Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News
Magazine
PMPN Article Index
Originally Published PMPN July 2005
Brand Matters
A Question of Character
Spokes-characters are an untapped resource in marketing healthcare products.
Robert C. Sprung and Silvia Carloni, TippingSprung LLC
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| Barbara Phillips |
Something is conspicuous by its absence in healthcare packaging.
We refer to spokes-characters—the imaginary beings that help sell products, ranging from Snap, Crackle, and Pop to the Exxon tiger.
We spoke with Barbara Phillips, professor of marketing at the University of Saskatchewan, who specializes in the study of spokes-characters. She helps shed light on why they might represent an interesting resource.
What factors are influencing the use of spokes-characters today?
For pharmaceutical products, characters are now starting to emerge as a result of direct-to-consumer marketing. For instance, a depression or anxiety medication might employ a cartoon character to make consumers feel more comfortable or to humanize the product. Spokes-characters can also be made generic, which is particularly helpful with pharmaceuticals.
What opportunities do you foresee for healthcare companies to use brand characters?
With direct-to-consumer advertising, we see a lot of potential in areas such as allergy aids or children’s medications. Characters can definitely help create an emotional bond here.
Pain relievers seem ready for spokes-characters. None exists in this segment, and a character could build interest and an emotional connection. One could also imagine a character personifying pain (e.g., a “pounding headache”).
What can we learn from the character of Digger, the foot fungus?
The thing personified—foot fungus—is unattractive. The cartoon communicates the message without getting too graphic. The potential problem with this negative-character advertising is that people don’t build any emotional connection, as they might with a personification like the Michelin Man.
What are the costs associated with using spokes-characters?
First, licensing can be extremely expensive. The most-effective character is the one you create yourself. According to research, creative characters invented directly by companies created a better connection more quickly than celebrity characters. A new character stays longer in the consumer’s mind, and it is easier to associate with the values of your particular brand. But if you have your own character, mentioning the name on the package is not enough. You need to do significant marketing to build the connection between your brand and the consumer.
What should you watch out for in using character branding?
Characters build over time. Characters that are in the market for years have been most successful, like Tony the Tiger or the Coca-Cola bear. Sometimes, changes are needed, and companies update their characters. Consider the M&M characters. They used to be sweet and appealing to children, but the company decided to change their personality and make them more ironic, targeting teenagers. The result was increased popularity.
Which are your most and least favorite characters?
My favorite (despite its political incorrectness) is Joe Camel. It greatly influenced perceptions of the company and the brand. My least favorite is Snuggle, because it is too sweet, even if it is very successful. The company has a Web site where consumers can visit Snuggle. I see a real opportunity for healthcare and pharmaceutical products companies to use a character on the Web to help inform consumers about the product.
Are there any special considerations in applying trade characters to packaging?
Not all characters need to appear on packaging. The Marlboro Man never appeared on the package, although he was immensely successful. The Energizer Bunny was not on the package at first. However, once the bunny ads proved so successful, the bunny started to appear on the package.
This article is the first in a series; a subsequent piece will look at international marketing aspects of spokes-characters.
Robert C. Sprung can be reached at robert@tippingsprung.com. TippingSprung (New York City) offers brand strategy, naming, and design services with a focus on the needs of technology companies.
Copyright ©2005 Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News
