Have you ever wondered why companies use mascots to promote their products? What about schools or sports teams that have prominent mascots to bring awareness and inspire fans? Mascots are an important part of our culture and a very effective sales tool. Read on to learn more!

What are Mascots?
Mascots are characters used to bring good luck or popular exposure to a team, organization, or school. They are used to help advertise products, promote school spirit, raise awareness about issues, and for many other purposes. You might have seen a mascot in any of the following situations:

- Representing military units
- Drawing attention to a product or service
- Supporting a school or professional sports team
- Acting as a goodwill ambassador for a cause

Mascots can take a variety of forms, including inanimate objects, logos, people, and live animals. Most people are very familiar with costumed characters as mascots.

History of Mascots
Before the term was popularized in the late nineteenth century, “mascot” was used to describe any kind of good-luck item or person. The term is little changed today, but it is more specific to an item or person representing a particular cause, company, or organization.

In the middle of the twentieth century, sports teams began to choose animals or characters to represent their team spirit. Costumes were created, and these characters began to inspire fans and promote the team.

Today, mascots are used to represent businesses as well as schools and sports teams. Some great examples of companies using mascots are the characters used to promote breakfast cereals. Characters like the rabbit used to sell General Mills’ Trix breakfast cereal seem to stick in the minds of children and adults alike.

The Public Face of Your Company
Finding the right mascot can have a dramatic effect on your company’s ability to sell to consumers. Your product or service is much harder to forget if it represented by a dramatic and memorable character.

Finding the right mascot for your company isn’t always easy. It should be directly related to your business in some way. Do you manufacture ice cream? A cow would make a great mascot. Give some thought to these considerations in choosing the public face of your company:

- What kind of image do you want to present to your customers? If you want to present a fun-loving attitude, a playful mascot would work best. If you’re more interested in presenting an image of powerful excellence, you might be better off with a fierce animal mascot.

- Who exactly are your target customers? If your target audience is young children, you might want to stay away from scary mascots. On the other hand, if you are targeting adults, something too silly might alienate some potential customers.

- How will you be using your mascot? Do you plan to have your mascot meet people and represent your business at trade shows or other industry events? What about in a mall or parking lot? Make sure the mascot you choose is suited for the situation you need.

Should You Choose Stock or Custom Mascots?
There is one final consideration in choosing the best mascot to represent your company or organization and increase sales and exposure. Don’t forget to think about whether you need a custom mascot. Stock mascots are perfectly suited to many situations. With so many choices, it’s unlikely that you’ll run into someone with the same mascot.

However, if you know you will be getting a lot of exposure from your mascot, you might be better off with a custom mascot. Knowing the representative of your business is as unique as the company itself can buy you peace of mind during large conventions and trade shows.