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Using Cartoon Characters to Promote Business

What Businesses are Appropriate for Brand Mascots?

Do’s and don’ts for Brand Mascots

Cartoon logos are incredibly powerful brand building tools. You’ve found the portal to a world loaded with cartoon character clipart that you can use with your logo or as part of your logo. There are more than 90 cartoon characters and each comes in its own clipart set with them doing a variety of things useful for promoting your business. Each cartoon character clipart set covers holiday themes and has the cartoon character doing useful things like holding a fist full of dollars, holding a phone, holding a sign, and doing much more.

Many of the cartoon logo brand mascot clipart sets also have the cartoon character integrated into a graphic element that you could incorporate your name into to create a logo. We also provide custom services, so if you want a custom cartoon mascot character or custom logo work done, we’ll be glad to help. Plus we offer animated versions for use on Web sites and FREE Toonicons so you can put an animated character in the signature of your e-mails.

The core of our business is actually a full-service advertising agency, so whatever your needs, we’re capable of helping you. The cartoon clipart sets started years ago after we did a project involving the M&M characters. As a result, we discovered the incredible power and versatility of cartoon brand mascots, and then started doing them for other clients. The rest is history (still in the making).

See our entire product line and learn more about how you can use a cartoon brand mascot and these clipart sets to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

Articles

Using Cartoon Characters to Promote Business

Don't laugh! Those silly little characters can mean big business. Consider the cartoon logo mascot characters the Pillsbury Doughboy, the Jolly Green Giant, the M&Ms characters, the Aflac duck and the Geico Gecko.

In fact, a cartoon logo brand mascot is the single most powerful marketing tool many companies can deploy. Most people, when starting a business, or introducing a new product brand, center their efforts around the logo, trying to build a brand around a simple graphic symbol. Maybe they prop it up with a snazzy slogan, but it's still a static symbol. It doesn't make eye contact (very important) and it can't talk and explain and educate anyone about anything. It doesn't wink and smile, giggle or dance, or do anything to be endearing. It doesn't create any "warm-and-fuzzies" and therefore, doesn't build relationships that translate into brand loyalty. Despite being viewed as the cornerstone for most brands, the effectiveness of logos still pales in comparison to a well-crafted cartoon brand mascot.

So why don't more companies use cartoon logo brand mascots? Quite simply it's been overlooked in traditional marketing circles. Name one college that teaches a class in developing brand mascots, let alone one that grants a degree in it. How many ad agencies do you know that specializes in it? It's just fallen through the cracks, and no one has focused on it as a specialty... until now.

Next time you look through a newspaper, ask yourself how many of the ads would do a better job of getting your attention if they featured a cartoon logo character staring you straight in the face, with a big bright smile, telling you "Logo Mascots are the Wave of the Future " (or whatever the headline is)."

A good friend of mine pointed out that you could go through the entire automotive section, and look at pages and pages of dealership ads and hardly be able to tell them apart from each other. "But," he pointed out, "one with a cartoon logo mascot character would completely stand out and be very memorable."

See the entire product line, including clip art sets, and learn how you can use a cartoon logo character to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

What businesses are appropriate for cartoon brand mascots?

Here's the rule of thumb for when and when not to use a cartoon logo brand mascot. Keep in mind, ALL rules are meant to be broken.

Cartoon logo brand mascots work best when the product or service you are promoting is:

Hard to differentiate
Price sensitive
A non-luxury item
In the mature life cycle stage
Involves education/training
Boring/irritating/embarrassing
A virtual commodity
Sold in a highly competitive market

A cartoon logo brand mascot may not be the best choice for:

Upscale luxury items associated with prestige (jewelry, champagne, furs)
Non-price sensitive items, very unique, hyper innovative
Services dealing with extremely serious matters (lawyers and funeral directors)

Selling anything is an exercise in story telling. The products that have super compelling, headline-grabbing stories, don't need a logo mascot to get attention. In fact, a logo brand mascot might even detract from the real story. For the 99 percent of other businesses that have to fight through the average of 5,000 advertising messages people are exposed to on a daily basis, a cartoon logo mascot is the one thing that can help them stand out and separate them from the competition. "Oh that's right! You're the one that has that cute little logo..."

