Take a look at many of the prominent projects coming out of the crypto space and you’ll notice that many of them have official mascots. This is especially true of projects in the meme coin and GameFi space. Think of how Pepe the Frog is the face of the Pepe token, the Bored Ape Yacht Club, and so on. But how do you go about choosing a crypto mascot?
The use of a crypto mascot is not universal in the industry and not every business will have one. But if you decide to take the leap, here are a few things to consider:
The Benefits of a Crypto Mascot
If your crypto/blockchain business is contemplating having a mascot or not, consider the following benefits:
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Branding
In the ever-saturated crypto space, you always want to stand out and have your brand identity secure. A mascot is one way to reinforce this brand identity on all levels. Think of the way that the PEPE token has been so well branded thanks to the image of Pepe the Frog. Even those who aren’t very involved in the crypto space are familiar with the Pepe image. Having a mascot means that you can put your branding on websites, physical merchandise, events, and so on. If a long-term brand identity is a goal for you, consider a mascot.
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Community Engagement
The quickest way to succeed as a crypto/blockchain project is to have a passionate community behind you that is rooting for it to succeed. To ensure this, you have to foster community engagement and this can be done through a mascot. Simply put, a mascot gives a face and name to your project that is personal and not corporate. Think of the ways that businesses give a human name and personality to their services ( Taco from Trello, for example). There are definitely people who are more passionate about Pepe the Frog as a mythical personality than Pepe the Token but buy into it for this reason. Thus, by creating a mascot, you can drive engagement and loyalty.
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Recognizability
As we said earlier in this article, you want to make your project as recognisable as possible and a mascot that is unique to you helps with this tremendously. Take all the different meme coins based on dogs, for example. You’ll notice that the mascot tends to have some variance to it, whether it’s a hat or a baseball bat. At a glance, you can probably tell them apart.
Similarly, your project should be instantly recognizable based on the crypto mascot and this will help drive publicity.
Choosing a Crypto Mascot
If you’d like to enjoy all of these benefits and choose a crypto mascot, here are some things to consider:
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Crypto Mascot Based on Lore
This is especially true for meme coins, GameFi titles, and other projects that have some sort of lore to them. Choosing your mascot from existing lore is not only smart but the most logical way forward. Take a moment to imagine what a Family Guy crypto would look like. Surely, it would be one of the characters or some sort of in-universe reference, right? Anything else would seem illogical. The same approach is needed when designing your mascot. Tap into whatever lore you can and things should be fine.
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Reconizability vs Uniqueness
As you choose/create your crypto mascot, you’ll have to strike the balance between being recognizable and being unique. For example, a Shiba Inu mascot is already well-recognized in the crypto space which comes with some benefits. On the other hand, it has been used by so many tokens that it is not very unique anymore. So, depending on your own circumstances, you’ll have to decide whether an established image is best for your mascot or if you’d rather test the waters with something completely new.
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Community Connection
A crypto/blockchain project with a passionate community behind it can achieve pretty much anything and one way to strengthen this collective bond is to give them a voice in the creation of your mascot. Put up a poll and let investors decide what mascot they like. Engage with the community and find out if there is any lore of character they connect with. By doing this, you have a crypto mascot that the community already has a connection with and thus, is more likely to engage with.
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Existing Aesthetic
Ultimately, the point of a mascot is not just for its own sake but to enhance your project’s brand identity and overall goals. With this in mind, your mascot has to fit with the overall aesthetic of your project. If your brand has a signature colour and you want to stick with it, make sure that your mascot fits into this to avoid confusion. At the same time, create room for the mascot to change over time to reflect the evolution of your project.
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Copyright
As you pursue a mascot for your crypto project, make sure you have all of your ducks in a row when it comes to copyright and licensing. Even if your mascot is the same character as an existing token, make sure you have custom images commissioned and licensed to use commercially. The last thing that you want is to have a legal case from an artist or a competing crypto project. For this purpose, speak to a copyright expert and make sure you cover all of your bases.
Concl usion
A crypto mascot can benefit projects in the space in several ways; they reinforce brand identity, drive consumer engagement, offer instant recognizabity, and much more. With all these, it comes as no surprise that so many projects want to have their very own Pepe or Shiba Inu. But as you consider this route, make sure that you choose one that your audience connects with, is a balance between recognizable and unique, fits with your aesthetic and won’t land you in any legal issues. If you can do this, the sky is the limit.
