Transcript

The transcript below has been lightly edited for readability and clarity. Click any starting timestamp to jump to that exact point in the YouTube video.

Podcast Introduction

[00:00] Don Costante:

Welcome to the Rundown Podcast, hosted by Don Costante, a sports and event management expert with over 25 years experience. This unique podcast provides an opportunity to hear from some of the best professionals in the industry. You’ll get valuable insight and perspective on what it takes to deliver authentic experiences, activate brands, and most importantly, connect with audiences. All on the Rundown Podcast. Let’s get started.

The Role and Value of a Mascot

[00:27] Don Costante:

Today, I want to talk mascot. Teams that do the best job engaging fans on game days, understand how best to maximize their resources, and more specifically, their mascot, to add value to their overall event presentation. Whether utilizing a mascot for comedic interaction with the fans in the stands, facilitating skits, or conducting the crowd to create a competitive advantage, mascots can significantly enhance the fans’ entertainment experience. In addition to game days, mascots represent a powerful connection to the community and are crucial to any organization in areas like public relations, appearances, events, sponsorship, licensing, and merchandising. Today’s guest is Andrew Johnson, mascot program manager for the Houston Texans in the National Football League. Unlike most mascot performers, Andrew knew early on he was destined for a career in costume. With over 16 years of mascot experience, Andrew has established himself as a creative and innovative performer who understands the business side of sports equally as well as his own craft. In this episode, Andrew starts off by sharing his path to becoming the mascot performer for the Houston Texans and then articulates his mission and goal for the mascot program. Listen as Andrew breaks down the three areas every great mascot should focus on. Also, he provides advice to those who manage mascots, identifies the ideal skill set for performers, points out some of the biggest mistakes made by mascots today, and much more. This is a very informative discussion. And if you’re a mascot, somebody who oversees a mascot program, or you enjoy a behind the scenes glimpse of the sports industry, you’re going to love this discussion. I’m ready to get started. Let’s meet Andrew Johnson.

Meet Andrew Johnson

[02:19] Don Costante:

Hi, Andrew. Thanks for joining me on the rundown. Hey, Don. Thanks for having me. It’s a true honor. I’m a big fan of the show. Wow. I appreciate that. Now, mascots, they don’t typically get the opportunity to speak. So today, I’m going to give you the platform to make up for lost time. How does that sound?

[02:35] Andrew Johnson:

I greatly appreciate it.

Andrew Johnson’s Career Path

[02:38] Don Costante:

So before we get into today’s discussion, I’d like to begin by having you take a moment and share your career path to becoming the mascot for the Houston Texans.

[02:47] Andrew Johnson:

Absolutely. I think I’ve got a different story from a lot of mascots. A lot of my counterparts around the league or around the industry, they kind of fell into this. And that’s the opposite of my story. I really did pursue becoming a mascot as an occupation from being a really young kid. So my story starts, I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. And I attempted to play many different sports as a kid. My parents were trying to get me involved in baseball and soccer. And I really didn’t do a whole lot of playing on the field. In fact, most of my playing involved practical jokes and goofing around with my friends while I was warming the bench. I never in a million years would have imagined that my time spent on the sidelines would lead to my job in the National Football League. So flash forward a couple of years, when I was in the fifth grade, the mascot for the Kansas City Chiefs came to my elementary school and was hosting an assembly program. And his assembly program is a lot different than other mascots around the industry. So KC Wolf, he ran in around the gymnasium and was entertaining all the kids with his big googly eyes and 85 inch hips. And eventually he worked his way to the front of the gymnasium and he broke the number one mascot rule. He started to take his costume off in front of all the kids.

[03:56] Andrew Johnson:

And so out popped two human hands. Off comes the KC Wolf head. And underneath the costume is a man by the name of Dan Mears, who’s been mascot for the Chiefs for over 30 years now. So he begins his presentation by talking about his really cool job and all the really cool things that he’s gotten to do, the places he’s been able to travel to, all the cool people he’s met. And then he transitioned to some kind of talk about an educational message. And I don’t remember what the topic was at his show that day. The one thing that stuck out to me was that he had the coolest job in the world. And at the very end of his hour long presentation, he asked for volunteers to try the costume on. So obviously I was like, this is a cool job, raised my hand. And I was the kid that was selected at random that day to get to try the KC Wolf outfit on. So it was in that moment that my career aspirations were inspired. And you can probably imagine the expression on my parents’ face when I hopped off the bus, flung the door open and told my parents my plan for what I was going to do for the rest of my life. They weren’t super stoked about it, but they’ve been very supportive along the way. So, you know, from there I was begging my dad, I want to go to a Chiefs game. And so I just remember he ended up spending $200 on tickets for our family to get to go to a Chiefs game.

[05:06] Andrew Johnson:

I don’t remember who the Chiefs played. I don’t remember who won the game. I just remember watching KC Wolf the whole time and it was super exciting. And then family vacations from that point on, they became rooted around sporting events and getting to go and see a new sporting atmosphere and watch a mascot in action. So my first real opportunity came when I was in high school. I just remember walking the halls of my high school and I saw a poster on the wall for mascot auditions. And so I ran to the library, picked up my audition packet. I wrote my skit, had my music, showed up to auditions, and I became the mascot of my high school by default because nobody else showed up. But, you know, high schoolers, I think they were probably the toughest crowd I’ve ever had to work with. And I learned a lot as a high school mascot, but most importantly, I learned that you could get a scholarship to become a mascot in college. So I ended up going to a small Division II school about two hours north of Kansas City. And it was while I was the mascot at Northwest Missouri State that I learned that you can actually do this for a living. So I started to just bug the crap out of the pro guys in Kansas City. And eventually my persistence paid off because I was able to get jobs with basically every team in town.

[06:11] Andrew Johnson:

And that’s kind of how I paid my way through school. So I transferred back home to the University of Missouri at Kansas City. And while I was going to school, I was working with all the different pro teams in town. So with the Chiefs, I was a backup mascot and an intern. I helped cover about 100 community events a year for the Chiefs. I got a job with the Royals. My official job title was Lion Tamer. So basically, I was too short to be Slugger. Slugger’s got a performer who’s like six feet tall or higher, and I’m only about five foot seven on a good day. So I was too short to be the actual performer. So I would run around the stadium making sure fans aren’t pulling on Slugger’s tail and that he was in position for all the different promotions. And I was also able to communicate his surroundings, what was going on around him. So it was a really good job to kind of get to learn the industry. And then I also picked up a job with a minor league hockey team in town. They actually found me through LinkedIn. So I don’t know if you know this, Don, but they actually found me because I had connected with you on LinkedIn. They were looking for a mascot, saw that I had just connected with you, and they reached out and offered me the position. So you’re a big part of my story, even though you probably didn’t even know it.

[07:13] Andrew Johnson:

So within the interview presentation, you know, I kind of set a goal for myself. I wanted to be a professional mascot within the next four years. And so I ended up graduating from college, and my parents were like, all right, you’ve had a lot of fun throughout your time with these different mascot jobs. Now it’s time to find a real job. And luckily, I’ve avoided a real job to this day. I started with the Dallas Stars. They called and offered me a full-time opportunity to debut their mascot. Thought I would be there for 10, 15 years. And that’s when I got a phone call from somebody that I previously worked with at the Chiefs, who left the Chiefs and took a job in the marketing department with the Texans. They let me know that their previous mascot was retiring. They were looking for someone, and they thought I would be a good fit. So I just remember coming to Houston. I sat down at the interview table. There was probably six different people from within the Texans organization around a table. I didn’t recognize any faces, but there was one female in the interview room. Who sat down, and she was wearing a jacket that had the Costante Group logo on it. And that ends up being my boss, Jackie Maldonado now, who was a counterpart of yours with the San Antonio Spurs. So again, there’s a couple Don Costante connections here within my story to get to my job with the Texans.

