strongest is the mascot who remains
harmless lifelong causing no damage to the brand image.
The brand mascots create a visual impact on the people.
Obviously, an image which is widely accepted is more often recalled and talked about in
the society. The psychology of a human recalls a visual impact which pleasures or scares
the mind about 200% faster than anything else.
The Sunfeasts Sunny has also created favourable impressions on many consumers &
children. Many children have been addressing these biscuits as sunny and only associates
with the smiling and enlivened Sunny mascot. This is a great plac where the brand mascot
has created an impact as strong as its Brand ambassador (ShahRukh Khan).
The Amul girl is probably one of the few exceptions. As soon as we think 'Brand Amul',
the chubby girl in a polka dot frock flashes across our mind. 'Chintamani', mascot of ICICI
Prudential Life Insurance is also quite a hit with the consumers.
The 'brand mascot is more powerful then the 'brand ambassador. In fact maximum number
of good creative work has been done by Ads without featuring any 'brand ambassador'.
Who can forget the 'little girl' of Amul campaign and the 'pug' of hutch campaign where a
dog outshines SharukhKhan for Airtel Campaigns.
The popularity is not only based on the response that these characters get, but also the fact
that these faces have a higher recall value. Apart from a giving the brand a new
perspective, such characters are remembered for a longer duration.
-28-
EFFECT OF BRAND MASCOTS ON
CONSUMERS
Children love mascots, adults love mascots, and they are great rallying icons for organizations
and communities, all of which translates into increased exposure, loyalty, sales for a more
pleasing bottom line! The appeal is normally broad from children, to parents. Mascots hold a
strong mental image for most people that come in contact with them.
I have studied the effect of the brand mascots basically by dividing the consumers into two
categories:
Firstly the effect on children i.e. how the children are influenced by the mascots.
Secondly the effect on the adults and teens i.e. the college students (I have considered the
age group of 18 yrs to 35 yrs) and for studying the effect of brand mascots on this age
group a survey has been conducted and then analysis has been made to study the effect.
-29-
CONSUMERS
CHILDREN
(6 – 15 YRS)
ADULTS
(18 – 35 YRS)
While studying the effect the following key points considered were:
Creates Brand Loyalty
Helps consumers to evaluate a product
Increases Recognition of product
Creates awareness
Guarantees quality
Helps in selling the product
Creates a competitive edge
Affects the buying behavior.
I. EFFECT OF BRAND MASCOTS ON
CHILDREN
Children are seen today as a powerful and attractive market segment, not only by marketing
practitioners, but also by the academy. In fact, they have a great economical impact on society
and they also have a strong influence in their parents’ consumption level. On the other hand,
there is the increasing importance of brands in the companies’ offer, as an emotional connection
to the consumers, capable of differentiating the products and deliver a sustained competitive
advantage, which leads the brands to try to strengthen their relationship with the children’s
segment.
Mascot’s impact on children is much stronger and profound than with any other age group.
Children often react with fondness to mascots that display positive characteristics. A child may
be delighted by the way a mascot dances or any funny physical action the mascot engages in.
This is especially true if a mascot is the embodiment of a product that a child wants his or her
parents to buy for them. Parents are often vulnerable to the marketing industry. This is true since
-30-
many products such as toys, games, and food items are purchased by parents on behalf of their
children.
Children may be very persistent in ensuring that their parents purchase the latest cereal or toy
because a mascot said it was great. In addition, children that are not yet literate may really
gravitate towards a mascot. Children at this stage of development look for pictures or symbols
that represent familiar things to them.
Children discuss brands in a way that is dominated by images and by the values associated to it.
Children consider mascots to be their friends, so they are an imaginary representation of brands
integrating both their physical reality (the products they offer) and their psychic reality (they are
friendly, tender and funny). As far as mascots are concerned, and considering their
anthropomorphic character, they allow the considerable improvement of brand communication
with children.
Children like the cartoons with eyes, hands, nose, jumping & popping, smiling & telling them
about the product. The privileged use that children make of imagery representations sustain the
idea that the visual elements of the brand will be the first elements understood by children.
Mascots are particularly effective in the development of the preferences of children.
