There is no end to the brands that lend themselves to anthropomorphic comparison. As an area unde... more There is no end to the brands that lend themselves to anthropomorphic comparison. As an area under researched, the ultimate aim of this thesis is to improve our understanding of the phenomenon of brand anthropomorphism via focusing on one of the most prominent tactics currently being used by industry – the use of marketing mascots.
This research begins by theoretically positioning the topic in a rich body of literature. Drawing on branding literature, the multidimensional nature of brands is explored as a starting point for understanding brand mascots. The fundamental theories referred to are integrated to form the Brand Puzzle. Next, the phenomenon of anthropomorphism is examined by referring to literatures from the disciplines of anthropology, animal behaviour, English literature and religion. To complete the extensive literature review, this thesis draws on marketing, advertising, psychology and consumer behaviour literature to reveal any existing classifications for brand anthropomorphism prior to introducing a new typology. Additionally, an investigation into the use of mascots is carried out paying particular attention to their conceptual development and their ‘humanity’.
By designing an interpretive case study methodology that relies on a variety of research techniques, including netnography, interviews and photo-essays, as well as a provocative style of presentation, this thesis sets out firstly to explore the development of three marketing mascots on the social media site of Facebook: Aleksandr Orlov mascot for price comparison website CompareTheMarket.com; The M&M’s Spokescandies mascots for Mars’ M&M’s chocolate; and Mr Peanut mascot for Planters peanuts. A literary approach was adopted when tackling this mysterious process of creating marketing mascots. Secondly, this thesis sets out to analyse consumer engagement with the brands via their engagement with the selected marketing mascots. Six forms of consumer engagement were identified which were perceived to have an effect on the narrative of marketing mascots.
The discussion section of this thesis creatively links the empirical evidence presented in the findings chapters and the insights from the literature with novels, storytelling and genre reading. The prominence of these have led to the development of a Literary Wheel model that has scope for use by industry and offers a direction for future research. In conclusion, this research contributes to knowledge in the field of brand anthropomorphism. It provides a formula for the creation of captivating marketing mascots that fulfil the needs of our increasingly communication hungry culture, encouraging elevated consumer engagement and the development of stronger consumer-brand relationships.
Not long ago, Compare the Market, a UK-based online aggregator of car insurance quotes, had littl... more Not long ago, Compare the Market, a UK-based online aggregator of car insurance quotes, had little distinctive presence in the marketplace. Yet the company’s fortunes have been radically transformed since the launch in early 2009 of its award-winning marketing campaign, ‘Compare the Meerkat’, fronted by the much-loved anthropomorphic mascot, Aleksandr Orlov. This paper utilises
literary insights to explain the peculiar piquancy of this popular anthropomorphic marketing campaign. To establish its consumer appeal, we conduct a literary exploration of the rich, textured experience of Aleksandr Orlov’s imaginary world. In doing so, we postulate that the triumph of the campaign lies in its, albeit inadvertent, amalgamation of three literary genres: Russian literature, comedy literature, and adventure literature.
Central to the perspective of this research is the idea that anthropomorphic mascots are literary... more Central to the perspective of this research is the idea that anthropomorphic mascots are literary creations at heart. Accordingly, literary insights are used to explain three popular anthropomorphic marketing mascots; Aleksandr Orlov the much loved meerkat and founder of Comparethemeerkat.com, the infamous Mr Peanut, and M&M's very own family of Spokescandies, Red, Yellow, Ms Green, Blue, Crispy/Orange and newly introduced Ms Brown. To establish their consumer appeal, literary explorations of the rich and textured imaginary worlds of these mascots is conducted. In doing so, we propose that, in order for a campaign to be triumphant, an amalgamation of three genres from the roulette wheel of literary genres is essential, especially for brands urgently seeking to shrug off their inanimateness. We conclude by urging marketers to explicitly contemplate, cultivate and assemble the diverse literary roots of their mascot's anthropomorphic essence, thus creating compelling characters with a multi-faceted life narrative.
This paper offers reflections on the challenges, for research and
marketing education, associate... more This paper offers reflections on the challenges, for research and
marketing education, associated with an aim of making academic marketing research impact more strongly on marketing practice. It derives from a Special Session at the Academy of Marketing Conference 2011, and reports on the ways in which academic findings are presented, the difficulties in integrating new developments in practice into the academic research and education agendas, and aspects of academic career pathways that may affect the relationship between theory and practice. The discussion points to the need for new ways of making academic research accessible if it is to have a greater impact on practice. Accessibility should not be at the expense of normal academic rigour. It could take various forms such as new submission categories for journal articles, the development of new blogging communities, and other means of fostering the practitioner/academic dialogue. The paper concludes by requesting the engagement of the entire marketing community to participate in a new discussion group on LinkedIn that has been specifically set up to foster dialogue and encourage progress.