[08:19] Andrew Johnson:

But I remember texting you after that, and you had already talked to Jackie before I even got back on the airplane to head back to Dallas. So very appreciative for your support along the way. My official title with the Texans is mascot program manager, which is really just a fancy way of saying that I’m the idiot. That wears the bull costume. But there is a lot more to my job than people think. But it’s the best job in the world, and I’m super thankful to have this opportunity.

The Mission and Goal of the Houston Texans Mascot Program

[08:41] Don Costante:

Now, you’ve been a mascot for 16 years, a long time. So I want you to take a moment and give listeners your mission and goal for the Houston Texans mascot program.

[08:51] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah. When I first got here, I set a mission statement and a goal for our program. And so my mission statement I stole from the Chiefs, but the mission is just to be a character with character, making memories worth repeating. And so that basically means I want to be a talented mascot that makes people laugh while I’m wearing the costume. But I also want to be a role model in the community that makes an impact outside of the costume. And as far as the goal is concerned, my real goal is to utilize Toro as a value producing tool for the Texans by generating game entertainment, revenue and brand awareness. And I really do view our program as a small business. I’ve got an entrepreneur spirit at heart. And so I’m able to really utilize Toro and my program as my business, basically.

[09:34] Don Costante:

I love that. And I love the fact that you said that you want to be a memory maker. I mean, that’s the business that we’re in. So today I’m really excited because we’re going to talk about the three things that you believe every good mascot should focus on. First, game entertainment. Second, marketing and community impact. And third, revenue. So let’s start off with game entertainment. Game day preparations begin the day the schedule is released. I believe you host what you call Ideapalooza. Talk about that process.

Three Areas Every Great Mascot Should Focus On

Game Entertainment and Ideapalooza

[10:02] Andrew Johnson:

Now, I can’t take credit for the term Ideapalooza. I stole that from another team. But really well before the season begins is when our preparations start to make sure we’re going to be ready to go when game day finally does roll around. So I really try to bring together a group of people. And those are people from inside our organization, but also some people from outside the organization. We use our game presentation team inside. We’ve got my right hand man, our mascot program coordinator that comes into those meetings. We invite our digital team to come chat with us. And then externally, we invite some of the local mascots. And sometimes we’ll bring in some former mascots or somebody that can just kind of come in and create a new spark for us. Somebody that’s not familiar with our program.

[10:41] Don Costante:

I love that.

[10:41] Andrew Johnson:

Just help us generate some ideas. And we used to call it a brainstorming meeting. But meetings are boring. And this is so much better than just a meeting. So that’s why we call it an Ideapalooza. Our goal is to generate as many ideas as possible for the upcoming season. And so when we finally sit down, it’s an entire day’s worth of content that we’re working through. So we’ll start in the mornings and we just break down our entire schedule. So we’re looking at the game theme. We’re looking at what time of year it is. Is there Halloween or Christmas or Thanksgiving coming up? Like a time of year that we can play too. We’re looking at our opponent. What’s that opponent’s city? Is there anything that kind of sparks an idea there? We’re looking at what’s happening in pop culture. Are there any new movie releases or things that we should be looking at when we’re trying to creatively think about game concepts for each one of these games? So we start with the very first game and we work all the way through that 10th game to make sure that we’ve got a good amount of ideas for each one of those. And while we’re brainstorming, we’re thinking about Toro’s in-game feature. So the Texans normally give me the first quarter break to come up with some kind of unique feature skit, video skit, live skit, something like that.

[11:45] Andrew Johnson:

We’re brainstorming home field advantage prompts. We’re brainstorming sideline bids and also some social media content that can generate some excitement leading up to each game day. So I challenge the group to think big, think creatively and think quantity. We’re just trying to think up as many ideas as possible that can help us create wow factor at the stadium for the upcoming season.

[12:05] Don Costante:

I love that. I love that you bring people from outside in. I always tell people, you know, bring in what I like to call a naive expert, somebody that maybe they’re not going to solve the challenge, but they’re going to bring up or say something that’s going to make you think differently. Now, when it comes to performing, what audiences are you playing to?

The Three Game Day Audiences

[12:22] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah, so we play to three different audiences on game day. Obviously, we’ve talked a lot about game entertainment. And so that’s our in-stadium audience of 72,000 fans that bought tickets and came to the game and want to feel that atmosphere and that energy of Texans game day. But there’s also two other audiences that we’re playing to and trying to reach on game day. And that’s the television audience. There’s a number of people that are watching the game from home, and we want to be able to reach that group as well. But there’s also a much bigger audience on social media. On game day, there’s 72,000 people inside the building. But social media gives us the opportunity to reach that even larger audience for those people that are watching at home as well. And so we really do try to focus on posting content in real time on Toro’s social platforms. And luckily, we’ve got a strong team that helps support me because there’s no way from inside the bull costume that I can be sharing what’s happening. And so luckily, we’ve got our digital team that really does a great job at helping support us. And so we’re sharing content with them throughout the game, and they’re able to help post it in real time. So fans at home that are watching the game can see what’s happening inside the stadium while it’s happening.

[13:27] Don Costante:

That’s great. And we’ll talk about social media in just a minute. But first, I think it would be helpful if you take a moment and give listeners an idea as to the scope of your game day at the Texans.

A Typical Houston Texans Game Day

[13:39] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah, and game day is the most visible part of my job. But it’s no secret that you can watch Texans games for free at home on television. And so I feel like my real job, I work really hard all year long to help create an atmosphere inside NRG Stadium that’s so exciting for Texans fans that they just can’t miss out on game day at NRG Stadium. And so the way that we do that is through big aerial stunts that we use to excite and ignite the crowd. We’re trying to produce funny videos, writing and performing funny skits, and just coming up with new ways to try and create that home field advantage. So we really just want it to be such an exciting atmosphere that fans can’t miss out on coming to NRG Stadium for each one of our home games. So game day for me normally starts, let’s say it’s a noon kickoff like normal. Game day starts at 5 a.m. And so Ryan and I, Ryan’s my right-hand man. He’s our mascot program coordinator. We normally arrive at the stadium at 5 a.m. to start loading into our locker room space.

[14:32] Don Costante:

Early morning.

[14:32] Andrew Johnson:

Very early morning. But I just don’t want to have to be trying to catch up all day long. I like to get there early, get set up, and give us a little bit of extra space so we’re not having to fight the clock throughout the day to make sure we’re in place and ready to go. So get there early. We load all of our props and everything down into our locker room space. By 7 a.m., we’re usually ready. The rest of my crew arrives and we’ll host a production meeting. And we’ll go through the entire rundown to make sure that everybody knows what their role and responsibility is for that game. At 8 a.m., we normally start our rehearsals, our on-field rehearsals. So we’re running through each one of Toro’s elements and making sure that everybody’s in communication from the director to the producers to my crew, just making sure that everybody knows exactly what they’re doing. And then by 9.30, I’m normally in costume for all of our pregame appearances. So we’ll run out to the parking lot and we’re visiting all the different tailgates. We’ve got a little pep rally that we host right outside of the stadium. And then we’ve got some different on-field groups that are coming through. Like they have what we call a sideline experience and different premium areas in the stadium that we want to go and visit those groups before kickoff.