Brand mascots represent a special type of signs, particularly important in the children’s segment,
because they allow children to establish an emotional relationship with the brand, and
simultaneously they favour their memorisation. Mascots are useful to create awareness, because
being rich in images and colour; they catch the consumer’s attention. Beyond that, brand mascots
may help the communication of key attributes of the product /organisation. If the consumers
have strong feelings over a mascot, they will probably create favourable perceptions of the
products or organisations associated to that mascot.
For most of the children, mascots are “cartoons”. For others, mascots may be half men half
cartoons. The mascot may be found as “something that does not exist” (fictitious), an abstraction.
Mascots are cartoons, funny, amusing, tender, that might be half men, half cartoon.
-31-
CHILDREN AND MASCOT MENTAL IMAGES
Mascots hold a strong mental image for most people that come in contact with one. But mascots
impact on children is much stronger and profound than with any other age group. Children often
react with fondness to mascots that display positive characteristics. A child may be delighted by
the way a mascot dances or any funny physical action the mascot engages in. This is especially
true if a mascot is the embodiment of a product that a child wants his or her parents to buy for
them. Parents are often vulnerable to the marketing industry. This is true since many products
such as toys, games, and food items are purchased by parents on behalf of their children.
Children may be very persistent in ensuring that their parents purchase the latest cereal or toy
because a mascot said it was great. In addition, children that are not yet literate may really
gravitate towards a mascot. Children at this stage of development look for pictures or symbols
that represent familiar things to them.
MASCOTS AS STRONG SYMBOLS
Children may be the most sensitive of all age groups to mascots. An adult may be able to discern
if a product or image that a mascot is portraying is worthless, while a child may see something
completely different. Before language skills are strongly formed, children tend to remember
events and people in snapshots like pictures in their memories. Mascots may be able to grab a
place in a child's mind that will be vivid and hold meaning into adulthood for the child.
-32-
II. EFFECT ON TEENS & ADULTS: (18 – 35
YRS.)
By teens and adults over here it means the consumers within the age limit of 18-35 yrs. It
is a very important segment as the change in the buying behavior affects products sales of
the company. In this segment the consumers take the buying decisions on their own
rather than as in the case of children where the parents decide for the children what to
buy or what not to buy.
The effect of brand mascots on this segment is effectively studied by conducting a
survey. The survey was conducted with the help of a questionnaire. i.e. a questionnaire
was prepared and a survey was conducted.
The sample size was taken as 100.
The data then collected from the survey was analyzed.
The analysis of the survey is shown on the next page:
-33-
DATA ANALYSIS
STATISTICAL DATA
1. DO YOU WATCH TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS?
INTERPRETATION: Of t he 100 r e sponden t s 55 s a id , t ha t t hey wa t ched
adve r t i s emen t s wh ich means 55% o f t he t o t a l s amp le s i z e . Whi l e 45 s a id
t ha t t hey d in t wa t ch t he T .V . ads i . e . i t b ecomes 45% o f t he s amp le s i z e .
Th i s shows t ha t ye t 45 % o f t he popu l a t i on a s pe r t he ana ly s i s a r e no t
much i n t e r e s t ed i n wa t ch ing T .V . ads , hence t he ma rke t e r s need t o focus
on o the r commun ica t i on channe l s a s we l l t o r ep re sen t t he b r and masco t s .
-34-
YES NO0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
55%
45%
ADVERTISEMENT
CONSUMER REPLY
IN %
2. ARE YOU AWARE OF THE TERM BRAND MASCOTS?
INTERPRETATION: Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , i t was obse rved
t ha t 76 peop l e we re awa re o f t he concep t o f b r and masco t s , wh i l e 24
peop l e d idn ’ t knew the t e rm b rand masco t s
Thus , 76% o f t he peop l e wh ich i s qu i t e a good amoun t o f pe r cen t age a r e
awa re o f t he b r and masco t s wh i l e 24% a re i gno ran t abou t t he b r and
masco t s .
-35-
76%
24%
BRAND MASCOT
YesNo
3. CAN YOU RECOGNIZE THE FOLLOWING BRAND MASCOTS & THEIR
PRODUCTS?
