now as much as ever, the mascot model rules
An ambassador for brands for decades, the mascot is supposed to play a persuasive role, bringing the child into a brand’s world and so encouraging him or her to consume the product. From heroes to best friends, these characters are sadly all too often just masks, empty shells, without any real substance to forge a connection. The challenge for brands, in a world where the Internet rules and these ‘digital natives’ thrive on interaction, is to give these mascots a personality, bringing them to life via digital, interactive strategies.
today, the new expectations of a more mature audience
Expanding horizons through experience. Children want to learn new things: they want to understand, touch, play with the packaging… So the shape design of the product is key, as it provides an opportunity to create a real experience, just like the surface ‘canvas’ of the packaging has a greater potential for interaction, as long as it is used wisely. Appreciating the importance of the environment. Children are becoming much more aware of nature at school, learning how to respect it, becoming little eco-warriors, well on their way to growing up to become the ethical consumers of tomorrow…
Children are now so well informed that they are starting to educate their parents, thus consolidating their powers of persuasion. Above and beyond that, the product is becoming a tool for playing and mutual learning between parents and their children.
tomorrow, a new kind of parents-child relationship
Children who are more precocious at a time when adults are keen to rediscover the carefree feel of childhood… This is new territory for brands in which experiences are shared across generations, and learning becomes fun. So the rules are being rewritten: packaging for children or for adults? Nobody knows any more, but young and old alike seem to love it.
conclusion
To sum up, we know that the business model of the mascot has lost some clout and needs to be reworked for brands to get ahead in the game. At the same time, common ground is emerging, wherein brands are beginning to shape how children and their parents share. Note: this is just a summary of a study we carried out about children. Please feel free to contact us if you’d like the full report.
