What is a digital corporate mascot?
We see mascots like Mr. Proper, the Duracell Bunny, Santa from Coca-Cola, Colonel Sanders from KFC, and many others in advertisements and on billboards. Some are controversial, others cute, but all mascots serve one basic function: to connect us with a certain brand.
Digital corporate mascots are becoming increasingly popular in today's online world, and perhaps precisely because of it, when you need to somehow connect with customers online. You need to speak to them somehow. This is done, for example, through animation. You simply take the mascot and animate it in some advertisement (such as our ads for Alza) as we do in our animation studio, leaf-animation.
What is a mascot, actually?
In its most basic definition, a mascot is a symbol.
When we expand on this, a mascot is a company's identifying mark. Like a logo, except it's animated. The mascot should be associated with the brand. It is a character that the company uses to communicate with customers. Its goal is to create emotions, as emotions are very important in marketing. To attract the customer's attention and thus remember you better. Mascots are perfect for this. Whether the mascot creates positive or negative emotions is, in principle, irrelevant because it has created an emotional reaction, and therefore memorability, which is desirable for any company. Do you want customers to remember and differentiate you from the competition? That's exactly what mascots do. By their appearance and behavior, you can stand out in the vast sea of competitive advertising and be original. A mascot simply gives a brand personality, and that's what it's all about.
1. Mascot as an animal
Mascots usually (but not always) have an animal form, and their shapes and features are stylized. By this we mean that they may have, for example, a large head or eyes, i.e., they do not have realistic proportions, but they have a certain style of proportions. A typical example is Mickey Mouse from Disney. You would hardly find a large head and ears on a human figure. Stylization not only includes the proportions of the character but also the choice of colors or how the character will be shaded. There are many types of stylizations. Below you will see an example of different proportional stylizations of Mickey. As you can see, the stylization (here the proportions) of the character creates a general impression, attractiveness, or ugliness.
2. Mascot as a person
A mascot can also be a classic human character, which can have almost credible shapes and proportions, or can be very simply stylized, or reminiscent of a caricature.
3. Mascot as a thing
A mascot can also be a thing. Something as simple as a potato, a spoon, or a can. You just add eyes, a mouth, and you have a mascot. :)
Don't forget about humor!
What ensures the success of a mascot, and is related to the mentioned emotional reaction, is precisely the mascot's humor. Making your customers laugh is one of the best ways to create emotions and use the mascot to your advantage.
Whether you look at the mascot from a marketing or PR perspective, you can be sure that it will find its use in both areas. In marketing, it will perform more sales-oriented and directly address the customer. In PR, you can use it to tell stories or develop and support your brand.
Now all you have to do is create your own mascot, and a new era of corporate communication can begin.
If you are considering creating a mascot but are unsure of what it should look like, write to us in the form below. We can help you find the right mascot that will fit your company perfectly.
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