INTERPRETATION: Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , i t was obse rved
t ha t 59% o f t he peop l e co r r ec t l y i den t i f i ed t he doughboy o f P i l l sbu ry ,
wh i l e 31% o f t he peop l e cou ld no t r e cogn i ze & thus d id no t i den t i fy i t and
10% o f t he peop l e i den t i f i ed i t wrong ly .
-36-
59%
31%
10%
PILSBURY
IDENTIFIEDNOT IDENTIFIEDWRONGLY IDEN-TIFIED
INTERPRETATION: Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , i t c an be s een
t ha t 98% o f t he peop l e we re ab l e t o co r r ec t l y i den t i fy & r ecogn i ze
t he Rona ld o f McDona lds ve ry ea s i l y wh i l e 2% o f t he peop l e we re
no t ab l e t o i den t i fy i t . A ve ry l a rge number o f peop l e l i ke &
r emember t he Rona ld ea s i l y . Mos t o f t he peop l e j u s t l ove t he masco t
& i t c an be s een f rom the p i e d i ag ram such a huge pe rcen t age o f
peop l e r e cogn i zed t he masco t so ea s i l y , so i t c an be i n f e r r ed t ha t
how much i t wou ld be a h i t among t he consumer s .
.
-37-
98%
2%
MC DONALDS
IDENTIFIEDNOT IDENTIFIED
-38-
88%
12%
AMUL
IDENTIFIEDNOT IDENTIFIED
INTERPRETATION: Of t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , i t c an be
obse rved t ha t 88% o f t he peop l e i den t i f i ed & r ecogn i zed t he u t t e r l y
bu t t e r l y g i r l o f t he Amul p rompt ly wh i l e 12% o f t he peop l e d id no t
r e cogn i ze t he Amul masco t . I t cou ld be s een t ha t t he Amul g i r l i s
qu i t e a h i t among t he consumer s .
-39-
INTERPRETATION: Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , i t c an be i n f e r r ed
a s s een f rom the d i ag ram above t ha t 79% o f t he peop l e a cknowledged &
r ecogn i zed t he F ido D ido o f 7up wh i l e 6% o f t he peop l e we re no t ab l e t o
make ou t , and 15% o f t he peop l e i nco r r ec t l y i den t i f i ed i t .
-40-
79%
6%15%
7 UP
IDENTIFIEDNOT IDENTIFIEDWRONGLY IDENTIFIED
INTERPRETATION: Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed i t c an be obse rved
t ha t 88% o f t he peop l e i den t i f i ed & r ecogn i zed t he Ga t t u o f t he As i an
Pa in t s p rompt ly wh i l e 12% o f t he peop l e d id no t r e cogn i ze t he masco t o f
As i an Pa in t s . I t cou ld be s een t ha t t hough Ga t t u had been conce ived qu i t e
a l ong t ime be fo re i . e . i t h a s been e s t ab l i shed f rom the ea r l y days bu t
s t i l l a l a rge number o f peop l e we re ab l e t o r e cogn i ze h im .
-41-
88%
12%
ASIAN PAINTS
IDENTIFIEDNOT IDENTIFIED
INTERPRETATION: Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , i t c an be i n f e r r ed
t ha t 75% o f t he peop l e we re ab l e t o co r r ec t l y i den t i fy & r ecogn i ze t he
Smi l i ng Sun o f Sun fea s t ve ry ea s i l y wh i l e 25% o f t he peop l e we re no t
ab l e t o make ou t . The sun o f t he Sun fea s t ha s been i n t roduced i n r e cen t
t imes on ly , i t s no t a s o ld a s t he Ga t t u o r t he Amul g i r l bu t s t i l l i t s qu i t e
popu l a r i n ch i l d r en and o the r peop l e and many o f t he peop l e we re ab l e t o
r e cogn i ze i t .
-42-
75%
25%
SUNFEAST
IDENTIFIEDNOT IDENTIFIED
-43-
4. BRAND MASCOTS GIVE THE GUARANTEE OF THE QUALITY, DO YOU AGREE?
INTERPRETATION: Of t he 100 r e sponden t s 54% o f t he peop l e ’ s op in ion
was t ha t t he b r and masco t s do g ive t he a s su rance o f t he qua l i t y , wh i l e
46% o f t he peop l e f e e l t ha t t hey do no t g ive t he gua ran t ee o f qua l i t y .