Here is a list of industries that cartoon logo brand mascots can be highly effective in:

Accounting
Advertising
Agriculture
Apparel
Appliances
Automotive
Baking
Banking
Beverages
Biology
Boating
Child Care
Communications
Computer Technology
Construction
Consulting
Counseling
Dentistry
Education

Electronics
Energy
Engineering
Entertainment
Foodservice
Forestry
Furniture
Government
Health Care
Hospitality
Housing
Industrial Applications
Janitorial
Lending
Manufacturing
Marketing
Medical
Mining
Parts

Pharmaceutical
Photography
Plastics
Plumbing
Publishing
Real Estate
Recreation
Repair
Restaurants
Retail
Sanitation
Security
Sports
Textiles
Toys
Training
Transportation
Utilities
Wholesale

See the entire product line, including clip art sets, and learn how you can use a cartoon logo character to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

Do's and Don'ts for Cartoon Brand Mascots

DO:

Do have your cartoon logo brand mascot designed by a professional. A bad cartoon logo brand mascot character can do just as much damage as a good cartoon logo brand mascot character can do good. It's all a reflection on your brand. Just because your nephew got A's in art class doesn't mean he understands the nuances of cartoon logo brand mascot character development.
Do give your cartoon logo brand mascot character a name and let people know what it is.
Do have your cartoon logo brand mascot character make eye contact with people.
Do make your cartoon logo brand mascot character smile a lot.
Do make your cartoon logo brand mascot character exude enthusiasm and a positive outlook.
Do let your cartoon logo brand mascot character speak up, whether it's in cartoon dialog bubbles or in live animation. Giving your cartoon logo brand mascot character a chance to speak gives people a chance to know him and like him better.
Do make your cartoon logo brand mascot character say and do important things. His dialog will always be the first thing people read so use the opportunity to lead people where you want them to go, or to deliver key messages that support your brand strategy or positioning.
Do be consistent. If you write dialog for him that incorporates Southern slang, use it every time.
Do know what traits you want him to have so that you can be consistent with him. Is he a lovable, bumbler or a sharp-as-a-tack solution finder? Does he get over-the-top excited about things, or is he a more laid back, easy-going type of guy? Is he humble or confident?
Do consider your customer base when choosing your cartoon logo brand mascot character's traits. This doesn't necessarily mean MATCH your cartoon logo brand mascot character's traits to your customers. Sometimes people like to see negative examples that can make them feel better about themselves. For example, for a financial adviser, a cartoon character that constantly makes poor financial decisions and has to be helped by the adviser might work well. The cartoon logo brand mascot character could constantly be seen in situations where the advisor just saved him from making yet another mistake.
Do give your character some type of flaw, phobia or on-going challenge. Hollywood calls it making a cartoon logo brand mascot character more sympathetic. The Silly Rabbit is always struggling to get his hands on Trix. Lucky the Leprechaun is always running away from people trying to get his Lucky Charms.
Do keep them smiling. Note the Silly Rabbit and Lucky Leprechaun always keep smiling in the face of adversity.
Do limit the scope of subject matters for your mascot. If he's developed for promoting product A, don't let him talk about product B just because he's become so popular. Keep him focused. Keep him on a short leash.
Do let him go home with customers. Whether it's on t-shirts, tattoos, frizbees or golf balls, your mascot does some of his best work on premium items.
Do give him a trait that he will be recognized for such as: thoughtful, curious, intelligent, resourceful, likeable, sweet, clumsy, sassy.

DON'T:

