An Analysis of Olympic Mascot Design Toward Attitude and Purchase Intention

in International Journal of Sport Communication

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Amanda PalladinoDepartment of Sport Management, College of Business and Management, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA, USA

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Minkyo LeeDepartment of Sport Management, College of Business and Management, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA, USA

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Xiaochen ZhouDepartment of Sport Management, College of Business and Management, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg, PA, USA

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2022-0052
Keywords:
Olympic symbol; anthropomorphic design; design perception
First Published Online:
05 May 2022
In Print:
Volume 15: Issue 3
Page Range:
190–196
Restricted access

Olympic mascots are important marketing tools for the Olympic Games, as they can communicate the meaning of the games. However, there is limited understanding on how to effectively design Olympic mascots as a marketing communication tool. This study focused on understanding how design elements of Olympic mascots influence fans’ perceptions, attitude, and purchase intention. An online experiment, featured in a 2 (design types: anthropomorphic animal, abstract) × 2 (Olympic brand cues: presence, absence) mixed subject design, was conducted. The results showed that animal mascots received significantly higher ratings than abstract mascots in terms of design perception, attitude, and purchase intention. This study demonstrates how the visual design of Olympic mascots influences consumer perception, attitude, and behavior. Our research has bridged this gap by exploring the effects of Olympic mascot design and Olympic symbols as an important marketing communication tool.

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