Acco rd ing t o t hem though t hey r ep re sen t t he b r and , bu t i t c anno t be
a s su red t ha t due t o t hem the qua l i t y i s a l so a s su red .
5. DO YOU RECOGNIZE THE PRODUCT ON THE BASIS OF BRAND MASCOT?
-44-
YES NO42%
44%
46%
48%
50%
52%
54%
54%
46%
GUARANTEE OF QUALITY
CONSUMER REPLY
IN %
INTERPRETATION: Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , i t c an be
obse rved t ha t , 10% o f t he peop l e we re o f t he op in ion t ha t t hey
a lways r ecogn i zed t he p roduc t on t he ba s i s o f t he b r and masco t
wh ich i s qu i t e s a t i s f ac to ry i . e . a cco rd ing t o t hem the b r and masco t s
a r e t he mos t power fu l means t o r e cogn i ze & know the p roduc t , wh i l e
50% o f t he peop l e s t a t ed t ha t t hey somet imes r e cogn i zed t he p roduc t
on t he ba s i s o f t he masco t , 32% o f t he peop l e s t a t ed t ha t t hey o f t en
r ecogn i zed t he p roduc t and 10% o f t he peop l e s a id t ha t ve ry r a r e ly
t hey r ecogn i zed t he p roduc t on t he ba s i s o f b r and masco t .
6. DO BRAND MASCOTS (LIKE UTTERLY BUTTERLY GIRL) AFFECT YOUR
BUYING BEHAVIOUR?
-45-
32%
50%
10%
8%
PRODUCT RECOGNITION
OFTEN
SOMETIMES
VERY RARE
ALWAYS
INTERPRETATION:
Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , 26% o f t he peop l e s t a t ed t ha t t he b r and
masco t s de f i n i t e l y i n f l uenced t he i r buy ing behav io r i . e . t hey ge t
i n f l uenced by t he se cu t e & a t t r a c t i ve an ima ted cha rac t e r s wh ich i s a
pos i t i ve s i gn fo r t he company a s i t wou ld he lp i n t he g rowth o f t he s a l e s ,
wh i l e a cco rd ing t o 42% o f t he peop l e t he b r and masco t s do no t i n f l uence
t he i r buy ing behav io r & 32% o f t he peop l e we re o f t he op in ion t ha t t he
b r and masco t s t hough no t a lways bu t some t imes i n f l uence t he i r buy ing
behav iou r .
7. DO YOU THINK BRAND MASCOTS ARE MORE PRODUCT LOYAL &
PRODUCT SPECIFIC THAN CELEBRITIES?
-46-
26%
42%
32%
BUYING BEHAVIOUR
YESNOSOMETIMES
INTERPRETATION:
Of t he 100 r e sponden t s , 50% of the peop le th ink tha t the brand masco t s
are more produc t l oya l & spec i f i c a s compared to the ce l ebs . Wh i l e
23% o f t he peop l e d in t knew & were no t ab l e t o commen t .
Peop l e cons ide red t he b r and masco t s a s more p roduc t l oya l & spec i f i c
because o f d i f f e r en t r e a sons .
The ma jo r i t y o f r e a sons i nc lude ,
The b rand masco t s a r e u sed fo r a pa r t i cu l a r & a spec i f i c p roduc t ,
They g ive an a l t oge the r a d i f f e r en t image t o t he p roduc t .
-47-
YES NO DON’T KNOW0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
50%
27%23%
PRODUCT LOYAL AND SPECIFIC
CONSUMER REPLY
IN %
They a r e qu i t e f amous w i th ch i l d r en .
They a r e a t t r a c t i ve & cu t e .
They do no t keep on f l uc tua t i ng f rom one b r and t o ano the r l i ke t he
c e l ebs .
They a r e more l oya l .
They g ive r ecogn i t i on t o t he p roduc t .
Whi le 27% of the peop le f e e l tha t no the brand masco t s are no t
produc t l oya l & spec i f i c a s compared to the ce l ebr i t i e s .
