Is cuteness innocent? Public forgiveness to Theme Park mascots

Abstract

A scholarly debate has arisen concerning the influence of cuteness on the public's propensity for forgiveness during crises. Theme parks present a unique context where interacting with cute mascots is a central draw for visitors, yet these can become a source of crisis. This study aims to examine the impact of theme park cute mascots on the public's forgiveness in online crises and employs the Shanghai Disneyland LinaBell crisis as a case. Results from social media analysis and interviews revealed that the perceived cuteness of the mascot, combined with crisis attributions and the public's sympathy, influenced their forgiveness. A survey involving 495 participants was employed to test the hypotheses. Results identified a significant moderating role of the perceived cuteness of mascots that weakens the influence of the internal locus attribution on public forgiveness. This study provides insights for theme parks in carrying out emotional marketing campaigns for crisis image recovery.