| business beat |
| Mascots: Living Logos |
The goal of any communications mix is to support the brand. One of the more fun and interactive components of some mixes is a mascot - a living logo. Mascots can be an excellent communications tool for your brand by communicating a clear message, being believable, and being approachable.
Mascots should support a brand by saying something. Whether they talk or not, their coloring, fur or lack thereof - whatever their external shell is or isn't - they must communicate a clear message about the brand that they support.
  The Olympic Games provide great examples of mascots that communicate clearly and those that do not. To communicate a warm, welcoming impression of the country in the 1980 Summer Games, the Soviet Union presented Misha, a cuddly bear cub. In contrast, we are still trying to figure out what the Torino Games' mascots - Neve, a female ball of snow, and Gliz, a male block of ice -communicate about "Passion Lives Here." And arguably the worst example of trying to portray a real mood or character of a city is Atlanta's Whatizzit from the 1996 Summer games. We are still asking. An effective mascot is one that is easily understood.
The most powerful mascots are also believable - audiences can connect with the message the mascot is trying to send. Who can forget McGruff the Crime Dog and Smokey the Bear? Thanks to these life-sized mammals, generations of children have learned about how to prevent crime and forest fires - also a contribution to larger society. With the help of Semaphore, Palmetto Electric Cooperative created Linnie the Lineman - a friendly utility worker with a safety message. All are excellent examples of blending simple messages with synonymous, mammalian forms. The result is a powerful communications tool to target audiences.
 A very important characteristic that you'll want the mascot of your product or service to possess is approachability. You want a majority of people to be able to go up to the person in the mascot costume without fear for their life. For example, the University of South Carolina's (USC) mascot, Cocky, is positive, feisty, cute, and cuddly - everything his predecessor, the intimidating Big Spur, did not readily communicate. Cocky, as evidenced by his numerous Mascot of the Year honors, is clearly a crowd pleaser.
There will probably always be someone afraid or hesitant to approach your mascot. Counter this by making it as approachable as possible to as many others as you can.
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