[15:35] Andrew Johnson:

And then by 11.30, we’re in motion and ready for the game. So Toro’s intro normally hits right around 11.40. And then we’ve got all of our pregame ceremonies that lead up into kickoff. And so there’s really four different areas that I like to focus on during a Texans game to make sure that Toro has those memorable moments in stadium. And so that really kicks off with Toro’s introduction. Toro gets introduced prior to the start of the game. That’s the first time that the crowd gets to see Toro inside the stadium. And then Toro has our first quarter break. And I’m very lucky to get to have that in-game inventory where we’re always trying to come up with something new and creative for Toro to do, whether that be a video skit that’s all pre-produced or we can come out live at the very end of it, or it’s a live skit that we’re doing in front of the audience. We also look at sidelines. And so that’s usually just a unique costume or a prop or an interactive thing that we can do with cheerleaders on the sidelines or fans in the crowd. And then the last component of what we’re focusing on during game day is home field advantage and really trying to create that atmosphere and that energy to help produce those results on the field.

Toro as the Conductor of the Crowd

[16:38] Don Costante:

Now, to play off of that advantage, I’m a huge advocate for utilizing a mascot as a conductor of the crowd. So talk about your thoughts on being a conductor and how you implement that with the Texans.

[16:50] Andrew Johnson:

Absolutely. You know, there’s a bunch of ways that our game entertainment team can try to create the home field advantage at NRG Stadium, whether that be video board graphics, pre-recorded player prompts, our Texans cheerleaders with signage on the sidelines. And Toro is just one of those things that they can use to help create that home field advantage. However, what we’ve learned is that the crowd truly responds to Toro live in stadium very well. And so we’ve deemed Toro the conductor of the crowd. Well, what does that mean? So I looked at the definition of conductor, and it’s a person who directs the performance of an orchestra or choir. Obviously, we’re not conducting an orchestra or choir. We’re trying to orchestrate the crowd inside NRG Stadium. Toro is the focal point that directs the crowd what to do and when to do it. So we’ve created a list, kind of like a menu of different prompts that Ryan and our game director can call on at any point throughout the game. So we’ve got a whole lumber cart that we purchased, and they’re full of different signage with different prompts, so we can vary up the messaging that we’re giving the fans. We could do a tear-away T-shirts. So I’ve got a series of three T-shirts Toro’s wearing that he can rip off with different messaging. We’ve got flags.

[18:00] Andrew Johnson:

We’ve got different Texans traditions. We’ve got a large oversized drum, so we could do the Houston Texans cheer chant. We’ve got the letters T-E-X-A-N-S, so we can prompt the fans to yell out the different letters and then yell Texans. We can do a T-shirt toss. We’ve got a bunch of different props and signage and just different ways to prompt the fans. And so those are all different, basically, pieces of inventory that our game director and Ryan can call on at any given point to execute. And we’ve taken a lot of our learnings when it comes to being the conductor of the crowd from the NBA and tried to convert them as best as we possibly can to the National Football League. For example, I know on this podcast, you’ve talked about hot timeouts in the past. And so basically the idea is the home team’s down by five. They end up going on a 10-point run, so now they’re up by five. The momentum in the building has shifted. So the opposing team calls a timeout to try to get things under control and to try and get rid of some of that energy inside the building. So from a game presentation perspective, you don’t want to go into your previously scheduled break where it’s a sponsored contest or something. You want to try to maintain that energy in the building so when action comes back onto the court, you’ve maintained that energy with the fans inside the building.

[19:13] Andrew Johnson:

You can carry that momentum on. Now, in the NFL, we don’t have the luxury of being able to basically kill a timeout because we only have 10 games and it’s hard to make up those sponsored promotions. But what we have learned is that we can do what we call a bring them back. So on the back end of a timeout, we’ve got somewhere between 20 and 30 seconds. And Toro can try to reactivate those fans, bring them back in as the defense is on the field. And we want the fans to truly create that home field advantage. So like I said, we can’t kill an entire timeout, but we have learned that we can activate on the back of a timeout to try and bring the fans back into the atmosphere and the energy of the game.

[19:52] Don Costante:

And all of that’s a coordinated effort, though, between the director and you in terms of timing and music and just the execution itself and use of digital assets to create that call to action.

[20:04] Andrew Johnson:

Correct. That’s right. I would even say I’m very hands off in the process. I’m more involved in the process on the planning side well before game day, whereas once it’s game day, I’m stuck inside that costume and I’m hearing what everybody’s saying on the radio. But it’s really Ryan, who’s a member of my team. And then Jackie, who’s our game director, that are in constant communication and they’re trying to set up that next defensive possession. What are we going to be doing? So they’re working well ahead of time to create the plan. So whenever we’re going to activate in this moment, they’re prepared. They’re ready. The props are in hand. They know what music we’re doing. They know what cues to get me in my ear. And it is a very seamless, planned out endeavor.

[20:45] Don Costante:

The beautiful thing is it comes across as if you’ve conducted the entire thing.

[20:49] Andrew Johnson:

That’s exactly right. And hence why we call Toro the conductor of the crowd because we really do want to conduct these moments. And I’ll give you one other thing that we’ve done, a way that we’ve kind of taken that NBA mentality and a way that Toro is the conductor of the crowd. We’ve coined the term progression instead of having to take up any in-game inventory because our show is really packed tightly because we’ve got a lot of partners and a lot of different things that we want to get in through our game day experience. So sometimes we just don’t have the time to close a timeout with Toro. And so one of the things that we’ve learned, one of the things that we’ve innovated here with the Texans is these progressions. And so on a defensive possession, let’s say we’re playing the Dallas Cowboys. And right before the defense takes the field, right before first down, we would cut to Toro on the sidelines. And let’s say we’re just doing signs on the sidelines. So we would kick off this progression with a get loud sign. And so we’re prompting the fans. They probably cut Toro for somewhere between 10 to 15 seconds. And then we cut to action on the field. So then let’s say the Cowboys gain two yards. We would cut back to Toro before second down. And Toro would have a new sign in hand. It says, get louder.

Using Progressions to Build Home Field Advantage

[21:56] Andrew Johnson:

So we’re on Toro for 10 to 15 seconds. Cut back to action on the field. Maybe the Cowboys gain another two to three yards. So now we’re setting up third and five, which is really when you want to build the energy is right before a third down. So we would cut back to Toro. Toro would have a new sign in hand. Get loudest. Going crazy. Getting the fans pumped up. Cut back to action on the field. Hopefully our defense would shut them down. And then we’d cut back to Toro. And he’s celebrating the fact that we were able to shut down their defense. And hopefully they’re kicking the ball back to us at that point. But just another way that we’ve been able to use Toro, but also not have to take up a ton of inventory inside our show. Because that’s not sponsored inventory or anything that we’ve really planned out within the in-game experience. So just, yeah, another way that we’ve been able to use Toro as a conductor in that moment. So like I said earlier, I honestly have very little to do with this part of the game. It’s really Ryan and our game director setting everything up and in constant communication throughout the game. So super thankful for them and thankful for the opportunity to get to be the conductor of the crowd inside NRG Stadium.

[22:56] Don Costante:

Now when you talk about progressions, are you doing that every time you guys are on defense? Or is it more impactful moments throughout the game?

