Branding is everywhere… and that’s why I was called onto Fox’s Nightly Scoreboard last night to discuss “spokesanimals” !

We all know them… animals called into the service of a product or company.  But as with all brands, not all “spokesanimals” are created equal!

And the success or failure of “spokesanimals” can tell us a lot of branding. 

The Marketing Doctor has one rule of thumb for the successful “spokesanimal” –and it’s the same rule of thumb I advise my clients to use for almost any element in the marketing of their brand. 

The rule is simple: the spokesanimal has got to make an obvious and memorable impression and make immediate sense with respect to the product or service.  It simply must fit!!!  Think tailor-made suit!!!  And fit doesn’t just mean animal with the product, imagery with the animal, but also animal with the target market!!! 

In other words, the spokesanimal’s brand has to work with the brand being marketed!  Examples that work: Elsie, Borden’s legendary cow.  Borden sold canned and powdered milk.  Elsie conveyed that it was fresh, from the farm!  The Energizer Bunny: bunnies have a lot of energy (they keep going and going) and so does the battery…

On the other hand, lots of spokesanimals have been big for the short run (Coco Cola Polar Bears and Budweiser’s Spuds McKenzie are two examples) but haven’t lasted for the long haul!   Why, it didn’t help that the Polar Bears looked too cool –not cuddly.  They were artistic but not likely to appeal to the target market (kids)!  And why Polar Bears to begin with?  Similar problem with Spuds…the ultimate family icon –a dog— and an icon that kids love being used for the wrong target market.  Kids aren’t in the beer market –and, more to the point, what did this particular dog have to do with Bud other than his name rhymed with it?  In both cases. the “spokesanimal” just didn’t meet the rule of thumb that a brand needs!

But Smokey The Bear (pictured above) and Nipper (RCA’s mascot) have withstood the test of time because they met the rule!  And did you know, Nipper was actually a real dog?  Here’s that story!