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Why College Mascots Improve the Experience

Living away from home for the first time while attempting to sort out a career path often leaves new students feeling lost. When alumni recall their college mascots, however, they’re likely to say, “We were the…” rather than, “Our mascot was…” It’s mascot psychology; on some level, they identify with the mascot. They feel like part of its community because it’s the one thing they shared with every other student. This is the main benefit of college mascots – they create that sense of belonging students crave, and it makes them feel at home.

4 Benefits of College Mascots:

Recognizable Symbol: A college mascot becomes a recognizable symbol for your college – in both the campus and surrounding communities. For instance, at UW-Madison their mascot is Bucky Badger, so their students and alumni identify themselves as the badgers. Not only does it bring students together but it’s a unique way to identify the college.
Increase Awareness: A mascot is a great way to promote programs and services that your university offers. Have your mascot attend organization, club, and career fairs. This is a fun way for students to not only get involved but take fun photos with their school mascot.
Engagement: College students can be hesitant to engage in school activities, sporting events, or social events. A school mascot though does a great job of making these events more welcoming and exciting. For instance, if your school team is down during a game, the crowd can get a little discouraged. But with a few fun tricks from your school mascot, the crowd will be back on their feet and cheering moments later.
Personification to your College’s Brand: Every college is different based on their campus life, sports team, academic focuses, and location. It can be hard to represent all of that in just a logo or on a website. A mascot brings a personality to your school. Your mascot showing emotion, connecting with your community, and interacting with the world around them bring your organization down to a personal level. Heck, even the clothes they wear and the accessories they sport can send a message! A mascot can easily play a part in college student’s experience on your campus. They are not only a branding opportunity, but also a way to create memories that last a life time

The best college mascots provide limitless marketing and PR opportunities. For more ideas on how to utilize a college mascot read our blog here!

Bringing Your School Mascot to Life

Want to start building community around your college or university? Here are some things to consider while putting together your very own mascot.

Student Involvement: The process of designing a mascot is an opportunity to let your students be heard and let their creativity shine. We highly recommend letting students submit their mascot design ideas, or letting them pick through a pre-selected list of mascot designs. Assigning your student body a mascot without taking in their feedback runs the risk of a mascot being received poorly, as there is always the risk of disconnect between administration and students. Eliminate this risk by letting students find a design that represents them!
Costume Needs and Design: Be sure you consider all the factors you want from your mascot before you have it designed. For instance, do you want your mascot to be able to run, jump or do tricks at events? If that’s the case, you will want to look for a standard mascot that isn’t too big or bulky. Also keep in mind who you want performing in the mascot. Some schools will use student as their performers. If this is the case for you, make sure you get a custom mascot that fits a wider range of performer heights. For more information on how to balance design and functionality, check out this blog.
Choosing a Mascot: Deciding what mascot to represent your university and its values can be tricky. A great place to start is your school’s logo. A mascot can be anything, from a bear to a made up creature. You might also consider your school’s or town’s history. Was your area known for gold mining? A prospector character might be a good fit for you. Also think about your school colors. This might seem obvious, but making him/her easily identifiable among students is key. Be sure to avoid any characterizations that can be considered offensive. You want your mascot character to charm and unify, not anger and polarize.

Using Your College Mascot

Your mascot can personify your school without saying a word. Students will rally around him/her and relish photo-ops as a sign of school pride, so appearances at campus sporting and social events are important. Other opportunities to foster community around your mascot include:

Appearances at municipal events and parades
Creating social media pages
A naming contest
Sponsoring a “mascot night”
Creating clothing, school supplies, and other gear featuring your mascot’s likeness

College mascots create lifetime, loyal supporters for your school, a unique and important ROI that can’t quite be replicated by any other branding technique. For more mascot ideas, check out our projects below to see how colleges like Marquette University, Columbia Southern University, Arkansas State University-Newport, and Spartanburg Community College use their custom mascots every day.