o brand mascots actually work? Can they still be regarded as potent marketing tools or are they merely relics of the industry meant to be discussed in B-School classrooms? And where have some of the best-loved mascots disappeared? Have they been subsumed by the slew of assembly line 'brand ambassadors'?

Says Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults, "A brand mascot is essentially a visual peg to a company or its brands. They are important since a consumer emotes with brands essentially at the sensorial level. They help you quickly add life to the name, the symbol, the colour and logo of the brand. In many ways, the brand mascot is a mid-way device between the brand logo and the totally alive brand endorser." ... more