So, you have a new mascot and the time has come for you to showcase the new character to the world. Introducing your brand mascot to the market is a big endeavour, one that is just as important as the character costume itself. Sometimes, the introduction of a brand mascot can make or break how the character is received.
In this article, we will guide you through all the steps you should take to properly introduce your brand mascot to your audience.
Understand your mascot
Before you can plan on how to effectively launch your mascot, you need to start by understanding the mascot itself. What kind of message are you trying to get your mascot to send across? What sort of audience does your mascot appeal to? What is your mascot’s character and backstory?
Once you have gone through these questions, you can craft an introduction that will stay true to the messaging and branding of your mascot character. It is good to get a lot of different viewpoints at this stage, as you are still brainstorming rather than planning out the launch in earnest.
Choose your approach
Once you have a deeper understanding of what your mascot stands for, you can then settle on what approach you would like to take in the lead-up to the introduction. For instance, you can decide to take the secretive route and keep the mascot completely under wraps until the big launch.
Alternatively, you can take a less sudden approach by introducing your mascot in gradual steps. You could even build up hype by teasing your audience about the upcoming mascot introduction, keeping them guessing as to what is in store for your brand.
Launch your mascot
Now, you have to decide how you are actually going to introduce your mascot. There are several ways you could do it. You could have your mascot make its first appearance at a big event, such as an annual celebration. In fact, you could even organise a special event just for the purpose of introducing your mascot. Take plenty of videos and photos at this event to share on social media for later.
And thanks to the power of social media these days, you can also introduce your mascot solely through digital channels. You can create a special video for the launch, or write a blog post. Or you could create a social media campaign across various platforms to introduce your new mascot to your audience in creative and engaging ways. The possibilities are endless!
Increase post-launch visibility
Congratulations! You’ve officially launched your new mascot character. However, this does not mean that the whole introduction process is over yet. It takes more to effectively introduce a new character for your brand than a single one-off event. Once the first phase of the launch is complete, it’s now time to further solidify your mascot’s position as part of your branding.
You can do this by placing your new mascot in key places for your brand. This could include your website, social media platforms, blog, and merchandise. You can implement it as a permanent part of your website’s design, or upload photos of your mascot interacting with people on your social media. The more visible and present your mascot is, the easier it will be for the public to associate it closely with your brand.
Collect and analyse feedback
This is one step that is often overlooked or forgotten by many branding teams – getting feedback! Try not to make the mistake of simply introducing a new mascot character and then not gauging the audience’s reaction to it. Audience feedback is valuable as it allows you to adjust your content strategy surrounding your mascot according to what is most well-accepted.
Therefore, make sure to get feedback from your customers or audience about what they think of the new mascot. You can easily do this through social media or an online survey.
In conclusion, introducing your mascot is a many-step process, but it is extremely rewarding when pulled off successfully. With the right amount of thought and preparation, you can introduce a mascot in a way that will wow your audience and give your brand a proper refresh!