[23:04] Andrew Johnson:

That’s a great question. Yeah, no, it’s definitely not every single possession. They’ve got so many other tools at their disposal. Just like, you know, the video board graphics, the player prompts. Yeah, when they really want the crowd to get into it, they need a big stop. That’s when we’ll use these progressions and try to close the timeouts.

[23:19] Don Costante:

That’s good. I just, for people listening, I just don’t want you to think, do it all the time. You’re thinking, wow, this is a great idea. Just don’t do it all the time. It’s about impact versus quantity. That’s where it becomes more impactful.

[23:28] Andrew Johnson:

Exactly.

Team Toro and Organizational Collaboration

[23:29] Don Costante:

Now, to get the best out of your mascot program, it takes a team effort, a lot of collaboration. So Andrew, take a moment and talk about the support that you have with the Texans and how that has impacted what you do.

[23:42] Andrew Johnson:

Don, I really don’t think that there’s another team out there that supports their mascot program as well as the Texans support our program. I’m super thankful to have the tremendous support for our program within the Texans organization that we do. And it really starts from the top down, from ownership to our team president to our chief marketing officer. They believe in our program and they’ve given us every possible resource to be successful. And one of those resources, I think back when I first started with the team, our mascot department was one full-time person, which is obviously myself, and an intern that would do all of our school program bookings and was my right-hand man at appearances. And about four and a half years ago, we elevated that position from an internship to a full-time role. And Ryan Records is our senior mascot program coordinator and a huge reason why our program has been successful over the last few years. So as the manager, I’m the main performer. I set the creative vision and help with the innovation. I do all of our game day planning. I’m our lead point of contact with our sponsorship department and do a lot of writing from our school programs to our videos and our live skits. And then Ryan, as the coordinator, he hosts all of our school programs. So he’s the talent on the microphone.

[24:51] Andrew Johnson:

He books all of our appearances. He’s our social media content producer and our handler for all of our different appearances. And so we’re one of only two teams in the National Football League that has this second position. We’re a department of two. And so super thankful for that. And as I think about support, people always like to give me credit for what they see Toro do. But I’m just the idiot inside the costume, as I alluded to earlier. There are a team of people that support our program and really bring Toro to life. I call them Team Toro. So I want to give a couple of shout outs right now. First and foremost, to our director of game presentation, Jackie. She’s been on the podcast before. She produces all of our Texans games. She’s a huge advocate for our program, and she really does get it. She understands how a mascot should be incorporated into game presentation. So truly thankful for her support and everything she does for our program. Our executive producer, Gavin Geert, and then Kenny Perkins. He directs the show from our control room. Both those guys have been huge advocates for us. I think about we call them the herd. That’s my game day team. We’ve got a team of five guys that help support us on game day from, you know, being handlers to people who are capturing social content to guys that are grabbing props, just being an extra hand for us on the sidelines.

[26:06] Andrew Johnson:

We have an inflatable performer. So during the second quarter throughout the game, we’ve got a big inflatable version of Toro that runs around on the sidelines. And so super thankful for those guys for actually executing and bringing everything we do on game day to life. Our video team, they edit all of Toro’s video skits and social content. I think about Anov and Amanda. They’re our digital media team from just supporting us, helping us ideate different ideas for social media to actually tweeting for us on game day. Noelle, she’s our graphic designer. She produces all of our different social graphics and game day signage and everything else that you see. Casey Albert, she’s our Houston Texans cheerleaders director. Anytime we need some support, anytime we need help from the cheerleaders, whether it’s a game day skit or something in the community, she’s always willing to help and collaborate with us. And I truly feel like everyone we work with is the best at what they do. And they’re all very extremely collaborative. So I’m very lucky. But I would love to give you one example of collaboration within the Texans organization and how we work together to bring game day to life. So working with our Houston Texans cheerleaders director, Casey, she’s been awesome. She’s been here for about two years and we’ve really, really enjoyed having her as part of the team.

[27:16] Andrew Johnson:

But when she first came in, she had all these new ideas, different things that she wanted to bring to the table. And one of those was that the first time the Houston Texans cheerleaders walked onto the field, she wanted it to be a moment, something that was going to be memorable, something that really captured the fans’ attention. Whereas I think before she got there, it was just kind of a moment in the game where there was a video playing and the cheerleaders would take the field. She wanted it to be more of a focal point. And so we all sat down around the table of like, what could we do? How could we make this more impactful for the cheerleaders and something that’s going to be more of a spectacle within our show? And we came up with the idea of choreographing our fan intro. And so this is a moment in the game where we normally just introduce our home field advantage captain. It’s a member of the Houston community, usually a celebrity type of figure, somebody that’s going to play into the game theme that we introduce on the field as our home field advantage captain. And so in the past, it was well done where there was a video feature that would play. We introduced the best fans in the NFL, and then we would roll into a highlight video that explains who this person is. And then they would come out onto the field through the bullhead tunnel and then make their way, their entrance onto the playing surface.

[28:26] Andrew Johnson:

And the fans would clap and it would get a good response. But how can we take that to the next step using HTC and Toro? So this whole moment is to the song for those about to rock. And so there’s an instrumental piece at the very beginning of the track. And so as the PA intro is being read, you’re the best fans in the NFL and we’re going to need you all game long. And that time starts now. So there’s this intense PA read as Toro enters the playing surface. It’s kind of starting to pump up the fans looking around. Eventually, I make my way to my mark when the song hits the chorus. For those about to rock, fire. And so there’s a choreographed movement that Toro does to those about to rock. And then when it hits fire, point both fingers to the air. And that’s what cues the very first pyro hit inside the stadium. And so that kind of leads into that conductor of the crowd type mentality where Toro is showing off that conductor spirit from the very beginning. He hits that first pyro hit. Turn around, go back up the tunnel. That’s when HTC takes their first entrance onto the field. And they’ve got choreographed movements to create the tunnel that comes out of the bullhead tunnel. And then we introduce the home field advantage captain that comes out. And there’s pyro and cryo and all sorts of energy that’s built as a result of this moment.

[29:39] Andrew Johnson:

And that’s just a really prime example of collaboration and how our team works together to take our show to the next level.

[29:46] Don Costante:

What you just illustrated, not just with collaboration, it’s just tremendous support from your team. And I think you’re showing those that are listening, those that oversee a mascot program or maybe mascots out there that in today’s world, you can’t do it by yourself. Specifically in a digital world, you need the support of your entire organization to come together, collaborate, and just help to put out the best product. So just outstanding. You’re in a great situation. Sounds like you have a tremendous team there.

[30:16] Andrew Johnson:

We really, really do. Like I said, I think everybody I work with is really the best at what they do, and we couldn’t do it alone.

Game Day Communication

[30:21] Don Costante:

Now, game day communication is so critical to achieving successful results. What steps are you taking, Andrew, to ensure proper communication on game days?

[30:31] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah, so I think one of the biggest things that we’ve done to increase communication is by allowing me to wear a radio inside my costume on game day. So I’ve got a headpiece, and then everybody on my crew is also wearing a headset, and so we’re all in constant communication throughout the game. I kind of look to Ryan to be what I call the puppet master for our program. He’s always trying to think three steps ahead of where we’re at currently, so making sure if we’ve got a skit coming up, his focus is on making sure that that next element is in proper position to be executed properly. And so he’s also in communication with Jackie, who’s our game director, to let her know, hey, on the next defensive possession, we’re ready to go with a certain sign or a certain home field advantage type prompt and trying to get all those different possessions ready to go.

[31:19] Don Costante:

Are you hearing her in your ear?

