Social Distancing Easter Bunny
The Social Distancing Easter Bunny
The coronavirus crisis has many businesses on the ropes. But let’s not throw in the towel yet! Here are some ideas to keep your cash register ringing, or at least to keep your shop in front of potential customers’ eyes.
Try the To-Go Model: Can any of the products you offer or services you provide work in a to-go format? For example, parents are desperate for projects to keep their kids busy. Could you create kits with all the supplies needed to make masks, Easter hats, superhero kits and the like that you could offer for delivery or curbside pickup? What about face-painting or temporary tattoo projects?
Go Virtual: Are you tech-savvy enough to offer online costume-making classes via Zoom, Facebook live or another web-based platform? What about a course on applying make-up? Or recreating super heroes for cosplay fans? It would be hard to charge for these classes but doing them will keep your business in front of your customers.
Have a Party: No, we’re not suggesting you break quarantine, but why not invite your customers to a virtual costume party, where everyone dresses up at home and shares photos of themselves? Or better yet, if the crowd is manageable, hold a live party via Zoom or GoToMeeting. If you don’t want to organize this yourself, consider signing up with the Social Distancing Costume Party, a worldwide online event being organized for April 18. Click here for more info.
Reach out to local schools. Many districts have launched e-learning or will be doing so soon. Contact the district office or individual schools to see if you can “teach” a virtual lesson. Ideas include working with art teachers to create masks, history teachers to explain period costumes, home economics teachers to explain certain sewing techniques, etc.
Help libraries and children’s museums: During last week’s NCA webinar about coronavirus, NCA member TK Kelly of Performance Studios in Antioch, Tennessee told us that because the local library is closed, she invited the story hour reader to her shop and live-streamed the event on the shop’s Facebook page. Any cultural institution that normally has kids’ events would probably love it if you could help them out in some way.
Be the Social Distancing Easter Bunny – Kids love the Easter Bunny, so dress up in one of your Easter Bunny costumes and stand in front of your store. Invite families via Facebook to pull up front in their cars and talk to the kids through the window (from six feet away, of course). Have someone take pictures and share them on social media.
Contact your local newspaper. Do you have a simple-to-make pattern the newspaper might be able to print—something parents stuck at home could cut out and have their kids color and/or make?
Think Ahead. What’s going to be hot in the post-pandemic days ahead? Put on your thinking cap so you’re ready for the popular Halloween costumes. No doubt costumes related to coronavirus will be popular, but don’t forget that your customers are binge-watching Netflix right now, which will give rise to all sorts of outfits.
Says NCA board member Tyler Volz of Spotlight Characters in Bentonville, Arkansas: “Another thing that everyone can prep for…is a guy known as Joe Exotic off of the newly released Netflix show Tiger King. We have been contacted several times already by costumers asking if we have supplies to make him. He's going to be a huge hit for Halloween and many guys are going to want to dress as him. The guy is so ridiculous, but the public seems to love him.”
You won’t need much to get moving on Joe Exotic costumes. “Mainly what they would need is sequin or metallic shirts with design all over them or animal print shirts, a blonde mullet, and fake piercings,” says Volz, who has embraced kit-making to boost his business. “We are going to build Joe Exotic costume to-go kits that customers can just come in and purchase all together.”
You won’t make money from all of these ideas today, but once the crisis passes some customers will remember you!
Other Coronavirus-Related Resources for Costume Shops
How the CARES Act Can Help Your Shop Survive
Coronavirus Webinar and Other Resources