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Care And Feeding Of Mascots By James Heckman Staff Writer A logo is a logo, but a mascot is a living and breathing - OK, walking and talking - embodiment of a brand. And whereas all brand images require TLC, the care and feeding of a mascot also takes on an extra dimension After all, an endorsement from Tony the Tiger is like a referral from a friend. Companies with mascots typically have extensive rules regarding how the character is used, what is says and does, and how it is to behave in public. The rules vary considerably from company to company and from character to character, but they provide insight into the art of managing a brand that interacts with the buying public. "With a mascot, every part of the marketing, from the packaging, to the voice and advertising has human characteristics, said Liz Goodgold, president of The Nuancing Group, a San Diego-based marketing consulting firm. "People already perceive that brands have a personality and a mascot is a natural extension of that personality." The brand relationship between mascot and consumer is closer than other brand connections. How successful the relation is, however, depends on consumers’ positive impression of the mascot. Seeing the mascot in a situation the consumer finds offensive or out-of-character translates from the mascot to the brand. For 50 years, Vevey, Switzerland-based Nestle SA has relied on the Quik Bunny to promote the flavored milk mix Nestle Quik. The bunny has a target audience of 6-12 year olds, so the bunny must always been seen as "one of the kids," said Kristen Sager, the Nestle Quik Marketing Manager for Nestle USA Inc., a division based in Glendale, California. To maintain the image of the Quik Bunny portrayed in commercials when the character –in the form of an actor in costume-makes public appearances, the actor is not allowed to talk. The commercial bunny has no gender or ethnicity, and the no talking rule at public appearances ensures that the only voice associated with the character is the one in commercials. Those in the costume must read a "Bunny’s Guideline Book" listing the rules for public appearances: hugging, dancing and posing for pictures is acceptable, but no rolling on the ground to dirty the costume, and while autographs are encouraged, they are not to be applied to skin or clothing. "Everything with the bunny is one image, including the costume design," Sager said, "and every performer must watch a video and sign guidelines." Noted Goodgold, executives using mascots should ask themselves key questions whenever the character is to make an appearance: Is the use consistent with the mascot’s personality? Is it relevant to consumers? Is it an appropriate situation for the mascot to be seen in? Each mascot and brand will produce different answers, depending on the product and target audience. A younger target audience expects a mascots to be hip, so Joe Camel shooting pool in a bar was an appropriate image for the mascot. On the other hand, the Pillsbury Dough Boy is selling bakery products –evolving home, family and warmth –so his wholesome, cuddly image would not sit well in the same situation. "The Taco Bell do can say, "Si, Senor," and get away with it," Goodgold said, "but if Tony the Tiger said the same thing, it would be a slam." Other mascots aren’t used for direct promotions or sales pitches at all. To promote Lee Jeans, Greensboro, N.C.-based VF corp. turned to Buddy Lee, a doll that had modeled Lee fashions in store windows from 1921 to 1962. "We think of Buddy Lee as an icon, not just a creative device," said Bruce Tate, group planning director with Fallon McElligott, a Minneapolis-based advertising agency in charge of the Buddy Lee campaign. "He is a symbol representing the values of our brand –integrity, action over posing, action over talk. In a situation where action is required, he always takes action, despite the fact that he’s an inanimate doll." Really inanimate: He has no moving parts, does not change expressions and does not speak. The target audience for Buddy Lee’s campaign is 17-22 year olds, and according to Lee’s research, the archetype of "cool" to those consumer was not a rebel or someone sulking in the corner, but a person with the courage of his convictions who acted on his beliefs. "Buddy Lee’s ‘old’ look connects to the value system people see from the 1920s where integrity mattered and a handshake sealed a deal," Tate said. "We infused the doll with a personality for TV and print advertising." Because Buddy Lee represents integrity, Tate said the doll would never e used as a salesman. If Lee’s target consumers see the doll dressed as an elf in holiday ads or promoting a sale, he becomes just another marketing gimmick. And, "we have no plans to offer the doll for sale, because that would cheapen what the doll was about," Tate said. "Lots of icons get burned out quickly, but we plan to keep Buddy Lee more sacred by not overexposing him." Where Buddy Lee is intended to be a blast from the past, brands often benefit when a mascot, or the way a mascot is presented, can changed with the times. Mr. Bib, otherwise known as the Michelin Man, first was designed in 1893. At various time in the past, advertisements depicted the character as a playboy wit glasses and a cigar, or riding a bike with a girl on the handlebars; neither portrayal would be appropriate today, but at the time they were accepted images and behaviors for a mascot. "We keep Mr. Bib relevant by continually validating consumer needs, and in that context, we talk to consumers about what role he has," said Dave Murtaugh, director of marketing at Greenville, S.C.-based Michelin North America Inc, the U.S. subsidiary of Clermont-Ferrand des Establissements Michelin. "In addition to advertising, there is still an internal need for the character. When the company has a message to convey, we look first to Mr. Bib as the deliverer of that message." Even the way Mr. Bib looks has changed to reflect the contemporary audience. The mascot is a man made of tires, but over the years, Mr. Bib slimmed down several times to reflect modern ides of health and fitness. Similarly, "to keep our brand and mascot relevant, we’ve needed to adapt the Quik Bunny over time," Sager said. "We’ve put more effort in showing the bunny in contemporary situations. He rides a Harley in one commercial, but he wears a helmet because the Quik Bunny needs to project a wholesome image in addition to his active, fun personality." Since a mascot is a distinct personality that consumers can interact with, a properly maintained public image that keeps the mascot’s presentation consistent, relevant and appropriate transfers that personality to the brand. "Sometimes you forget the marketing fundamentals of focusing marketing on the target audience," Goodgold said. "But when that target audience is engendered in a mascot, that focus is harder to forget." Reprinted with permission from Marketing News, published by the American Marketing Association, March 15, 1999, p. 1.
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