Branding success with logos that tug at your heart

Consumers might be familiar with Internet companies' logos, such as JD.com's metal dog, Tmall.com's cat, Ganlv.net's donkey and Tuniu.com's cow. While these animals on their own do make for adorable pets, I have often been flummoxed as to how firms chose them as mascots and their connection to the business.

As far as I know, this is not something that is common in Chinese culture as enterprises often opt for logos based on elements like stars, a red flag, lucky numbers and even Chinese characters with auspicious meanings. To cite an example, China FAW Group, the Changchun-based State-owned auto producer, has named its flagship sedan as "The Red Flag".

The Chinese practice, however, is in stark contrast to what is seen in the West, where using animals as a corporate logo or mascots is quite common, especially in the automobile industry. I have often looked on with admiration at the horse logos of Ferrari and Porsche, the ox in Lamborghini and the leopard in Jaguar. Obviously, with these animal images, the luxury car producers want to inform consumers about the speed and power of their products.