Di f f e r en t r e a sons we re g iven by d i f f e r en t peop l e .
The ma jo r i t y o f t he r e a sons i nc lude :
Many peop l e s ay t ha t t he b r and masco t s a r e j u s t t he an ima ted
p i c tu r e s , t hey a r e no t human & th i s pose s a s a l im i t a t i on wh i l e t he
c e l eb r i t i e s a r e humans .
The ce l ebs a r e f amous , peop l e cons ide r t hem a s s t a r s and t hey
i n f l uence a l a rge r number o f peop l e , wh i l e t he b r and masco t s a r e so
f amous a s compa red t o t he s t a r s .
Some peop l e t h ink t ha t t he e f f ec t o f t he c e l ebs i s l a rge r , because
t hey have a g r ea t e r f an fo l l owing & peop l e t end t o im i t a t e t hem &
fo l l ow them.
-48-
Many peop l e a l so t h ink t ha t c e l ebs be ing human t hey p rope r ly
convey t he p roduc t qua l i t i e s , t hey show the consumer s abou t how to
u se t he p roduc t & how i t s bene f i c i a l f o r t hem wh i l e t he b r and
masco t s do no t po r t r ay such cha rac t e r i s t i c s .
-49-
8. WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE OR MOST MEMORABLE BRAND MASCOT?
INTERPRETATION: Out o f t he 100 peop l e su rveyed , i t was obse rved
t ha t 37% o f peop l e cons ide r Amul i . e . t he u t t e r l y bu t t e r l y g i r l a s t he i r
f avou r i t e b r and masco t , wh i l e t he Rona ld o f McDona lds i s a f avou r i t e
b r and masco t among 26% o f t he peop l e , and 22% o f t he peop l e have l i s t ed
some o the r masco t s a s t he i r f avou r i t e ones t hey i nc lude t he pug o f t he
hu t ch , some sa id t ha t t he n i rma g i r l was t he i r f avou r i t e , some answered
t he ga t t u o f a s i an pa in t s , many peop l e a l so f avou red ch in t aman i a s t he i r
f avou r i t e , r e s t o f t hem sa id F ido d ido , sun fea s t , t he pa r l e baby e t c .
Thus i t c an be i n f e r r ed t ha t t he u t t e r l y bu t t e r l y g i r l , s i nce yea r s t i l l t oday
i s cons ide red a s t he memorab l e b r and , wh i l e qu i t e a many peop l e p r e f e r
-50-
26%
37%
22%
15%
FAVOURITE BRAND MASCOT
MCDONALDSAMULOTHERSNONE
Rona ld a s t he i r f avou r i t e , t hough many o the r b r and masco t s a s men t i oned
above a r e a l so popu l a r bu t t he i r pe r cen t age i s compa ra t i ve ly l ower a s
compa red t o Amul & McDona lds .
FINDINGS:
The objective of the research was basically studying what effect does
the brand mascots have on the consumers, and the survey that was
conducted proved beneficial to me as it helped to accomplish the
objective.
Through research it is found that the people are aware of the concept of
brand mascots & it is beneficial for different companies to carry out
this process of implementing the brand mascots as a means of branding
their product. Though much people are not interested in watching T.V. advertisements, then too
it is required that the marketing of products through brand mascots should be communicated
effectively not only through T.V. ads but also through various other marketing channels.
It is also found that the role played by these brand mascots cannot be ignored as they leave a
very long lasting effect on the consumers & much of the population too believes that these brand
mascots give the guarantee of the quality for the products.
The mascots are very often & easily recognized by the people. It is also seen that just by looking
at the faces & pictures of the mascots, people easily recognized them & were able to connect
them with their products.
The most memorable & favourite of the consumers among all the mascots were the Amul utterly
butterly girl & the Ronald of McDonalds.
It cannot be ignored that though these brand mascots are very popular but majority of the
population believes that the buying behavior is sometimes & not always affected by the brand
mascots.
-51-
When compared to the celebrity endorsement most of the population believes that brand mascots
are more product loyal & specific, & the reasons were basically as the celebrity endorse more
than one product & mascots do not pose switching loyalties, also they are cost effective as
compared to celebrities.
