Purpose

This study aims to investigate what the crucial elements are when it comes to using a mascot to brand a destination. This study applies the proposed framework of “mascot usage for destination branding” to two mascot cases, namely, Kumamon and Sukjai. In particular, the Kumamon mascot is first investigated, looking at how it is used to promote Kumamoto, one of the key cities in Kyushu, Japan. Sukjai, another mascot, is then analysed in a similar light. The dominant factors that lead to the success of Kumamon mascot are analysed on the case of Sukjai mascot. The disparity between the two mascot cases allows for a better understanding of the dimensions and practices or lack thereof, that can occur in mascot creation and implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative methodology is applied, and thematic and content analyses are applied to the three data sources, namely, secondary data collection from different data sources in the English and Japanese languages; researcher onsite observation in Kumamoto; and an in-depth interview with purposive sampling experts.

Findings

The findings indicate that according to the proposed framework, Kumamon has shown all three elements of the framework, namely, promoting destination identity and personality, creating differentiation for the location and having strong stakeholder involvement. On the other hand, these elements were found not to be as strong in the Sukjai case. The findings from the case comparison determine several underlining factors, including the national culture, which can help or hinder in laying the groundwork for the successful application of a mascot in destination branding.

Originality/value

This study complements the previous literature on mascot branding and elaborates on the framework of mascot usage for destination branding based on a combination of the three proposed elements.

中文翻译：

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熊本和Sukjai吉祥物在目的地品牌方面的调查

目的

这项研究旨在调查使用吉祥物为目的地打上烙印的关键要素。这项研究将拟议的“为目的地品牌使用吉祥物”的框架适用于两个吉祥物案例，即Kumamon和Sukjai。特别是，首先对熊本吉祥物进行了调查，研究了如何将其用于宣传日本九州的主要城市之一熊本。然后以类似的方式分析另一个吉祥物Sukjai。以Sukjai吉祥物为例，分析了导致Kumamon吉祥物成功的主要因素。两个吉祥物案例之间的差异使人们可以更好地了解尺寸和做法，或者缺乏它们，这可能在吉祥物的创建和实施过程中发生。

设计/方法/方法

采用定性方法，对三个数据源进行主题分析和内容分析，即从不同数据源以英语和日语提供二次数据收集；熊本县研究员现场观察；以及针对性抽样专家的深入采访。

发现

调查结果表明，根据拟议的框架，Kumamon已显示了框架的所有三个要素，即，促进目的地的身份和个性，在地​​理位置上创造差异化以及利益相关者的大力参与。另一方面，在Sukjai案中发现这些因素不那么强大。案例比较的结果确定了包括民族文化在内的几个重要因素，这些因素可以帮助或阻碍为吉祥物成功应用于目的地品牌打下基础。

创意/价值

这项研究是对先前有关吉祥物品牌的文献的补充，并根据三个提议要素的组合，详细阐述了吉祥物在目的地品牌中的用法框架。