Don't let him share center stage with other cartoon characters. One of the reasons cartoon mascots stand out so well is their uniqueness. Don't let them be surrounded by similar objects - other cartoons.
Don't ever make your cartoon logo brand mascot do or say anything mean or spiteful.
Don't let just anyone write dialog for your cartoon character. That person needs to have a firm grasp of your cartoon character's personality profile and your brand strategy, and know how to weave them together into effective dialog.
Don't let him speak about subjects outside his area of expertise.
Don't let him show up just anywhere. Typically cartoon mascots are great sales and training presenters. They find good homes in sales promotions, packaging, signage, merchandising, training manuals, newsletters and advertisements. They are not necessarily the best choice for annual reports and communications with stockholders and institutional investors. You might see the Pillsbury Doughboy take a small role in the annual report, but I doubt that you'd find him filling the front cover like a Cosmopolitan supermodel.
Don't let an amateur perform surgery on him. Don't let anyone combine your character with clip art by cutting and pasting. It will look amateurish and diminish the brand.
Don't let your cartoon logo brand mascot show anger. It's OK for them to get frustrated as long as they do it with a smile.
Don't orphan your mascot. In other words, don't just through him out on the street and expect him to grow up to be a wild success without your wisdom and guidance. He is an extension of your business - your child. He needs to be introduced properly - so talk about him, brag about him, tell his story, and give him a reason for living. He needs to be taught how to talk - so spend time thinking about how he thinks: what he might say, and how he might say it.
Don't lose sight of his purpose. It's tempting to just have fun with a mascot sometimes, but remember they have a job to do. Their message should always serve a purpose such as: leading readers into the copy; pointing out a benefit; reinforcing a cultural quality; entertaining; building relationships; provoking curiosity, etc. Be able to justify what you have him doing in each application.
Don't let him be sarcastic. It might be entertaining in some venues, but it's not a likeable trait.

See the entire product line, including clip art sets, and learn how you can use a cartoon logo character to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

Is Loyalty Really Dead?

Despite rumors to the contrary, loyalty is alive and well. It's just a little more elusive in today's hyper competitive markets where people get exposed to more than 5,000 advertising messages per day. Human nature is still the same though. It's a fact - people tend to give business to people (entities) they like, know and trust. Likeability, familiarity and trust are the three pillars you build a foundation of brand loyalty on.

Likeability is huge! It may sound trite, but think of how many decisions you make each day on simple preference. Likeability plays into your decision regarding what you do and who you spend your time with. If you've ever had to hire someone, or pick teams, likeability played into your decision. Everything you buy is an exercise in evaluating what you like and don't like. What are you driving? What are you wearing? Where are you going to eat? A brand mascot gives you a likeability edge that no other marketing tool can deliver. What could be more likable than a set of big eyes that look you straight in the face and greet you with?

Familiarity breaks down objection barriers in the purchase decision-making process. The more times a person has been exposed to something, the more closely they will associate it with whatever its reputation is. Their belief in the brand's reputation (positioning strategy) will grow stronger - cementing a place in their mind that can justify a loftier price. Being extremely unique and memorable, a brand mascot builds familiarity more quickly than any other marketing tool.

Trust is earned. No cartoon logo brand mascot can convince a customer to trust you if your quality or service is not living up to promises. However, if you do a good job of delivering quality and service, a cartoon logo brand mascot can be an excellent tool for getting recognized for it. Just ask your local friendly Maytag repair man.

See the entire product line, including clip art sets, and learn how you can use a cartoon logo character to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

Differentiation

One of the most critical challenges any business faces is how to differentiate itself from the competition. This is where cartoon logo brand mascots excel! Even if you have a one-of-a-kind offering, super-outstanding value, or a location-to-die-for, a cartoon logo mascot can be the catalyst that sends your business into hyperdrive.

Lets strip away all advantages you might have, and put you on a level playing field with your competition. Pretend you have a gismo to sell, and there are 10 other guys who have the exact same gismo to sell to the same group of people. The only difference is that you have a cartoon logo brand mascot as your assistant. He talks to your customers and has your sales pitch down to a fine art. He's a super salesman. Relentless. In fact, there are clones of him on every street corner. Everywhere you look, he's smoozing customers. The other guys don't have anything like it. Who's going to stand out? Who's going to get remembered? Who looks like the leader? Who's going to be able to command a higher price? Who is going to have loyal customers crawling out of the woodwork? The clip art sets that we include with each character will give you the maximum exposure you need to grow your business.

Now consider what a brand mascot can do working WITH the advantages you have in play. The combination could be incredible!