The aim of this working paper is to examine the travel behaviour of Generation Y parents. Generat... more The aim of this working paper is to examine the travel behaviour of Generation Y parents. Generation Y is defined as the children of Baby Boomers. Broadly speaking this includes individuals born anytime in the region of 1977 to 2001. This generation has been described as the most educated, affluent, assertive and IT-literate generation in history, their development shaped by the key economic, social and cultural forces evident during their formative years. Whilst extensively researched, existing literatures detailing Generation Y tend to focus primarily upon individual behaviour. There is little recognition that this generation might themselves be parents too. Equally, literatures documenting the relationship between parenthood and holiday-taking tend to focus upon family decision-making and tourism experiences more generally. The travel behaviour of Generation Y as parents and holiday-takers is less understood. Semi-structured interviews are ongoing to explore this relationship. To date, twenty-four interviews have been completed, with a further six planned for the coming months. Initial observations on the data will be presented during the conference paper delivery. The data will be analysed through template analysis using a Service-Dominant (S-D) Logic framework to enhance understanding.
There is no end to the brands that lend themselves to anthropomorphic comparison. As an area unde... more There is no end to the brands that lend themselves to anthropomorphic comparison. As an area under researched, the ultimate aim of this thesis is to improve our understanding of the phenomenon of brand anthropomorphism via focusing on one of the most prominent tactics currently being used by industry – the use of marketing mascots.
This research begins by theoretically positioning the topic in a rich body of literature. Drawing on branding literature, the multidimensional nature of brands is explored as a starting point for understanding brand mascots. The fundamental theories referred to are integrated to form the Brand Puzzle. Next, the phenomenon of anthropomorphism is examined by referring to literatures from the disciplines of anthropology, animal behaviour, English literature and religion. To complete the extensive literature review, this thesis draws on marketing, advertising, psychology and consumer behaviour literature to reveal any existing classifications for brand anthropomorphism prior to introducing a new typology. Additionally, an investigation into the use of mascots is carried out paying particular attention to their conceptual development and their ‘humanity’.
By designing an interpretive case study methodology that relies on a variety of research techniques, including netnography, interviews and photo-essays, as well as a provocative style of presentation, this thesis sets out firstly to explore the development of three marketing mascots on the social media site of Facebook: Aleksandr Orlov mascot for price comparison website CompareTheMarket.com; The M&M’s Spokescandies mascots for Mars’ M&M’s chocolate; and Mr Peanut mascot for Planters peanuts. A literary approach was adopted when tackling this mysterious process of creating marketing mascots. Secondly, this thesis sets out to analyse consumer engagement with the brands via their engagement with the selected marketing mascots. Six forms of consumer engagement were identified which were perceived to have an effect on the narrative of marketing mascots.
The discussion section of this thesis creatively links the empirical evidence presented in the findings chapters and the insights from the literature with novels, storytelling and genre reading. The prominence of these have led to the development of a Literary Wheel model that has scope for use by industry and offers a direction for future research. In conclusion, this research contributes to knowledge in the field of brand anthropomorphism. It provides a formula for the creation of captivating marketing mascots that fulfil the needs of our increasingly communication hungry culture, encouraging elevated consumer engagement and the development of stronger consumer-brand relationships.
Not long ago, Compare the Market, a UK-based online aggregator of car insurance quotes, had littl... more Not long ago, Compare the Market, a UK-based online aggregator of car insurance quotes, had little distinctive presence in the marketplace. Yet the company’s fortunes have been radically transformed since the launch in early 2009 of its award-winning marketing campaign, ‘Compare the Meerkat’, fronted by the much-loved anthropomorphic mascot, Aleksandr Orlov. This paper utilises
literary insights to explain the peculiar piquancy of this popular anthropomorphic marketing campaign. To establish its consumer appeal, we conduct a literary exploration of the rich, textured experience of Aleksandr Orlov’s imaginary world. In doing so, we postulate that the triumph of the campaign lies in its, albeit inadvertent, amalgamation of three literary genres: Russian literature, comedy literature, and adventure literature.