[31:21] Andrew Johnson:

I am. I am. So the way we have it set up is it’s just basically a radio channel for my team. And so I hear all the different communication from my different staff members, as well as Jackie’s communication to the team on what’s coming up next.

[31:34] Don Costante:

Gotcha. Okay.

[31:35] Andrew Johnson:

And it’s been a complete game changer for me and my team, because I just remember my first few seasons. For example, we might do a T-shirt toss during Toro’s introduction. And so they would cue me out of the tunnel and I’d drive out on my four-wheeler, meet one of my game day staff out there with a T-shirt cannon. And then from that point on, I have no idea how long I’ve been out on the playing surface. I don’t know if I’ve been out there 30 seconds or if I’ve been out there five minutes. And so normally they’ll allocate about two minutes for my in-game intro. And it was just hard to gauge where I was at. And so from now on, you know, they can tell me, Toro, you’ve got 30 seconds left, 15 seconds left.

[32:09] Don Costante:

So helpful.

[32:10] Andrew Johnson:

We’re wrapping. Get off the field. And then also, if we were just talking about being the conductor of the field, whenever they’re ready for me to cut the music, they can call all those cues from the control room. So I’ll cut the music. You know, I can do a slow clap and toss the video board and they’ll cue me on all these different things that I’m doing, as opposed to it just happening and them having to respond to them.

[32:30] Don Costante:

That’s awesome. One of the things that I’ve noticed about you, Andrew, you’d like to do some crazy stunts in costume. Can you illustrate some of the stunts that you’re doing and the creative process that goes into creating those ideas?

Creating High-Impact Mascot Stunts

[32:43] Andrew Johnson:

I will warn you ahead of time. Those stunts are just as scary as they look.

[32:47] Don Costante:

They look incredible. I mean, I’m amazed you’re doing that in costume.

[32:52] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah, no, it’s very scary. I’m still deathly afraid of heights, but I love doing it. And you get that thrill after each stunt. You’re like, OK, I’ve got to do this again. I’ve got to do it again. And they really do create a really large pop in stadium. So we try to do stunts somewhere between two and three times throughout the season to add a little bit of wow factor to Toro’s presentation. And we really have changed the way that we approach stunts. The way we used to do it is we would do a really big in-game stunt during Toro’s introduction. Now, I think I told you guys that Toro’s intro is about 20 to 25 minutes prior to kickoff. And here in Houston, tailgating is a huge part of the atmosphere. And so a lot of the fans are still out in the parking lot and haven’t even come into the stadium at that point. And so we put a lot of time, effort and energy into these stunts. And so we just didn’t feel like they were being utilized to their full potential. So we’ve changed our approach. And so the way we use stunts now is primarily as noise prompts during the game. And it’s a little bit more challenging, but it’s way more impactful for the crowd. Some of the stunts that we’ve done from a noise prompt perspective, we’ll do a rappel from the very top of the building. Now, we do have to land outside of the playing surface whenever we do it that way.

[34:05] Andrew Johnson:

But, you know, let’s say it’s a big third down. I’m basically kind of sitting up there on standby waiting for the right moment to execute this stunt. And then, you know, right before third down hits, I’ll drop down. I’ll begin the descent and then I’ll drop a banner that says get loud or some kind of noise prompt on the banner.

[34:23] Don Costante:

It’s incredible. I mean, if you’re afraid of heights, I’m still amazed that you do that.

[34:27] Andrew Johnson:

Sometimes I’m amazed that we do it as well. We really get a strong pop in stadium that helps create that home field advantage.

[34:33] Don Costante:

That’s awesome.

[34:33] Andrew Johnson:

And then also in stadium, we’ll do what we call a reverse rappel. And so it’s just the complete opposite where I’m standing in the crowd. And then at a certain point in the game, they’ll start to pull me up towards the catwalk. And as I come up, I’ve got a banner hanging underneath me as well. But the banner visually is released as I’m getting pulled into the air. And so each one of those stunts, we get a really, really strong pop, especially on a third down when the team really needs to feel that energy and that atmosphere. And so that’s really worked well for us.

[35:02] Don Costante:

Where are these ideas coming from?

[35:04] Andrew Johnson:

You know, we find these ideas from a variety of different spots. We watch what other guys in the industry are doing. However, there’s not a ton of mascots in the industry that are still doing stunt work inside the stadium.

[35:14] Don Costante:

Right.

[35:14] Andrew Johnson:

But yeah, we’re trying to kind of gauge what other guys are doing. And then some of them do come out of Ideapalooza, working with our crew to come up with ways to try and keep these fresh. Because Texans fans have seen Toro doing stunts in stadium for about 20 years now. And so how do you do the same stunt, but find a new way to execute in stadium? And that’s something that we have to brainstorm each year.

[35:34] Don Costante:

Let me ask you this. Is there something that you’ve never done before that you’re planning on doing or you want to do in the future? And if so, what is it?

[35:41] Andrew Johnson:

There is. So like I said, we really try to look around the industry for inspiration on these ideas. And the 76ers have most recently been in the playoffs. And I saw their mascot do something that was pretty cool, where the mascot was descending from the catwalk. So he started from the top and started to descend from the top. But there was two banners that flanked him that were ascending, coming from the bottom. I thought there was a really cool visual there, where mascots coming from the top down. The banners are coming down upwards, and they kind of meet in the middle. And so we were thinking about doing something similar to that, where one of the banners will say stand up, and the second banner would say shout. And so we would play that in conjunction with the stand up and shout music. Toro comes from the top. The banners come up from the bottom with the stand up and shout prompts. And we can create a really cool moment to help create the home field advantage and stadium for the upcoming season.

[36:36] Don Costante:

So cool. So we just got done talking about game day entertainment. Let’s shift now into marketing and community impact. Now, being a mascot is so much more than just performing on game days. It’s a 365-day job that has marketing and community impact implications. Can you share how the Texans market Toro and the impact you’re making in the community?

Marketing and Community Impact

[36:58] Andrew Johnson:

Absolutely. Like you alluded to, game day is just 10 days out of the year. But we really do keep busy year-round around the Houston community. And we view Toro as a living, breathing extension to the Texans brand. He’s the most consistent ambassador for the organization. He’s been there from day one, season one. You look at the players, and obviously we’ve had some that have been here for quite some time. But the players are only going to be here for a couple of years. The Houston Texans Cheerleaders, they’ll be here for four or five years, and then they retire and move on. But Toro, regardless of whether it’s me inside the costume, is going to be that consistent ambassador for our organization. We also look at him as the mediator between the fans and the players on the field. When Texans fans are in the stadium or watching the game on TV, they see Toro out there giving high fives and shoulder bumps to our players on the field. And while our fans can’t do that, they can still interact with Toro and feel like they’re a part of that experience by getting those interactions. And they can’t always get a photo with the players on the field, but they can get their photo with Toro. And so that’s why we look at Toro as a really solid brand ambassador for our organization. On top of those 10 home games at NRG Stadium, Toro normally attends somewhere between 350 to 400 events a year.

[38:06] Andrew Johnson:

We look at about 100 of those events or school visits. So Toro goes in and teaches area students about a variety of different educational topics. Another 100 appearances are internal events for the Texans, which are booked by the different departments throughout the organization, like marketing, community, or ticketing. And then the remaining events are paid appearances where Toro can get hired to attend different private engagements, like grand openings, parades, birthday parties, weddings, and more. But we also use Toro as a marketing tool for our youth. So we’re trying to invest into the next generation of Texans fans. And so a lot of kids, they may never be able to come to a Texans game. So that’s why we really put a strong emphasis in taking Toro out in the community and trying to bring the excitement of game day to them.

