One Important Tip for Utilizing Your Mascot
One of the best things we ever did for our Medical Practice marketing program was purchase a mascot. Over the last four years he has not only gone viral socially through various marketing campaigns, but he has also become the very essence and symbol of what our brand stands for. Recently one of our readers wrote in and asked, “Do you use your mascot on all print materials, ads, etc..?” I thought that was a great question that merited a response for all of our readers. Why Get a Mascot? Before I can answer the first question, I need to explain the primary reason for having a mascot. Studies have repeatedly shown time and again that audiences respond to life-like mascots in advertisements because most people, regardless of age, find animals cute or endearing. Mascots give animals a human dimension while loaning their charm and reliability to a brand. Not only has our mascot become a symbol of our Medical Practice, but he has also opened the doors to allow us to come to present in educational settings and even participate in events that we would otherwise not have been invited to without him. Where to Print Your Mascot? Now back to the original question. Where should you utilize your mascot’s likeness in traditional marketing materials? The answer is EVERYWHERE possible. We pick and choose where our mascot is printed. He is on the majority of our pieces but not on everything. For our marketing messages, our mascot is primarily used to market our Medical Practice services. Thus our mascot appears on all pieces of traditional marketing materials related to that service line. He doesn’t, however, traditionally appear on pieces related to other services lines (i.e. weight loss, DNA Testing, occupational medicine). When we utilize print advertisements that contain our mascot, we try to use real pictures of him either in the clinic setting or participating in community events. The primary takeaway is when you utilize your mascot correctly in your marketing efforts, he becomes as much a part of your advertising efforts as your logo. If it makes sense to have your mascot incorporated (even in just a small way) into any part of your marketing efforts, I highly encourage you to do just that.
Article By: Tina Bell Tina Bell is the Director of Marketing for HealthCARE Express®, where her responsibilities include spearheading the company’s social media and internet strategies, leading the in-house physician recruitment team, and developing aggressive programs to promote patient satisfaction and effective service recovery. Tina speaks nationally at industry conferences including the Medical Practice Association of America and the National Association of Occupational Health Professionals. She is the director of business development for Medical Practice Success and an independent Medical Practice marketing consultant.
