Spokescharacters have been a part of the advertisers’ arsenal for hundreds of years. For brands and their agencies utilizing spokescharacters it is important to understand the equity wrapped up in a spokescharacter – to whom does the character appeal, and why? Using E-Score Character we found America’s most-liked spokescharacters among adults and kids.

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Convincing Characters

For brands, recognizing the Appeal of their spokescharacters in relation to the competition is vital. E-Score has tracked advertising characters for more than a decade, and we turned to E-Score Character to discover which spokescharacters resonate most with adults in America.

This year’s most Appealing spokescharacter is also a free agent. Having parted ways with MetLife, Snoopy is available to add a boost to a new brand. Not only does he lead the list of most Appealing characters, he is one of the top three characters adults Would Like to See More (30%.)

Although Snoopy no longer represents MetLife, spokescharacters from insurance companies still make a strong showing on the list. Insurance companies use spokescharacters as a way to add humor and entertainment to a potentially boring category, and they have been remarkably successful as four of the top twenty are from insurance companies, led by Allstate Mayhem. Other insurance spokescharacters just missed the list, like Flo from Progressive who comes in at #22.

Many of the most Appealing spokescharacters share a common attribute, Funny. Ten of the spokescharacters on the list are considered Funny by more than 50% of America. This group is led by the Sonic Guys, who score 67% for the Funny attribute.

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Characters and Kids: Appealing to Youth

For kids, spokescharacters are more appealing overall than for adults, with an average Appeal score of 51% among kids versus 39% for adults. This is especially true of those that resemble the animated shows kids are used to watching. We used E-Score Character – Kids to find which spokescharacters children ages 6-12 like the most.

An interesting note about the most Appealing spokescharacters among kids is that the majority of the top twenty are animated or CGI rendered. In fact, only three of the top twenty are not animated. This falls in line with the idea that kids gravitate towards spokescharacters that look like the animated shows they watch daily.

Although animated and CGI characters permeate the top twenty, Grumpy Cat, a non-animated character, tops the list. Not only is he the most Appealing spokescharacter among children ages 6-12, but he is also the top character kids Would Like to See More (36%.) Additionally, over a third of kids surveyed are Very Interested in a TV Show for him.

While Grumpy Cat may be the most Appealing character, Chester Cheetah at #6 is definitely the coolest. His 62% Cool score is nearly 20 points higher than the second coolest spokescharacter among kids.

Takeaway

Understanding how particular audiences perceive characters is an important step in creating a successful spokescharacter, and harnessing its equity for your brand campaign. E-Score Character products are the tools brands and agencies need in order to get a full understanding of what is driving the success of their spokescharacters.

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Methodology

Lists were created using E-Score Character and E-Score Character – Kids. E-Score Character represents respondents ages 13-54. E-Score Character – Kids represents respondents ages 6-12. All characters fielded after 1/1/16.

Allstate Mayhem image: Allstate Sugar Bowl

Resources

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