FROM MASCOTS TO AVATARS: EXPLORING CHARACTER DESIGN AS A STRATEGIC TOOL FOR CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJIREV.825017Keywords:
Anthropomorphism, Brand Mascots, Consumer Engagement, Digital Avatars, Parasocial InteractionAbstract
Character design has been a branding staple for decades, with mascots embodying brand values, generating familiarity, and establishing consumer trust. In the contemporary, contemporary digital environment, the rise of avatars and AI-driven characters is a significant evolution in strategic brand communication. These digital entities provide interactive, adaptive, and even personalised experiences that go beyond the symbolic role of traditional mascots, creating new opportunities for brands to build engagement. The article examines how character design is used as a strategic method of building consumer engagement, emphasizing the development from mascots to avatars as a continuum rather than substitution. Grounded in anthropomorphism theory, parasocial interaction theory, and narrative transportation theory, the study develops a conceptual model that connects character design with consumer engagement on the basis of psychological and entertainment processes. The paper also highlights a significant research gap, the lack of understanding regarding how digital avatars uniquely affect consumer relationships compared to mascots. By completing this gap, the study contributes theoretically to branding literature and practically to managers who are seeking to leverage character-based methods in the contemporary markets.
Downloads
References
Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(3), 347–356. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151897
Aggarwal, P., & McGill, A. L. (2007). Is that car smiling at me? Schema congruity as a basis for evaluating anthropomorphized products. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(4), 468–479. https://doi.org/10.1086/518544
Brodie, R. J., Hollebeek, L. D., Jurić, B., & Ilić, A. (2011). Customer engagement: Conceptual domain, fundamental propositions, and implications for education and research. Journal of Service Research, 14(3), 252–271. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670511411703
Chaudhuri, A., & Holbrook, M. B. (2001). The chain of effects from brand trust and brand affect to brand performance: The role of brand loyalty. Journal of Marketing, 65(2), 81–93. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.65.2.81.18255
Chen, R. P., Sengupta, J., & Zheng, X. (2023). Anthropomorphism in marketing: A review and research agenda. Journal of Consumer Psychology.
Delgado-Ballester, E. (2004). Applicability of a brand trust scale across product categories: A multigroup invariance analysis. European Journal of Marketing, 38(5/6), 573–592. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090560410529222
Epley, N., Waytz, A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2007). On seeing human: A three-factor theory of anthropomorphism. Psychological Review, 114(4), 864–886. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.114.4.864
Freling, T. H., Crosno, J. L., & Henard, D. H. (2011). Brand personality appeal: Conceptualization and empirical validation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 39(3), 392–406. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-010-0208-2
Garg, P., & Bakshi, S. (2024). The impact of parasocial interaction on consumer-brand relationships in the digital age. Journal of Digital Branding.
Gomes, S., Lopes, J. M., & Nogueira, S. (2025). The role of character design in strategic brand communication. Journal of Marketing Communications.
Green, M. C., & Brock, T. C. (2000). The role of transportation in the persuasiveness of public narratives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(5), 701–721. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.5.701
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2022). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage.
Hollebeek, L. D. (2011). Demystifying customer brand engagement: Exploring the loyalty nexus. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(7–8), 785–807. https://doi.org/10.1080/0267257X.2010.500132
Horton, D., & Wohl, R. R. (1956). Mass communication and para-social interaction: Observations on intimacy at a distance. Psychiatry, 19(3), 215–229. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.1956.11023049
Jain, S., et al. (2024). The role of narrative transportation in digital marketing and virtual influencer engagement. Journal of Interactive Advertising.
Jin, S. V., & Ryu, E. (2020). “I’ll buy what she’s wearing”: The roles of envy and parasocial interaction in Instagram influencer marketing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 54, 102034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.102034
Keller, K. L. (2003). Strategic brand management: Building, measuring, and managing brand equity (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.
Kim, J. (2023). Interactive AI and the future of consumer-brand relationships. Journal of Advertising Research.
Labrecque, L. I. (2014). Fostering consumer–brand relationships in social media environments: The role of parasocial interaction. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28(2), 134–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2013.12.003
Li, X. (2025). Emotional engagement and identification through anthropomorphic brand characters. Journal of Brand Management.
Lou, C., Kim, J., & Xie, Q. (2024). Perceived responsiveness and autonomy in AI-driven parasocial relationships. Computers in Human Behavior.
Lourenço, M., Ferreira, J., & dos Santos, M. (2024). From mascots to avatars: Enhancing consumer engagement in the digital era. Journal of Strategic Marketing.
Mehta, S., Pathak, A., & Bansal, S. (2024). Applying anthropomorphism and self-congruence theories to virtual influencers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services.
Morgan, R. M., & Hunt, S. D. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38. https://doi.org/10.2307/1252308
Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Srivastava, S., Gupta, A., Kumar, V., & Tuli, A. (2025). AI-driven characters and personalised brand experiences: A new frontier for customer engagement. International Journal of Research in Marketing.
Thomas, S., & Grigsby, J. (2024). Narrative transportation and the power of storytelling in contemporary branding. Journal of Consumer Research.
van Laer, T., de Ruyter, K., Visconti, L. M., & Wetzels, M. (2014). The extended transportation-imagery model: A meta-analysis of the antecedents and consequences of consumers’ narrative transportation. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(5), 797–817. https://doi.org/10.1086/673383
Vivek, S. D., Beatty, S. E., & Morgan, R. M. (2012). Customer engagement: Exploring customer relationships beyond purchase. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 20(2), 122–146. https://doi.org/10.2753/MTP1069-6679200201