Central to the perspective of this research is the idea that anthropomorphic mascots are literary... more Central to the perspective of this research is the idea that anthropomorphic mascots are literary creations at heart. Accordingly, literary insights are used to explain three popular anthropomorphic marketing mascots; Aleksandr Orlov the much loved meerkat and founder of Comparethemeerkat.com, the infamous Mr Peanut, and M&M's very own family of Spokescandies, Red, Yellow, Ms Green, Blue, Crispy/Orange and newly introduced Ms Brown. To establish their consumer appeal, literary explorations of the rich and textured imaginary worlds of these mascots is conducted. In doing so, we propose that, in order for a campaign to be triumphant, an amalgamation of three genres from the roulette wheel of literary genres is essential, especially for brands urgently seeking to shrug off their inanimateness. We conclude by urging marketers to explicitly contemplate, cultivate and assemble the diverse literary roots of their mascot's anthropomorphic essence, thus creating compelling characters with a multi-faceted life narrative.
This paper offers reflections on the challenges, for research and
marketing education, associate... more This paper offers reflections on the challenges, for research and
marketing education, associated with an aim of making academic marketing research impact more strongly on marketing practice. It derives from a Special Session at the Academy of Marketing Conference 2011, and reports on the ways in which academic findings are presented, the difficulties in integrating new developments in practice into the academic research and education agendas, and aspects of academic career pathways that may affect the relationship between theory and practice. The discussion points to the need for new ways of making academic research accessible if it is to have a greater impact on practice. Accessibility should not be at the expense of normal academic rigour. It could take various forms such as new submission categories for journal articles, the development of new blogging communities, and other means of fostering the practitioner/academic dialogue. The paper concludes by requesting the engagement of the entire marketing community to participate in a new discussion group on LinkedIn that has been specifically set up to foster dialogue and encourage progress.
The aim of this working paper is to examine the travel behaviour of Generation Y parents. Generat... more The aim of this working paper is to examine the travel behaviour of Generation Y parents. Generation Y is defined as the children of Baby Boomers. Broadly speaking this includes individuals born anytime in the region of 1977 to 2001. This generation has been described as the most educated, affluent, assertive and IT-literate generation in history, their development shaped by the key economic, social and cultural forces evident during their formative years. Whilst extensively researched, existing literatures detailing Generation Y tend to focus primarily upon individual behaviour. There is little recognition that this generation might themselves be parents too. Equally, literatures documenting the relationship between parenthood and holiday-taking tend to focus upon family decision-making and tourism experiences more generally. The travel behaviour of Generation Y as parents and holiday-takers is less understood. Semi-structured interviews are ongoing to explore this relationship. To date, twenty-four interviews have been completed, with a further six planned for the coming months. Initial observations on the data will be presented during the conference paper delivery. The data will be analysed through template analysis using a Service-Dominant (S-D) Logic framework to enhance understanding.
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Papers by Yusra Khogeer
This research begins by theoretically positioning the topic in a rich body of literature. Drawing on branding literature, the multidimensional nature of brands is explored as a starting point for understanding brand mascots. The fundamental theories referred to are integrated to form the Brand Puzzle. Next, the phenomenon of anthropomorphism is examined by referring to literatures from the disciplines of anthropology, animal behaviour, English literature and religion. To complete the extensive literature review, this thesis draws on marketing, advertising, psychology and consumer behaviour literature to reveal any existing classifications for brand anthropomorphism prior to introducing a new typology. Additionally, an investigation into the use of mascots is carried out paying particular attention to their conceptual development and their ‘humanity’.
By designing an interpretive case study methodology that relies on a variety of research techniques, including netnography, interviews and photo-essays, as well as a provocative style of presentation, this thesis sets out firstly to explore the development of three marketing mascots on the social media site of Facebook: Aleksandr Orlov mascot for price comparison website CompareTheMarket.com; The M&M’s Spokescandies mascots for Mars’ M&M’s chocolate; and Mr Peanut mascot for Planters peanuts. A literary approach was adopted when tackling this mysterious process of creating marketing mascots. Secondly, this thesis sets out to analyse consumer engagement with the brands via their engagement with the selected marketing mascots. Six forms of consumer engagement were identified which were perceived to have an effect on the narrative of marketing mascots.
