A brand mascot is one of the most effective marketing assets for companies that want to create a brand culture. With their fun and lively personas, business mascots have great success connecting with customers on a personal level. You often see the mascots used in videos, social media, and numerous advertising campaigns. These mascots can build brand awareness and make a company more recognizable to the public.

Behind every successful corporate mascot, there is a lot of effort involved in its creation, from concept to design and build. Both its physical appearance and its personality should be carefully contemplated. As with any marketing strategy, it requires planning, flair and creativity to develop a great mascot for a company brand.

In the following guide, we will share some useful tips on how to create a mascot to represent your company:

1. Determine the corporate mascot’s identity

Creating the original concept of the company mascot requires a thoughtful approach. The process can reveal multitudes of mascot ideas, and the best choice will depend on your business objectives, values and culture. Do you sell a unique product? If so, product mascots are instantly recognizable. There are mascot designs ranging from toothpaste to cupcakes, so almost any creation is possible! If your business is closely linked with its founder or other prominent individual, then maybe a character mascot of that person is the best approach.

Animal mascots are another popular identity for many businesses. Most animals have visually interesting details, making them attractive to customers. In addition, animals represent different values and ideals, which can be adapted to reflect your company. For example, dogs are loyal, bunnies are cute, eagles are majestic, and lions are royal. These characteristics can speak to what is special and unique about your business.

2. Think about a long-term mascot strategy

Creating a mascot for your company is cost-effective because it is a long-term investment. This mascot may be used across countless advertising campaigns for many years. Your customers may feel so attached to the corporate mascot that it becomes synonymous with your company. As such, you need to think carefully about how your mascot will be utilized for the future.

Part of your decision will be to determine an appropriate budget. How much money will you invest in building a great mascot costume? Will you have multiple costumes for different locations or franchises? In addition, you also need to research whether your mascot idea is distinctive enough, especially compared to other competitors in the industry. You want to create a unique corporate mascot that doesn’t look like anything else in the market. If you choose a pre-made stock character, you’ve already watered down your investment from the word go.

3. Design the mascot costume

Once you have a good concept, identity and marketing strategy, you need to get the mascot designed. This will involve sketches or other visuals that will translate your concept into a costume version of the character, which takes into account crucial details like vision, ventilation, comfort and safety. This is the most important first step in the process of ordering a custom mascot costume. There may be many edits and refinements required before you settle on a final design of your corporate mascot.

Don’t underestimate the amount of work involved in designing a great custom mascot. Even the seemingly minor parts are important to the overall design. Your company’s mascot design should meet a professional standard of quality, so take your time to polish all the details.

4. Create your mascot’s story

When you create a mascot for your company, you’re basically inventing a fictional character, or amplifying the personality of an existing real figure. You can bring the character to life with a vivid and interesting narrative. Of course, you don’t need to write a novel with every possible detail about your mascot. A simple backstory will introduce your mascot’s persona to integrate it into your company’s branding.

Some creative details about your mascots may include their origins, their hobbies and interests, or any goals that they are trying to accomplish. Maybe this is an environmentally friendly mascot with the goal of raising eco awareness. Or perhaps your mascot loves to exercise and wants to promote an active lifestyle.

By giving your mascot a background story, it will have a life outside of the brand. When your mascot is used in advertisements, customers will make an emotional and more personal connection to the character. The more you develop this fictional narrative for your mascot, the more your customers are reminded of the brand that you are promoting.

5. Give the mascot a personality

Giving your corporate mascot a personality will make it more likeable and approachable to the public. Your mascot can be energetic, friendly, and excitable, or it can be quirky, adorable, and just a little goofy. Once you’ve established a personality for the mascot, frame your marketing efforts around this temperament, giving a distinct voice to your advertisements. Remember that you’re creating a character, so make your mascot as unique and memorable as possible!

6. Integrate the brand mascot in marketing campaigns

Company mascots are only as effective as the marketing campaigns behind them. You need to know how you’re going to employ the mascot to reach your intended audience. Are you going to put ads in magazines that showcase the mascot? Trade shows or events? Or are you going to make a video with your mascot as the starring character? The more you can integrate the mascot character into your marketing efforts and make a lasting impression, the stronger your brand’s culture will imprint on your target audience.

The team at Hogtown Mascots is always ready to help you create the perfect corporate mascot for your company. Get in touch with us today!