Why big tech is betting on cute mascots

Why big tech is betting on cute mascotsJust nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleChris MarshallBusiness reporterMicrosoftMicrosoft says its Mico character is "expressive, customizable and warm"Some of the world's biggest and most powerful brands are attempting to be more cute and cuddly.Tech giants Microsoft and Apple are among a wave of businesses who have recently introduced new cartoon character mascots, a tactic experts say is often used to make a brand seem more human and friendly, and to build a stronger connection with customers.Apple's character, a blue and white figure with an outsized head, has become unofficially known as Little Finder Guy. Introduced in March in social media videos to promote a new laptop, it has gained some positive coverage.Microsoft, which years ago shelved its widely-disliked Clippy paperclip virtual assistant, has also unveiled a new cartoon character for its AI assistant Copilot.The company says the avatar, called Mico and resembling a blob with a smiley face, is "not a mascot, but an optional visual identity for Copilot".It adds that Mico is "expressive, customizable and warm", and "makes voice conversations [with the AI] feel more natural".There are plenty of good reasons for firms to adopt a cute character to embody their brand. Businesses whose marketing campaigns include mascots are 37% more likely to grow their market share than those which don't, according to research published back in 2019."They give a voice, a personality, a face even, to a company that is cold and impersonal to many people," says Anthony Patterson, professor of marketing at Lancaster University Management School.Some firms, tech businesses among them, are finding new ways to make use of existing characters. This includes the little green robot that Google uses as the mascot for its Android mobile operating system.Last September, Google launched an app that allows users to create personalise...