The discussion section of this thesis creatively links the empirical evidence presented in the findings chapters and the insights from the literature with novels, storytelling and genre reading. The prominence of these have led to the development of a Literary Wheel model that has scope for use by industry and offers a direction for future research. In conclusion, this research contributes to knowledge in the field of brand anthropomorphism. It provides a formula for the creation of captivating marketing mascots that fulfil the needs of our increasingly communication hungry culture, encouraging elevated consumer engagement and the development of stronger consumer-brand relationships.
literary insights to explain the peculiar piquancy of this popular anthropomorphic marketing campaign. To establish its consumer appeal, we conduct a literary exploration of the rich, textured experience of Aleksandr Orlov’s imaginary world. In doing so, we postulate that the triumph of the campaign lies in its, albeit inadvertent, amalgamation of three literary genres: Russian literature, comedy literature, and adventure literature.
marketing education, associated with an aim of making academic marketing research impact more strongly on marketing practice. It derives from a Special Session at the Academy of Marketing Conference 2011, and reports on the ways in which academic findings are presented, the difficulties in integrating new developments in practice into the academic research and education agendas, and aspects of academic career pathways that may affect the relationship between theory and practice. The discussion points to the need for new ways of making academic research accessible if it is to have a greater impact on practice. Accessibility should not be at the expense of normal academic rigour. It could take various forms such as new submission categories for journal articles, the development of new blogging communities, and other means of fostering the practitioner/academic dialogue. The paper concludes by requesting the engagement of the entire marketing community to participate in a new discussion group on LinkedIn that has been specifically set up to foster dialogue and encourage progress.
This research begins by theoretically positioning the topic in a rich body of literature. Drawing on branding literature, the multidimensional nature of brands is explored as a starting point for understanding brand mascots. The fundamental theories referred to are integrated to form the Brand Puzzle. Next, the phenomenon of anthropomorphism is examined by referring to literatures from the disciplines of anthropology, animal behaviour, English literature and religion. To complete the extensive literature review, this thesis draws on marketing, advertising, psychology and consumer behaviour literature to reveal any existing classifications for brand anthropomorphism prior to introducing a new typology. Additionally, an investigation into the use of mascots is carried out paying particular attention to their conceptual development and their ‘humanity’.
By designing an interpretive case study methodology that relies on a variety of research techniques, including netnography, interviews and photo-essays, as well as a provocative style of presentation, this thesis sets out firstly to explore the development of three marketing mascots on the social media site of Facebook: Aleksandr Orlov mascot for price comparison website CompareTheMarket.com; The M&M’s Spokescandies mascots for Mars’ M&M’s chocolate; and Mr Peanut mascot for Planters peanuts. A literary approach was adopted when tackling this mysterious process of creating marketing mascots. Secondly, this thesis sets out to analyse consumer engagement with the brands via their engagement with the selected marketing mascots. Six forms of consumer engagement were identified which were perceived to have an effect on the narrative of marketing mascots.
The discussion section of this thesis creatively links the empirical evidence presented in the findings chapters and the insights from the literature with novels, storytelling and genre reading. The prominence of these have led to the development of a Literary Wheel model that has scope for use by industry and offers a direction for future research. In conclusion, this research contributes to knowledge in the field of brand anthropomorphism. It provides a formula for the creation of captivating marketing mascots that fulfil the needs of our increasingly communication hungry culture, encouraging elevated consumer engagement and the development of stronger consumer-brand relationships.
literary insights to explain the peculiar piquancy of this popular anthropomorphic marketing campaign. To establish its consumer appeal, we conduct a literary exploration of the rich, textured experience of Aleksandr Orlov’s imaginary world. In doing so, we postulate that the triumph of the campaign lies in its, albeit inadvertent, amalgamation of three literary genres: Russian literature, comedy literature, and adventure literature.
marketing education, associated with an aim of making academic marketing research impact more strongly on marketing practice. It derives from a Special Session at the Academy of Marketing Conference 2011, and reports on the ways in which academic findings are presented, the difficulties in integrating new developments in practice into the academic research and education agendas, and aspects of academic career pathways that may affect the relationship between theory and practice. The discussion points to the need for new ways of making academic research accessible if it is to have a greater impact on practice. Accessibility should not be at the expense of normal academic rigour. It could take various forms such as new submission categories for journal articles, the development of new blogging communities, and other means of fostering the practitioner/academic dialogue. The paper concludes by requesting the engagement of the entire marketing community to participate in a new discussion group on LinkedIn that has been specifically set up to foster dialogue and encourage progress.