[38:49] Don Costante:

That’s awesome. So earlier in our conversation, we brought up social media. So let’s touch on that. Social media has had such a dramatic effect on the marketing and branding of mascots. In your opinion, where should mascots focus their content efforts? Also, what distribution platforms have proven most effective in achieving your goals?

Social Media Strategy

[39:10] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah. So within our Toro program, we have three goals for what we want to use Toro social media platforms for. First and foremost, we want to entertain. Secondly, we want to educate. And third, we want to engage. So first and foremost, we want people to follow Toro because they make them laugh. We want to have entertaining content that they really enjoy. And that could include like a behind the scenes look at game day and all sorts of different things. Secondly, we want to educate. So we really want to use Toro social platforms as a way to get out a lot of our marketing messaging, whether that be the schedule just released or we’re trying to sell tickets. And so we want people to find out the tickets are on sale now or invite kids to our Toro’s Kids Club events. We also want to educate about our different sponsors. And so we try to incorporate our sponsors into our content. And then finally, we want to engage. So this is a really unique way to connect with our fans in a more personal way. And we want social to be a two-way conversation. It’s not just us posting content, but we’re also interacting with our followers and interacting with other content. So there’s two-way communication there. And we really try to be strategic with how we use our social media platforms. Ryan creates a monthly social media calendar so we know exactly what we’re going to be posting throughout the month.

[40:22] Andrew Johnson:

And then we meet on a weekly basis to brainstorm and discuss what that week’s content is going to look like. When we talk about the different platforms, we’re on most of the major social platforms. But I think we’ve probably found the most success on Instagram and TikTok. And the reason why I use those two as an example, you know, mascots are nonverbal communicators. And so I think Instagram and TikTok are more visual platforms. And so it plays a little bit better to a mascot and everything that we do. And so we found a lot of success on both of those platforms. And those have probably been the two best platforms.

[40:55] Don Costante:

I love that. I love that you’re focused on entertaining, educating, and engaging. So, Andrew, I have a quick question for you pertaining to music licensing. How are you handling that with your social post?

Music Licensing and Toro’s Theme Song

[41:07] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah. So that’s been something that just recently came down here within the last year is making sure that we keep our social clear of any copyrighted music. In the past, you know, with TikTok, it’s all about trending music. And so we’ve had to change our approach to the app. And so one of the things that we’ve done, Toro’s always used the theme song Born to be Wild whenever he’s introduced at events and at school programs and on social media. And since we’re not able to use copyrighted music, we use this as an opportunity to create a custom Toro theme song that will identify Toro moving forward. And so that’s a song that we own the rights to that we can use during our school programs, on social media, and on game day to try to create a sound that fans will notice and that will be associated with Toro’s brand moving forward.

Generating Revenue Through the Mascot Program

[41:56] Don Costante:

Good. All right, Andrew. So we’ve talked about the game day entertainment and we just finished up with marketing and community impact. Let’s shift gears now into revenue. We are all in the business of moneymaking. What are some of the ways that you’re utilizing your mascot program to generate revenue?

[42:12] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah, like I alluded to earlier in the program, running this program is a lot like running a business. And with every business, you don’t want to be in the red at the end of the year. You want to be in the green. And so that’s my goal is to make more money than we spend every single year. And we do that through a couple of different ways. Number one are paid appearances. And so fans can call us up and ask us to come out to their event and they’ll pay us to do so, whether that be a grand opening for a business, a kid’s birthday party, or, you know, a variety of different things. A wedding. You know, we’ve walked women down the aisle. It’s crazy. You know, Texans fans, they’ve got the Houston Texans in their blood and they want Toro to be a part of all these different parts of their lives. But then another way we do that is by working with our sponsorship department and helping them create inventory that they can go out and sell to our different partners. And we found a lot of success in this area. Toro generates over half a million dollars with revenue within the Texans sponsorship department each year. And so I’ll throw a couple of different pieces of inventory that we have within our sponsorship department. A lot of our inventory are school programs that we go out and execute within local elementary schools.

[43:16] Andrew Johnson:

So one of those programs is our Toro takes the bull at a bullying show. It’s about a 45-minute assembly that talks to kids about the different types of bullying and what to do if you’re being bullied. We have our Toro shoots for the STAAR program. The STAAR is our standardized test here in Texas. And every school within the state of Texas is trying to find a way to motivate and excite their students. And so we’ve created this 45-minute assembly program that gives them and equips kids with the tools to best prepare themselves for that test. We also have Get Fit with Toro. And so that’s a partnership with our local children’s hospital where we go into elementary schools and talk to kids about the different aspects of fitness and get them up on their feet, moving and active. And it’s a really successful program. Now, those are all in-person assembly programs, but we also have a unique program where I feel like we’re a little ahead of our time. It’s called Toro’s Math Drills, and it’s a virtual program that’s been in existence for three or four years. And it’s a series of six videos that teachers can play in their classroom for third and fourth grade teachers that talk about a variety of different math topics. That’s been a really successful program. And the reach is incredible. We’re a little restricted on the assembly programs on the amount of shows that we can do.

[44:25] Andrew Johnson:

But with a virtual-based program like that, the reach is, you know, it could be anywhere. We’ve got teachers that are using it all around the country, which is pretty neat.

[44:32] Don Costante:

Oh, I love that.

[44:32] Andrew Johnson:

We also have a couple other inventory pieces that relate to the game day experience. We have what we call our Ford Rideout with Toro. And so when we introduce the team onto the field for the first time, we’ve got a golf cart that’s decked out to look like a Ford truck. And Toro sits in the back. We’ve got the driver in the front. And then we actually contest out the opportunity to sit next to the driver and lead the team out onto the field. And so that’s a really popular experience for us. We have an appearance package that’s sponsored called our Memorable Moments. And so that’s basically Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, any kind of occasion you can book Toro to come in and surprise your significant other, whether they’re at work or at home. It’s been super popular. And then we’ve got some sponsored social posts as well. But like I said, we’ve had a lot of fun with our sponsorship department creating this inventory that they can go out and find a good partner for.

[45:20] Don Costante:

Well, it’s great to hear that you have a lot of companies partnered in with a lot of the activations that you’re doing. Now that we’ve covered the three things that you believe every good mascot should be focused on, I have some random questions for you, Andrew. First, I’m really curious as to who are some of the mascot performers that you admire in the industry and why?

Mascot Performers Andrew Admires

[45:43] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah, there’s a couple of mascots around the industry that we really look to for inspiration. First and foremost, we’ve already talked about him, the Spurs Coyote, when it comes to game day and being a conductor of the crowd, nobody does it better. I think one of the best stories I can tell about the Coyote and his ability to conduct the crowd is one of the things that he’s been doing for years. And it’s encouraging the fans to yell S-P-U-R-S, Spurs. And the funny thing about the Coyote when he does this, I guess, you know, several years back, he would jump on the court and they would have the Spurs logo at the court and it spelled out Spurs right below the logo. And a couple of years back, they decided to take out the word mark Spurs, but it was so ingrained in the fan’s head. They knew the Coyote would jump on each letter and then point at the word Spurs and the fans would respond to that. Now, when they took out those letters, he still does the exact same thing, but he’s not jumping on anything. It’s just a blank, you know, they’ve got the logo out there, but not the word mark. He’s just jumping on the court. But the fans know exactly what to do. He’s done such a good job in training them on what this tradition is. The fans still follow along with that tradition. So we definitely look at the Coyote for inspiration on how he commands the crowd, the way that he executes traditions.

