Due to the novel coronavirus, organizations across the world are changing the way they interact with their employees, clients and their audiences.
Some companies have postponed large events, conferences and team meetings, others have introduced complete work-from-home policies and some governments have introduced restrictions on sporting events to stop crowds of people gathering in one location.
While your US or Canadian organization may not need to introduce any policies as significant as these, it’s certainly beneficial to introduce some precautions that will help prevent the spread of any type of viruses - remember we are still in flu season so this is good advice in general.
If your organization uses a custom brand mascot, you may be wondering what steps you can take to safeguard your mascot performer and the people they come into contact with. Before we get into some tips that you can turn into company policy, let’s first take a look at what the novel coronavirus is.
Should I change the way my organization’s mascot interacts with people?
Whether you are a sports team, a not-for-profit charity, school or a local business, it’s likely that each time you use your mascot costume your performer comes into contact with a number of people - whether they be sports fans, potential customers or citizens within your local community.
There’s no problem with that, and your company definitely doesn’t need to be concerned about coming into contact with people on a regular basis. However, it’s a good idea to take a few precautions to safeguard your mascot performer and the people they come into contact with.
To help, BAM Mascots has listed a few tips:
Change the way your mascot performer greets people
Direct contact is becoming increasingly frowned upon. Even though your mascot may wear gloves, you will need to set the tone and act appropriately given the current no handshake and social spacing advice. That’s why people around the world are finding new ways to greet each other. Generally, people are waving goodbye to shaking hands and replacing it with fist bumps, elbow bumps, deep bows or even shaking feet.
We would advise that, for the time being, you encourage your mascot performer to find new creative ways to greet their audience to limit physical contact. As mentioned, this could be anything from fist bumps to patting them on the back, but minimizing or even excluding traditional hugs, high fives and body contact.
Implement good hygiene practices
Practicing good hygiene is one of the most efficient ways to stop the spread of COVID-19. This includes everything from not touching your face, to ensuring your mascot performer has an ample supply of tissues and hand sanitizer.
Clean your mascot costume regularly
Since your mascot performer will come into contact with a large number of people on a regular basis, it’s important that you take the time to properly clean and sanitize your mascot costume.
Not only will this stop the spread of any bacteria or virus, it will also ensure the longevity and return on investment of your mascot costume.
For more information on properly cleaning your mascot costume, read our blog titled ‘How to Clean Your Organization’s Mascot From Head to Toe’.
Are you looking for more information on taking care of your mascot costume, interested in further performer tips, or simply want to enquire about the benefits of a brand mascot? Contact the BAM Mascot team of experts today.