SUGGESTIONS The primary aim of a mascot is to connect with the
customers in such a way that it creates in them an
urge to buy. The mascot has to focus attention on
the commercial value of the brand and its appeal
to the customers. Sometimes, so much attention is
turned on the mascot that the product itself
doesn’t benefit much. A classic example is Fido-
Dido, 7-up’s mascot.The product didn’t connect
with the customers as much as the mascot did. 7-
up lost its product usage because Fido Dido
actually distracted consumers from the product. Consumers bought the concept of Fido-
Dido - the ‘Brand Mascot’ and did not buy 7-Up, the brand itself.
Everything a mascot stands for should keep the brand in mind. It should be aimed at
bringing out the core values and benefits which the brand stands for. It should not let either
the brand or its benefits get sidelined.
Some companies think that creating a brand mascot is a costly affair but rather than expense
it is considered as an investment as it can help in achieving the long term benefits and
facilitate a better connect with outside public which makes product popular & have a
stronger connect with the consumers and can help to increase the sales and ultimately profit
margins of company.
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Brand mascots are long-lasting images. According to me their creation & formation is very
important. So they should be created properly right from the initial stage, they have to be
framed in such a way that they should relate to the product & represent the company’s
brand, & the brand mascots should convey the producers message. There should not be any
ambiguity as to what the brand mascot is representing. The companies that can afford
should use the help of the professionals & the expertise agencies for the creation of brand
mascots.
However a company should not solely rely on brand mascots, along with other factors also
play vital role such as packaging, proper redressal to customer complaints, building the
brand image/ goodwill of company does play an imp role, maintaining the quality of the
product. so approprite/ suitable attention need to b given to all these other factors also along
with the creation of brand mascots.
Also it can be seen from the survey that the brand mascots are a popular concept among the
people & people are really identifying them, so the companies that feel using only celebrity
endorsements is a very costly affair can switch to brand mascots as now much of awareness
is there among people and ultimately company is benefited as it is cheaper than celebrity
endorsements.
No doubt the brand mascots are a powerful means of branding the product but a company
cannot just rely solely on just creating a brand mascot & just showing it in the T.V. ads
because it can be seen from the survey that though many of the people watch T.V. ads but
still there was quite a large percentage that are not interested in watching the ads. So to
target a larger number of people apart from the television advertisements different other
means of mass communication should be used such as the, showing the print ads in
newspapers, pamphlets, through magazines, can also be shown with the product through
hoardings on highways or the places where larger number of people can be targeted.
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CONCLUSION
This project can be concluded by stating that the Brand
Mascots are indeed a powerful means of communicating with the customers. Mascots are one of
the most highly visible yet inexpensive forms of marketing. When planned and marketed
properly brand mascots can result into long term benefits and better returns to the company. Also
their effect on the consumers is quite impactful and long lasting. As per the survey analysis it can
be concluded that the brand mascots have mostly proven successful in creating brand awareness.
Many of the brand mascots are popular among many of the consumers. People like them; they
identify them easily & thus relate them easily with the product.
It can also be inferred that the buying behavior of the consumers is certainly affected through
brand mascots. Consumers always try to link their product needs with the mascots that represent
the Brand or the product, and thus most of the consumers consider these mascots as favourite of
theirs & thus it becomes very necessary for the marketers to carve these mascots in such a way
that they represent the product needs of the consumers & induce the buyers to buy their products.
Personally it can be stated that, though the concept of brand mascot is very popular, it is good
enough to implement the same as it has most of the times proven as an effective means of
communication.
Finally, these friendly, cute, attractive & jolly characters play an important role in marketing the
products & branding through these characters represents marketers’ growing recognition of the
role that personal connections with customers play in developing a meaningful brand that stands
out in a crowd. In short it is not wrong to say that the BRAND MASCOTS represent the brand &
they are definitely a visual identity of the company & its products.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
This project is made with reference to use of following:
WEBSITES:
www.wikipedia.com
www.mascotartist.com
www.exchange4media.com
www.etstrategicmarketing.com
www.hindubusinessline.com
www.economictimes.com
www.marketingprofs.com
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