[46:55] Andrew Johnson:

But he’s also a really comedic mascot and does a really good job of making Spurs fans laugh within his different comedic videos and skits. Another mascot we look to is Blue with the Indianapolis Colts. I feel like he’s a really good example of someone who’s a talented entertainer, but also understands the business of what it takes to have a successful mascot program. He works very closely with his sponsorship department and has found some really, really fun ways to create inventory for them utilizing their mascot. From a social media perspective, he’s got the largest TikTok following out of every NFL team.

[47:28] Don Costante:

Wow.

[47:29] Andrew Johnson:

And so I think that’s saying something. Overall, the team accounts, Blue has the strongest TikTok following in the entire National Football League. And he’s really figured out that platform and how to connect with the kids that are on TikTok. And it’s not just a following in Indianapolis. It’s not just a following in the United States. He’s created a worldwide following of people that are interested in seeing what his character is doing. So it’s super impressive. And then he’s always making headlines for a lot of the out-of-the-box game day concepts that he comes up with. And one of those examples is, I believe, this last year or the season before, he actually married a couple on the field. So the woman came out in her wedding dress. You know, the groom comes out in his tuxedo. The whole nine yards, I think they added a choir into the mix. And so it was something that was very out-of-the-box. It had never been done. And he’s always bringing those out-of-the-box concepts to the table each and every season. But outside of just the mascot world, there is a nonverbal comedian that I look to for some inspiration on skits. The character’s name is Tape Face. And he was on America’s Got Talent. Currently has a show that’s playing out in Las Vegas. But he’s just a really, really strong nonverbal communicator.

[48:36] Andrew Johnson:

And the way that he executes these concepts, he uses recognizable music. He’s got props. And then the timing and his patience within each one of his bits to allow the bit to build is really, really impressive. And so I’ve taken a lot of notes. I’ve seen his show live in person two or three times. And it’s made me a better performer by being able to watch him the way that he executes his show.

[48:57] Don Costante:

Tape Face. I’m going to have to check that out. For those who manage mascots, what advice would you give to them to better assist and support the performer and the overall mascot program?

Advice for Those Who Manage Mascots

[49:08] Andrew Johnson:

I think there’s three things. First and foremost, I think mascots want to be utilized, which I think this is probably a pretty good problem to have. Your mascot’s there and he wants to do more work. He wants to have a stronger presence. And so many times as mascot performers, we feel a little underutilized and disconnected. And sometimes that could be the way that the position is structured. Whether your performer’s a part-time performer or if they’re full-time, maybe they report to the community relations department. So maybe they feel a little disconnected from the game presentation department or the marketing department. So just keeping in mind that your mascot’s a living, breathing representation of your brand and should be utilized that same way in all aspects of the organization. And sometimes that could also be the feeling of being underutilized could be due to just the lack of inventory on game day. You know, that was one of the issues that I had from an NFL perspective is that our game is completely sold out. There’s just not a lot of inventory that’s left. And so one of the ways to overcome a struggle like that could be to find a way to sponsor the mascots break. Finding a partner that wants to sponsor the mascots in-game video skit or live skit for that game is a way to try and overcome some of those hurdles.

[50:18] Andrew Johnson:

Secondly, I think when you’re managing a mascot is giving constructive criticism, I think is really helpful. Just understanding what you’re looking for, what’s the goal, and how can I help you accomplish that goal leads to better ideas. And so one of the ways that Texans had done that for me was sometimes my skits were just a little too long. So I would have about two minutes in stadium to execute something. And so my video skits would be just that. They’d be two minutes long. And the constructive criticism that I was given was to keep it simple. So let’s try to cut that concept. We can still execute that same punchline, but in a tighter time span. And so now my goal with a video skit or a live skit is to execute that bit in somewhere between 45 seconds to a minute. And then usually we’ll come out live with a live close or something like that. But just trying to keep it as simple and tight as possible. And then the last thing I’ll say as far as managing a mascot is to try to encourage the performer to see the bigger picture. And that was, I think, part of my issue when I first started was that my job is to try to grow the Toro brand. And so I’m constantly trying to find ways to elevate Toro’s presence to the next level. But I think it helps sometimes to take a step back and try to understand what are our goals?

[51:29] Andrew Johnson:

What’s our mission as an organization? And how can I support that? And so the way the Texans have utilized me, you know, sometimes they’ll ask Ryan and I to be a part of brainstorms that have nothing to do with Toro. They just see us as creatives inside the office that can help take an idea to the next level. And so I think that’s really helped us grow as individuals, grow as performers. It’s just understanding that it’s not always about Toro and try to understand the bigger picture with what’s happening within the Texans organization.

The Ideal Skill Set for a Mascot Performer

[51:58] Don Costante:

Now, speaking of a performer, what’s the ideal skill set a person should have to be a successful mascot?

[52:04] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah, that’s a great question. You know, and I think I’m a little weird. I started in college as a broadcasting major, and then I switched to business administration. And I think both of those skill sets have really helped me in what I’m doing. Broadcasting helps me talk the talk when I’m working with our video and production teams, when it comes to timing and the way that I want a video edited. And, you know, knowing some of those key terms so I can relate to them when I’m asking them to do something specific within the video editing process. But then I’m also an entrepreneur at heart, and I view my program as a business. So I think both of those skill sets have helped me. But mascots are normally creatives that have big imaginations and, you know, big personalities. So I think a combination of all that, having a little bit of video editing experience, I think business experience is super helpful. And then obviously you want someone that’s really creative and passionate about being a performer.

[52:56] Don Costante:

No, I love that. I also love the fact that you have a great understanding of music because music is so important in storytelling. What resources are available to someone who’s looking to develop their craft as a mascot?

Resources for Developing as a Mascot

[53:07] Andrew Johnson:

There’s so many different resources, and it just depends on what area you want to grow in. For me, I really wanted to network and get to know people within the mascot industry. And so I did go to a couple. They have mascot camps. It’s a real thing where you can go in and kind of hone your craft and learn more about what it takes to be successful in this industry. But then, you know, within being an actual mascot, there’s so many different skills that can help take your performance to the next level, whether that’s being a really talented gymnast and going out and getting gymnastics lessons or you want to be a better dancer. There’s so many opportunities to go out and learn how to be a better dancer. So I think it really just depends on what part of the craft that you’re trying to hone and then going out there and trying to find resources to help you grow in that area.

[53:48] Don Costante:

Yeah, that’s awesome. So, Andrew, I’m going to ask you a question. I’m not looking for you to necessarily call anybody specifically out. But in your opinion, what are the biggest mistakes made by mascots today?

The Biggest Mistakes Mascots Make

[54:01] Andrew Johnson:

First and foremost, I don’t think mascots are utilized the way they should be within their team’s game presentation. I would love to see more teams use their mascot as the conductor of the crowd. You know, sometimes teams will use different talent in this role. Maybe it’s a host, but a mascot is a living, breathing version of your brand. And so I just think it makes so much sense to use them as the focal point in your show and use them to create the home field advantage, home court advantage, whatever it may be inside your stadium or arena. Secondly, you alluded to it a little bit earlier, but that fight between impact versus quantity. I think a lot of mascots think they need to be out in the crowd, be visible throughout the entire game. And by doing that, I feel like you lose a little bit of your luster. Fans don’t know when specifically to watch you if you’re out there the entire game. And to be more of a focal point, I would encourage mascots to focus on impact over quantity. So whenever you’re out there, come out, make a big splash, and then, you know, go back in, take a break, and don’t be visible during those moments. The Coyote does this extremely well in San Antonio. And it’s kind of that Disney mentality where performers are on for 20 minutes and then off for 40 minutes.

