Mediaboss Marketing

At the public service agencies CNA spoke to, coming up with mascots requires long-term, cross-platform planning.

A successful campaign goes beyond creating a new mascot. It must also be packaged with a carefully curated line-up of programmes and initiatives that will appeal to our target audiences, said PUBs Mrs Keng.

With Water Wally and Sally, PUB partnered the South Korean educational entertainment company Pinkfong to release a dance-along music video called Turn off the Tap!In the video, Water Wally and Sally imparted water-saving tips to Pinkfong and other characters from the Baby Shark family.

PUB also collaborated with local author Adeline Foo to develop a storybook series titled The Adventures of Water Wally & Sally.

The power of storytelling and music are harnessed so that the messages are conveyed with further nuance and depth, added Mrs Keng.

Where tourism is concerned, mascots also have longevity from a branding perspective, and enable STB to tell Singapores story beyond our shores, said Ms Choo.

When executed well, mascots are a powerful marketing tool. They put a face to a campaign, and add personality to brands, making them more relatable. A well-designed mascot goes a long way in branding when applied appropriately on websites, social media campaigns, live events, she added.

Mascots are also more accessible and likeable, bringing out human attributes such as empathy, curiosity, joy and humour, while conveying messages in an effective and authentic way.

Since his debut, Merli has starred in other tourism projects, such as appearing next to Koreas mascot Hojong as part of a cartoon series marking STBs new partnership with Korea Tourism Organisation in November 2021.

And there is no lack of engagement approaches across different mediums for LTAs Thoughtful Bunch, including meet-and-greet sessions at MRT stations pre-pandemic, contests, events and collaborations with their partners.

We collaborated with local brands like Yakun and PeelFresh to have the characters on coffee cups and juice packs to bring their messages into everyday life for our adult commuters. And for those who are more tech-savvy, we introduced WhatsApp stickers and Instagram filters, said Ms Lim.

Fans of the Thoughtful Bunch can also buy merchandise thats developed and sold under local brand Knackstop, which houses a collection of creative and practical merchandise inspired by the daily experience on buses and trains in Singapore.

But while mascots have traditionally been used for long-term branding, Marketing Interactives Ms Manjur added that many global companies are moving away from using mascots as they dont want the mascot to be more recognised than the brand.

As a result, they may turn towards short-term use of mascots to drive excitement.

Well-known mascots do make a splash in campaigns for brands once in a while for nostalgia, and can add a feel-good factor for short bursts of campaigns of four to eight weeks long, she said.

The International Olympic Committee mascots, for example, appear during the Games season and add excitement, but arent in consumers faces all the time.

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IN FOCUS: Singa, Water Wally, Hush-Hush Hannah - the Singaporean obsession with mascots - CNA