The impact of mascots on Lebanese market branding strategies

Abstract

In markets that are saturated with competition and rivals, a lot of thought has been brought into introducing the concept of a mascot, which is a cartoon character that reflects a brand or a characteristic of a certain brand. Many mascots have proven to be a powerful marketing tool and have grown brands into becoming more popular. In the Lebanese market, mascots’ presence alongside brands is growing too slowly incorporate most major local and international brands. This comes to question the impact of the use of such marketing tools in affecting the Lebanese market branding strategies. This study attempts to answer the question through the in-depth examination of the relation between the usage of the mascot and its effects in terms of consumer behavior towards the brand: buying likeability, brand recognition, and consumer buying processes to name but a few ideas discussed. The study includes both a theoretical and subjective frameworks that set the tone for the entire research: it is based on readings and previous research portraying the work of mascots in marketing and a study conducted on Lebanese customers taken into smaller clusters of both demographic and economic appeals. When segmenting the results, the descriptive view of the results shows that people share a positive attitude when it comes to associating brand advertisements with mascots and consequently the ability to use mascots to create positive attitudes towards brands and products. The study also elaborates on the trend the Lebanese market follows in terms of using a mascot in promoting products; not all mascot associated brands are linked to a mascot in Lebanon. The study hence calls for a new framework that incorporates mascots in more integrated marketing segments such as those in supermarkets and on the streets.