The introduction of a custom mascot will bring a large number of benefits for your organization, from improving brand recognition, increasing customer engagement, enhancing your brand story and much more.
To maximize the investment you made into your mascot program, your organization needs to ensure that the costume stays damage-free, your mascot performer doesn’t get injured and that your audience can enjoy the performance in a worry-free atmosphere.
That’s where a mascot spotter comes in handy.
What is a mascot spotter?
The role of a mascot spotter is to ensure that your mascot’s performance goes seamlessly. That means your mascot spotter will attend all of your organization’s mascot performances, assisting the costume wearer at all times.
Your mascot spotter will oversee your performer, ensuring they are protected by guiding them through crowds, talking to audience members, helping them walk past obstacles, protecting the costume from damage, helping them to dress/undress and much more.
Still unsure whether your company needs a mascot spotter? BAM Mascots has created a list of the five most important reasons why your organization should seriously consider using a spotter during your mascot performances:
1 - Crowd and traffic control
A successful mascot marketing strategy will create excitement and buzz around your mascot performer. While this is fantastic news for your organization, the crowds of people around your mascot performer can cause challenges.
Sometimes your mascot performer will come across someone who is rowdy or disrespectful, a child may try to disrupt your mascot during their performance or a large number of people could make it difficult for your performer to see where they’re walking.
It’s the job of the spotter to help your mascot navigate through these crowds, ensure traffic doesn’t get in the performer’s way and to avoid any potentially dangerous situations. Your spotter should be ready to intervene in confrontational situations, and calmly alert security about the issue if necessary.
2 - Helping your mascot performer to avoid potential hazards
When wearing a mascot costume, your performer will have reduced visibility. This means they might not be able to see all of the potential hazards around them. Common hazards for mascot performers include:
- Changes in the floor, such as steep inclines, obstacles or stairs.
- Small children approaching for a handshake, hug or photo opportunity.
- Puddles and bodies of water.
- Heavy doors, cables and other items that your mascot performer may not be able to see.
It’s the spotters’ job to keep a lookout for these potential hazards and to divert your mascot performer away from them.
3 - Ensuring nobody in the crowd is injured during your mascot performance
It’s not just your mascot performer that could be injured either. A mascot spotter is incredibly important when it comes to protecting your fans, whether adults or children, from injury as well.
Mascot costumes can be elaborate, and the performers wearing them do not always know exactly where their accessories are or who is around them. A mascot spotter will protect those in the crowd from being injured by a wing, tail or any other special features of your mascot costume.
4 - Protecting the costume from being damaged
When in large crowds, there’s a higher chance that your mascot costume will be damaged. To improve your return on investment, you’ll want to avoid this from happening if you can.
A spotter will be able to ensure your mascot costume avoids damage. This may include making sure large crowds are kept back to avoid the costume being trampled, preventing young children from damaging the costume and much more.
5 - Speaking on behalf of your mascot
One of the first rules of being a mascot performer is to avoid speaking. Not only is it difficult to talk while wearing a mascot costume, it can also completely ruin the illusion of the mascot character - particularly if you have more than one performer.
If you want to answer questions during a mascot performance, you can use your mascot spotter to talk on your mascot’s behalf. This could include anything from asking the crowd to move back or answering questions on behalf of your mascot.
Want to learn more about the importance of a mascot spotter, or simply want to ask BAM Mascots for a custom mascot design quote? Contact our team of experts today. We would love to answer any questions you have.
