In the world of marketing and branding, mascots have always played a unique role. They can be corny and even kitschy, but they’re often an effective way in which to humanize even the most mundane companies and organizations.
Sports has always been one of the biggest players in the mascot industry, whether on the college or pro level. And ESPN has picked up on that in a number of funny promos over the years. Most recently, former quarterback now spokesperson Peyton Manning plays the befuddled star in a humorous Papa John’s commercial that depicts a horse mascot war between the Colts’ Blue and the Broncos’ Miles, his two former teams.
When it comes to mascots, sports has always been a staple. For a more utilitarian vertical like grocery brands, mascots can humanize products that don’t often excite or inspire. And that’s why Borden’s brought Elsie the Cow back several years ago, and why B&G Foods is now returning the storied Jolly Green Giant to prominence.
B&G bought the business from General Mills, and now looks to jumpstart the brand by dusting off a mascot that first came to prominence nearly a century ago. But in 2017, there’s even more potential to effectively cultivate and grow a brand by using a lovable mascot.
The new version of the Jolly Green Giant has a multimedia campaign behind it. Socially, #TheGiantAwakens is the umbrella slogan of a campaign that covers just about everything, including an Instagram account, YouTube videos, and a Spotify playlist. The concept is well-documented in a Brandchannel story that explains how B&G hopes to use that massive green dude to launch 15 new food products that are designed for both parents and kids.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fO4-pwx5Jdo
Its noteworthy, the mascot is the foundation of a marketing strategy designed to bring life to a legacy brand, along with multi-generational appeal so necessary for mass market products. The new Jolly Green Giant campaign serves as a reminder of how radio brands might benefit from the mascot strategy in myriad ways.
1. Mascots bring a tangible factor to radio brands.
I was part of several “Fox” campaigns for some of the early Classic Rock stations back in the ‘80s, including KCFX (Kansas City), WOFX (Cincinnati), and WRFX (Charlotte) to name a few. It was a former owner of those first two properties – Jay Hoker – who conceived the Fox mascot. He sensed that his stations would last a lot longer and be more memorable than competitors who were simply call letters and frequencies. And he was right. The three stations I mentioned are still on the air – in format – 30 years after their debut.
2. Stations with fun mascots develop a personality apart from the people on the air.
Like the “6th man” in basketball, a mascot brings a personality to stations – something that SiriusXM, Spotify, and Pandora simply don’t have. Even stations that don’t have big morning shows or major daypart personalities, can benefit from that human touch and fun spirit a mascot can bring.
3. Mascots have the ability to connect with fans from many different generations, ethnicities, and walks of life.
From target listeners to their kids, these bigger-than-life representatives work on many different levels. They break down barriers and make radio brands more accessible. In the case of the aforementioned Classic Rock stations, it was essential to have broader appeal for a format that was unproven back then. Mascots help introduce stations to new audiences at events and promotions where people can meet them face to face.
4. Mascots get you noticed.
Whether with inflatables or merch, when mascots show up at events – especially agnostic ones like fairs and festivals – they can steal the scene, helping stations stand out in a memorable way. Given the ways in which brands compete against one another for attention, a station mascot can cut through the clutter. And from a sales standpoint, mascots can bring crowds to promotions, far better than the van, a card table, a prize wheel, and a tent.
5. B&G’s resurrection of the Jolly Green Giant is proof positive that with social sites, video, and other digital assets, mascots can provide brands with great presence in lots of places.
And they can generate sharing that one-dimensional radio brands might not receive. When you think about station mascots from the ’80s, most were very one-dimensional. They were imaged on the air and showed up at events and promotions, but that’s pretty much where it ended. Today, digital, social, mobile, and web tools make it possible to inject even more personality into these station symbols. Rethinking mascot parameters as B&G has done opens up entirely new possibilities.
Solid radio brands can get even bigger with giant-sized strategies. Even green ones.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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I still remember the WABX “dog.” That was a loooong time ago.
Yup, “Rocky.” All those Century stations effectively used mascots. We’ll be highlighting KSHE on Friday where Sweet Meat (the KSHE pig) continues to be a major part of their brand. Thanks, Biv.
Totally agree. KSHE is getting more from Sweetmeat than ever! A couple of years ago we invested in an updated mascot costume and feature him at any/all events around town. He is alongside Fredbird from the St. Louis Cardinals, Louie from the Blues, and other St. Louis mascots at various charity events (and even competes in a halftime mascot soccer match each year). We have clients who specifically request Sweetmeat and he is always around for photos (to be shared on social media and our website) at KSHE concerts and events. We are currently running this commercial with The Blues mascot for KSHE Hair Band Night –> https://youtu.be/f4T9yeGE9kM
Kyle, KSHE is a prime example of mascots done right. More on KSHE in our blog Friday (and I promise a photo of Sweet Meat).
Fred, I will chime in and add that at the peak of WNIC, Detroit’s AC dominance in the late 90’s, we added a mascot — The NICe Doggie, and he was a hit at our listener events and elsewhere. Who doesn’t love a “nice doggie’?
Exactly, Steve. Those mascots can warm up a brand. I would not, however, recommend one for Michigan Radio. 🙂