Psychology behind Customized Plushies

Imagine your brand character living inside the homes of your best customers… A customized branded plushie.

Make Your Brand Sticky

Especially in the increasingly competitive space of branding, few brands have managed to stand out. And, they have delicately employed the tactic of plushies for brand visibility. It serves as a constant reminder. In the very literal sense, companies and organizations use customized plushies as an effective tool to build a sticky branding.

Indeed, the world is rapidly embracing digitalization. And arguably, this makes plushies stand out even more. It is our innate human nature to recognise plushies as ‘comfort objects’ – helping our mental health. We inherently possess this wiring, and this truth will endure for years to come. New toys like the PlayStation, iPhone and virtual goggles would not be able to substitute it.

Benefits of Plushies

Studies have shown that plushies aid people with disorganized attachment styles to develop secure attachments to live richer and happier lives. Psychotherapists also recommend plushies for individuals coping with PTSD, bipolar disorder, or simply seeking to achieve a better balance in mental health. And, we have done so for iamellie.sg.

A plush is a powerful gift. Brands that speak of providing a peace of mind or mindfulness use them. After all, the human brain remembers who accompanied them through a difficult time more vividly. It sticks.

It often starts with a plush (brand character), which then appears on advertisements and newsletters in the same physical form. The current trend is to create a sticker set for users to download and toss around in their daily chat apps. Brands would deliberately plot out the specific touch point at which they wish to connect with their audience and then promote their new service or product.

Another study revealed that plushies do help children develop their soft skills through ‘pretend play’. Amarilis Whilly, from Mattel Inc, shared that their research shows ‘new evidence that doll play activates brain regions that allow children to develop empathy and social information processing skills, even when playing by themselves’.

Successful brands leverage this understanding to design custom plushies, which they then gift or sell to parents for cultivating soft skills in their children. Parents achieve their teaching objectives while companies leave a lasting impression. It is a win-win.

Wherever the child goes, your plush tags along – even to a family holiday half way around the continent. Over time, a plush owner will develop a sense of attachment to your plush and some brands skillfully tap on those nostalgic childhood emotions and build them into products, like the collaboration between Mickey Mouse and Gucci!

Want a sticky branding? Build characters, play with customized plushies and stickers. Here are some examples of plushies we’ve helped customize. We’d love to explore with you, chat with us – sanee@mascotenterprise.com.sg.