By Kathleen Furore
On April 22, 2018, Howard Avenue in Old Town Kensington, Maine, will be transformed into a literary wonderland. That Sunday, more than 100 authors, poets, and other participants will celebrate the International Day of the Book with live music, children's programs, author readings, food trucks and more. This year marks the town’s 13th annual street festival celebrating the literary event.
April, it seems, is a great time to celebrate reading.
According to The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC; ala.org), April 2nd is International Children’s Book Day, April is School Library Month and National Poetry Month, and National Library Week, Drop Everything and Read Day, National Bookmobile Day, and El día de los niños/El día de los libros fall in April, as well.
And that means costume shops can use the weeks leading up to these April events by promoting the fact that they offer costumes and accessories perfect for book reports, history reports, favorite book character days and more.
It’s not just April that offers opportunities for shops seeking alternative revenue streams. Kids and their parents are looking for costumes throughout the year for all of the school projects that come down the pipe.
“It’s not on the scale of Halloween or Christmas, but book report costumes have become another whole category for us,” says NCA member Meralie Pocock, owner of Mr. Fun’s Costumes and Magic Emporium in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, who notes she’s helped outfit students for projects that go beyond traditional book reports. “There’s Museum Day, where the students might dress up as a president or John Glenn, and there’s 100th Day, when they might want to go as someone like Einstein. They’ll come in and buy a costume, white hairspray, a cane and wire-rimmed glasses,” Pocock says.
School Projects On Steroids!
As school projects have morphed from simple reports written on paper to elaborate, multi-dimensional presentations (yes, even for elementary age students!), the creativity needed to complete such assignments has soared. And while describing a favorite character from a novel or researching an admired figure from history or science can be fun for students, putting together the actual report and accompanying props can be anything but—especially for parents of younger kids who can’t do it on their own.
“I’ve gotten messages at night from parents saying they need an Indian costume or a Teddy Roosevelt costume right away,” says Pocock, herself the parent of school-age children—a role that gives her a first-hand understanding of the issues involved (as well as an in with their frazzled parents!).
Reach Out to Teachers and Parents
It’s likely that your shop carries costumes and accessories appropriate for most any school project that comes along. But unless you let the community know you have apparel and accompanying props that will enhance students’ presentations, parents, teachers and students are apt to head to the local craft, fabric or Big Box store for what they need for that book report or science presentation.
Your website, of course, is a good place to promote costumes for school-related reports and presentations.
Mr. Fun’s website, for example, touts that fact. “We have the costumes for each and every bookworm out there! From Honest Abe and his beard, to accessories for Wilbur the pig and other friends from Charlotte's Web, your book report will come to life,” the site says.
Gott-A-Costume in Aurora, Colorado, is even more specific. Not only does the website invite visitors to “Dress the part of your Character”—it announces that the store “stocks a large selection of children costumes allowing them to match themes for all types of school projects and plays,” then offers a list of events students might need costumes for: book reports, history presentations and reenactments, International Days, Story Book Day, and more.
“From ancient civilization to modern times, we have the costume your child needs. Dress the part of Pocahontas or Christopher Columbus. Be one of the original pilgrims from the Mayflower or Robert E Lee from the Civil War. For church functions, dress your child as Moses or a shepherds part in the Nativity scene,” Gott-A-Costume’s website says.
Marketing Idea Book
An online promotion for book report and other school project costumes is a good start. But there are other, more proactive ways you can reach out so your shop becomes a destination for students, parents and teachers.
- Are schools or libraries in your area planning events for any of the book-related “holidays” in April? If so, perhaps your shop could sponsor a costume event in tandem with what they’re doing. Another option: create a book-themed window display featuring costumes that tie-in to popular children's books? One possible message: “International Children's Book Day is April 2—We’ll Help You Get Ready!”
- Create flyers that promote the fact you can help students create the perfect costume for book reports, history reports, career day, favorite character day, 100th Day events and more. Keep them on the counter in-store, and put pop them in customers’ shopping bags when they buy any item from your shop.
- Share photos of customers’ book report costumes on your website and on your Facebook and Instagram pages.
- Do any of the schools in your area sell ads in their student papers or yearbooks? If so, consider buying one—and maybe include a coupon for a costume and/or accessories. Be sure to specify the coupon is redeemable only for costumes related to school presentations (not for Halloween or other popular holidays).