Designing Trust: An Empirical Study of Brand Mascots as a Counter Strategy to Consumer Scepticism in the Indian Dark-Pattern Marketing

Kapil Chowdhury

doi:10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.023

Title: Designing Trust: An Empirical Study of Brand Mascots as a Counter Strategy to Consumer Scepticism in the Indian Dark-Pattern Marketing
Authors: Kapil Chowdhury
Journal: International Journal of Social Science and Economic Research (IJSSER) ISSN: 2455-8834 Volume: 11 Issue: 7 Publication Date: July 2026 DOI: 10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.023
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Kapil Chowdhury Assistant Professor, Department of Fine Arts, Graphic Era Hill University, Dehradun
MLA 8 Chowdhury, Kapil. "Designing Trust: An Empirical Study of Brand Mascots as a Counter-Strategy to Consumer Scepticism in the Indian Dark-Pattern Marketing." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, vol. 11, no. 7, July 2026, pp. 3223-3237, doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.023. Accessed July 2026. APA 6 Chowdhury, K. (2026, July). Designing Trust: An Empirical Study of Brand Mascots as a Counter-Strategy to Consumer Scepticism in the Indian Dark-Pattern Marketing. Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research, 11(7), 3223-3237. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.023 Chicago Chowdhury, Kapil. "Designing Trust: An Empirical Study of Brand Mascots as a Counter-Strategy to Consumer Scepticism in the Indian Dark-Pattern Marketing." Int. j. of Social Science and Economic Research 11, no. 7 (July 2026), 3223-3237. Accessed July, 2026. https://doi.org/10.46609/IJSSER.2026.v11i07.023.
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ABSTRACT: The Indian digital marketplace has grown exponentially due to widespread adoption of ecommerce, quick-commerce, and fintech solutions. However, accelerated growth has also been accompanied by “dark patterns”: persuasive technologies built into interfaces to mislead, coerce, or nudge consumers into choices they might not have made otherwise. While India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority has notified regulations to mitigate dark patterns and cautioned companies against them repeatedly since March 2023, enforcement issues remain endemic and consumer scepticism is on the rise. The research presented here outlines a mixed methods empirical study assessing the potential of brand mascots, a familiar aspect of Indian advertising, to act as a strategy against burgeoning consumer mistrust. Drawing on anthropomorphism theory and brand personality theory, the current research employs a mixed methods, three-phase sequential design incorporating (a) content analysis to identify dark patterns prevalent on Indian language digital platforms, (b) a between-subjects survey experiment measuring consumers’ perceptions of mascot-mediated vs non-mascot interfaces, and (c) semi-structured interviews with consumers and design practitioners. Preliminary findings indicate that brand mascots increase perceived trust and decrease user scepticism on interfaces employing dark patterns, mediated by perceived warmth, though qualitative findings suggest risks of “mascot-washing” - employment of a mascot’s cuteness to obscure continued reliance on manipulative architecture. The paper concludes with a proposed framework, the MascotTrust Framework, for using mascots to design trustworthy and culturally embedded brands in India.

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