Why Every Company Needs a Brand Character

In a market where attention is fleeting, it’s often simplicity that cuts through the noise.

That’s what brand characters offer businesses. From TV ads to social media feeds, brand characters have been appearing everywhere, and there’s a good reason for it. These characters, known as digital avatars, mascots, or personas, give your brand a relatable face. 

A well-crafted brand character is a strategic asset that helps you reach your audience in more innovative and personal ways. In this article, we’ll explore why brand characters are becoming a must-have for companies looking to grow their audience.

What is a Brand Character?

A brand character is a unique figure that represents your company. It brings your brand’s personality to life in a way that audiences can easily recognise and connect with. From the Michelin Man to modern digital avatars, these characters are beloved by consumers and often become cultural symbols that transcend the marketplace.

A brand character serves as a storytelling tool and simplifies communications. By giving your brand a face, you make it easier for customers to remember you. A study by System 1 demonstrates how brand mascots can increase the likelihood of a positive outcome of a marketing campaign in a measurable way. Simply put, brand characters are a powerful addition to your marketing strategy.

Humanising the Brand

As lively personifications of your company, characters help close the gap between a cold corporate image and the need to speak directly to individual customers. This is especially useful in industries that might come across as complex or impersonal, such as tech or finance.

Characters also enhance storytelling by embodying your brand’s values and voice in a consistent, engaging way. The Geico Gecko character is a great example, as it tells a story of a helpful, down-to-earth guide who makes the daunting process of insurance feel simple and approachable. 

This kind of relatable presence can be echoed across ads, social media, and even at trade shows.

Enhancing Brand Recognition

Visual consistency plays a crucial role in marketing and sales, and a custom character can anchor the integration of different messages. By acting as a recognisable symbol, characters help to unify your brand’s presence across various platforms and let you speak with one voice.

For example, the M&M’s animated characters bring a playful personality to the brand, and they appear in practically every commercial. This kind of visual consistency boosts familiarity. 

When people repeatedly see the same friendly face it creates a positive association that could be golden once they’re ready to buy. It’s about creating that instant “Oh, I know them!” moment that keeps your brand in play for the next purchase.

The Cultural Aspect

Brand characters for global companies sometimes need to be adapted to better suit different markets. A brand character that resonates deeply with one cultural group – whether that’s looks, personality or values – may not have the same impact in another. 

This can be done by changing the character’s appearance, personality traits or messaging to reflect the preferences of the target cultural context. This doesn’t necessarily mean creating entirely new characters, but rather tweaking their traits in a way that keeps the brand’s core messaging intact while making it culturally relevant.

Take Ronald McDonald, the iconic clown for McDonalds. In the US and other Western markets, Ronald is portrayed as a cheerful, playful clown aimed at entertaining children. However, in Japan the character is named ‘Donald’ – that name being easier to pronounce in Japanese. It’s a minor change, but one that helped McDonalds expand into a new market.

Engaging Audiences at Trade Shows

Trade shows are the place and time to talk directly with your audience, and having a brand character can do much of the hard work for you. Characters, especially digital avatars, can act as virtual hosts that chat people up and make them feel welcome. They can greet incoming attendees, guide them through demos, ask for follow up contacts, etc.

Here are some ways to deploy brand characters effectively at trade shows:

• Digital Avatars for Demos: Use a character to deliver product demonstrations or answer frequently asked questions, freeing your team one-on-one conversations.
• Interactive Games and Photo Ops: Incorporate your character into games or photo opportunities available at your stand.
• Augmented Reality Experiences: Enhance your booth with AR elements featuring your character, making the visit more dynamic while delivering key information.

The options are nearly unlimited – just decide what you want to achieve and design a brand character that embodies your mission. 

Standing Out in Digital Spaces

In a digital marketing space where the level of competition is brutal, a brand character can give your company a crucial edge. By adding personality to your digital presence, your brand can be more approachable and invite interactions in a very organic and sometimes fun way.

Here’s how you can make the most of a brand character in digital spaces:

• Social Media: Use your character as the face of your posts to share updates, answer follower questions, or feature in short videos and animations that highlight your products or services. 
• Website Integration: An avatar on your website can serve as a virtual guide, helping visitors navigate or leading them through key processes like signing up or making a purchase. 
• Virtual Events: Characters are great for virtual events and webinars, where they can welcome attendees, host segments, or provide some levity in an otherwise formal atmosphere.

Using a brand character strategically across your digital platforms can give you an advantage, but you need to be careful and maintain a consistent personality.

Building Trust and Loyalty

Loyalty is not built overnight; it’s earned through repeated meaningful interactions with your audience. Brand characters help create these connections by providing a familiar and trustworthy face for your company. They offer a way to repeat the messages again and again without being intrusive, which translates into trust over time.

Research shows that brand mascots and characters can significantly increase consumer confidence and positive brand perception. Brands that use characters in their advertising have much higher emotional engagement, which affects brand preference in more than 30% of cases. This shows that a character isn’t just an attention-grabbing gimmick, but rather a valuable virtual  member of your promo team. 

Incorporating a brand character into your strategy can be a smart move for any company looking to strengthen its customer relationships. It’s perhaps the most affordable way to forge connections that could last a lifetime.

Ready to Create Your Own Brand Character?

Brand characters are often fun to see and interact with, but they also create serious value for your brand. They can help your company stand out at events, connect with customers and partners, and enhance its public image.

Contact Performit Live today and see how our bespoke services can help you get started.

The strongest brand characters now do more than appear. They hold a real conversation with guests on a venue screen, the job of a live AI character host.