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How to Adapt Your Mascot Marketing Strategy for COVID-19

How to Adapt Your Mascot Marketing Strategy for COVID-19

COVID-19 has impacted the marketing campaigns across all business industries. Due to these unusual times, many brands are reassessing how they should advertise their products and services. The social distancing guidelines have imposed restrictions on traditional marketing initiatives, limiting their effectiveness. As a result, businesses are trying out innovative ways to reach out to their customers, including a new mascot marketing strategy for COVID-19.

Using a brand mascot can be an exciting way to redefine the narrative in your marketing campaign. Against the gloomy backdrop of COVID-19, your mascot can represent a symbol of hope and perseverance, which will reflect positively on your business values. You can also use the mascot to communicate messages, convey emotional support, and build a stronger rapport with your customers.

As with any marketing strategy, businesses must learn to pivot and adapt their tactics according to the new market conditions. The coronavirus pandemic presents a new opportunity to reinvent the use of mascot characters in your advertising efforts. Here are some exciting ways on how to adapt your mascot marketing strategy during COVID-19:

1. Create a series of mascot videos

Create a series of mascot videos for your marketing strategy.

During the pandemic, the benefits of video marketing have become very appealing for businesses. Online videos are effective tools for engaging your customers, even if you cannot meet with them in person. Now that most people are staying at home, there is an increased audience watching online videos as a source of entertainment. Your videos may have higher reach and influence, potentially capturing the attention from lots of avid viewers.

For your marketing efforts, you can create a series of fun mascot videos, starring your featured mascot in different scenarios during the pandemic. An entertaining mascot video helps to lift people’s spirits, while raising your brand awareness at the same time. If children are the target audience for your marketing, you could make the videos extra fun and lighthearted. You can even include some COVID-19 info to help kids understand the current situation.

2. Raise awareness for safety procedures

Your mascot marketing strategy can focus on raising awareness for COVID-19 safety protocols. Use your mascot to emphasize the importance of washing your hands, wearing protective masks, and adhering to social distancing rules. With coronavirus safety on the forefront of everybody’s minds, these topics are relatable and relevant universally. Customers will be able to identify with what your mascot is saying and resonate with the brand’s message.

In addition, many customers will appreciate your brand’s commitment to promoting the recommended health and safety procedures. People are more likely to support a brand when they believe the business cares about their well-being. By demonstrating an ethical responsibility in your marketing efforts, your mascot will be associated with plenty of goodwill that can strengthen your brand image.

3. Adjust the tone of your mascot

COVID-19 is an unusual time for everybody. Instead of pretending like everything is normal, be sure to respect the feelings of your customers. The pandemic is not impacting every city and every part of the country in the same way. It’s important to understand how the situation is progressing within the communities where you market the products. You may have to adjust the tone of your mascot marketing strategy to align with the target audience.

For the younger audience, a cheerful and energetic mascot will resonate well with children in need of entertainment. For communities badly affected by the pandemic, a hopeful and uplifting mascot may be the better marketing approach. Also, keep in mind that compassion and empathy are universal values, so always make sure you remain respectful in your mascot’s communication style.

4. Connect with fans on social media

Social media marketing allows your mascot to communicate with customers in a relaxed environment.

Social media marketing is a fantastic way for your mascot to communicate with customers during COVID-19. This marketing technique can be something as simple as tweeting a funny picture of your mascot on Twitter. Or perhaps your mascot can hold up cue cards with positive messages, and you record a short video that will be published on YouTube. Your mascot can also take over the Instagram account and engage with fans directly via a live stream.

The goal is to spread positive vibes with your mascot marketing campaign across social media platforms. This helps your brand to connect with existing customers, and potentially reach new audiences if your social media posts go viral.

5. Produce protective masks with an image of your mascot 

Mascots can exist in different forms. Your brand mascot is typically a person wearing a custom costume, but it can also be an illustration that appears online, on printed ads, and even in promotional supplies. A creative marketing strategy is to produce protective face masks that display an image of your mascot. Either sell these masks, or maybe give them to customers who order something from your online store.

This is a fun way to promote your brand, but also provide people with a stylish accessory that they may need. If your customers love the mascot, they’ll be more than happy to wear these types of masks, featuring your mascot front and centre.

For more creative ideas on how to adapt your mascot marketing strategy for COVID-19, contact our Hogtown Mascots team for help. We are packed with innovative ideas that will combine your marketing efforts with our custom mascots perfectly!