See the entire product line, including clip art sets, and learn how you can use a cartoon logo character to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

The Big Misunderstanding

Many people have cartoon logo brand mascots all wrong - thinking they are just for selling silly cheap stuff to kids. Consider that MetLife (Snoopy), Aflac (duck) and Geico (lizard) each have highly successful brand campaigns built around cartoon logo mascots. Then ask yourself: Who buys insurance? Mature adults. How cheap is insurance? It's not. And how silly is insurance? Pretty serious stuff. There are just a couple professions that aren't suitable for a brand mascot: lawyers and funeral directors. If you're not part of that fun crowd, go for it!

See the entire product line, including clip art sets, and learn how you can use a cartoon logo character to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

Target Markets

The type of customer you're trying to reach is also important. Sure, kids are a no-brainer, but we're all part of the cartoon generation and people of all age groups are fans. Why do you think the Simpsons has become one of televisions longest running series (more than 20 years). You might think certain professions might be "above" cartoons but look how "The New Yorker" reaches the elite of the financial world, and is renown for its cartoon strip. We (Toons4biz) developed a custom character for a multi-billion dollar investment firm. Many huge pharmaceutical companies use cartoon logo mascot characters (Nasonex's bee and Mucinex's flem guy) to reach physicians and consumers.

See the entire product line, including clip art sets, and learn how you can use a cartoon logo character to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

The Magic of Toons4biz Characters

Toon4biz logo mascot characters are designed with a winning formula. Eye contact is a big eye-catcher. That's why our characters have big, friendly eyes. Think about it. You can sense it when someone is staring at you from a cross the room. Big eyes staring directly at you command your attention. And when you look someone straight into their eyes, it's like looking through a window into their soul. It's how you can tell if they are telling you the truth or not; whether they can be trusted or not. It's all in the eyes. It's human nature - that's why we put so much emphasis on our characters' eyes.

No matter what else is going on, a friendly smile can brighten your day. That's why all of our characters have big, bright, friendly smiles. Again, this is human nature. Psychologist council patients struggling with depression to force a smile on their face for just 60 seconds because of the magical affect it has on their attitude and outlook. It works. Try it sometime when you're feeling down. It's the magic of smiling; and our smiling cartoon logo mascots can cast a warm-and-fuzzy spell of happiness on your customers.

See the entire product line, including clip art sets, and learn how you can use a cartoon logo character to promote your business by visiting our headquarters at www.toons4biz.com.

Toons4biz Press Release

Toons4biz introduces a line of clipart sets featuring cartoon characters for use as brand mascots. Inspired by cartoon mascots like the Jolly Green Giant and Pillsbury Doughboy, there are more than 90 different cartoon characters suitable for almost every type of business. Each comes in its own clipart set featuring the cartoon character in a variety of poses to convey common business themes such as value, speed and quality. Holiday poses are also included for seasonal applications of the cartoon characters.

The cartoon characters in these clipart sets are powerful marketing tools - more versatile and effective than a logo. They are commonly used by small businesses thinking about developing a logo, that then discover a cartoon brand mascot is, in fact, more powerful and versatile than a logo. A logo cannot speak or look someone in the eye. A logo cannot be endearing or build relationships. A logo is never as memorable as a cartoon brand mascot. Companies looking for a logo, often find a cartoon brand mascot is better. It can be part of their logo or accompany their logo.

A house cartoon clipart set features a cartoon house and is for real estate sales people and real estate business promotion. Computer guy clipart is for computer based and computer oriented companies. Money cartoon clipart features a money cartoon guy and is for money based and financial organizations. Pizza cartoon clipart set features a pizza guy and is for pizza restaurants and pizza related businesses. Chef hat clipart has a chef hat cartoon and is for all types of restaurants and chef related operations. Palm tree clipart features a palm tree and is popular with travel and vacation related businesses where palm trees exist. Taco or chili pepper clipart is for Mexican restaurants, Mexican food and Mexican related organizations. The beer mug clipart is designed for beer related establishments and bars.

The Toons4biz clipart sets feature stock illustrations, but Toons4biz also does custom cartoon development and logo design. If you are looking for a way to build a strong brand or promote your company or products, consider the immense power of a cartoon brand mascot, then visit the experts at www.toons4biz.com.

Visit our affliate web sites at www.toons4biz.com, www.clipartcartoondrawings.com or www.clipartof.com.