  The mechanism of particle mass generation in the Standard Model is discussed.
It is shown that non-zero vacuum expectation value of a scalar field together
with the proper symmetry of the Lagrangian allow a certain class of scalar
field potentials providing generation of gauge boson and fermion masses and
keeping the electroweak sector of the model unchanged. Applying the minimality
principle and certain additional conditions one can reduce the number of free
parameters in the model. Possible phenomenological consequences in the scalar
sector for different choices of the potential are discussed.