[55:14] Andrew Johnson:

And that’s because they’re focused on those more impactful moments, coming out, conducting the crowd, making an impact, making a splash, and then ducking away and just being super impactful in those moments versus just being out the entire game.

[55:28] Don Costante:

I couldn’t agree with you more. One other thing that I’d point out is mascots sometimes aren’t aware of their environment or their surroundings, meaning that when you’re out and about and you’re going to do a photo with a child, let’s just say, understand what your background, what your surrounding is. Too many times I’ve seen mascot photos with children, and in the background, you have a beer cart or you have trash cans. So it’s having an awareness and understanding, and a lot of that comes down to the handler and having that communication with the person in costume so that they’re aware and setting them up for success and not having that photo with the background that’s going to live for a lifetime with that family. Maybe it’s hanging on a wall or they’re showing it to friends and family with a negative background. You definitely want to make sure you’re providing an image that was a true representation of your brand.

[56:15] Andrew Johnson:

That’s right. And kind of along those same lines, just always being in character. You know, just thinking about how every time you’re in costume is a chance to create memories worth repeating, as I was talking about at the very beginning with my mission statement. And just, you never know who’s watching, making sure you understand your environment and always being in character because you just never know who’s watching.

[56:34] Don Costante:

You’re absolutely right. I mean, from the moment you walk out and the general public can see you, you’re in character. That’s one of the things. When I was working with the Spurs, and you mentioned the Coyote, he understood if going from one side of the court to the other, even though he might be in a hurry, he was still interacting. And he was still in that character mode because you mentioned it. There is somebody always watching. And so you never want to let your guard down at any moment until you’re out of the general public’s eye where you can actually relax at that point.

[57:03] Andrew Johnson:

And sometimes it’s harder said than done. No question. You know, if you’re out there and you’ve been out for an hour, I just think about like training camp here in Houston, where it’s an appearance at eight o’clock in the morning. It’s 100 degrees and 100% humidity. And by the end of that event, I am completely beat physically. But there’s still people at training camp that maybe have never seen Toro in person before or never had that experience to be there and to be a part of that and just trying to make sure that they always get the best experience possible. You’re always on your toes, given 100% every single time.

Why Every Mascot Needs a Handler

[57:36] Don Costante:

You know, one of the things, too, I think that a big mistake that happens out there with mascots at a lot of places, and maybe it’s more economics, but they don’t have a handler. They’re by themselves. And I think that having somebody that can support them, that’s carrying the props, setting up the photos, just wrangling that mascot character so that it’s successful, I think is something that everybody should have. And, you know, it doesn’t take a whole lot. I mean, you can get a student, you can get a volunteer, whatever it may be, but training that person properly, not just sticking a body out there to be, quote unquote, a handler, but really going through the details as to what that means, the type of communication on com with the mascot that that mascot needs, letting them know who’s around them, who’s approaching them, what the situation is in the game, setting them up, as I mentioned, for photos. I mean, there are a lot of things. I think those organizations that don’t utilize a handler, I think is a mistake.

[58:34] Andrew Johnson:

I completely agree. And as you were talking, there’s a couple of things that come to mind. First and foremost, you know, it doesn’t matter who your handler is, but I really do believe that consistency is key because as you work together, you start to understand each other just a little bit more. There’s a lot of nonverbal communication, little hand gestures or signals whenever you need support, whether it’s a certain prop that you’re calling for or you need a break or you need water or this or that. You start to understand each other and work off each other better whenever you’ve got a consistent person in that role. And a handler really is so important because your handler is the voice. They’re the voice that helps bring these characters to life. And so when you’re out in the community, a handler can really make or break an appearance because they’re the ones with the props. They can come up with an idea. They can pitch ideas at you while you’re out there in motion. And so having a handler is key for not only the creative aspects and helping bring the character to life, but I think about a couple other aspects of how we utilize our handler. From a liability standpoint, it’s always nice to have a second pair of eyes whenever you’re out in the community. So I think about that. And then secondly, we also have a huge focus and emphasis on social media and making sure we’re covering all the different events that we’re out at.

[59:43] Andrew Johnson:

And so the handler is also in charge of having the phone out and making sure they’re capturing photos and videos that we can share so we can tell people the story of what we’re doing out in the community.

[59:52] Don Costante:

Yeah, I love that you said hand signals because there are some people maybe listening saying we can’t afford comms and IFBs. You’re right. Just having signals that are nonverbal, don’t need any kind of technology, just signaling. And then you’re right about the social media part. I mean, that’s our world today and having somebody that can capture the content and post it in real time is truly added value to having a handler.

[1:00:18] Andrew Johnson:

Yeah, having a handler, it’s multifaceted. I think there’s a lot of benefits and a lot of value that you’ll find by having somebody there with your mascot at every appearance and every game.

Technology and the Future of Mascot Programs

[1:00:27] Don Costante:

So Andrew, what technology are you most excited about that you feel can be utilized to enhance your mascot program?

[1:00:34] Andrew Johnson:

I think we’ve actually learned quite a bit coming out of the pandemic. You know, previously, all of our appearances were live and in person and we’re driving all over town trying to execute a certain number of school programs and in-person appearances. And moving forward, I think we’ve learned a lot from a virtual capacity. So we are going to continue to offer virtual appearances. One of those things that we’ve done, we joined an app called Cameo. So basically, fans can request a personalized video message from different celebrity figures that are on this app. And so Texans fans can log on to Cameo. They pay $50 and they get a custom video message for whatever they’re trying to celebrate, whether it’s a birthday or an anniversary or they just need a little pick me up. They’re big Texans fans and they can book a pick me up for their dad or their children or whatever it may be. And so being able to connect with our fans in a virtual capacity, I think we’ll continue to live on. And then from a school program perspective, we’ve always been limited on the amount of school programs that we’ve been able to go out and execute. And so I think moving forward, we’ll probably add some new virtual ability to where maybe we’re set up at the stadium and we set up the backdrop, we set up our lights, we set up a camera, and we’re able to connect with schools in a virtual capacity.

[1:01:50] Andrew Johnson:

And instead of only being able to execute two school programs a day, maybe we’re able to execute four, five, six programs a day and maximize our reach. And so I think that’s where we’re really going to try to lean in technology to grow and expand our program over the upcoming years.

[1:02:03] Don Costante:

That is so cool. So, Andrew, we’ve come to the final question of the day. For those listening to today’s discussion, what are your final thoughts?

Final Thoughts and Advice for Aspiring Mascots

[1:02:12] Andrew Johnson:

I think I’ve got a couple of things. First and foremost, I’m just so thankful. You know, I wake up every morning and I thank God that I get to do what I love for a living, what I’m passionate about for a living. As I told my story earlier from the fifth grade, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. And I’m truly living the dream each and every day. And sure, working in sports requires a lot of hours. There’s a little bit of blood, a lot of sweat in my case, and a few tears occasionally. But the age-old saying is so true. If you love what you do, you’ll never work another day in your life. And I feel like I’ve avoided a real job up until this point. And I hope I get to do that for many, many more years to come. For those who are looking to become a mascot, I’ll give you a couple pointers on how to break into the industry. First and foremost, I would recommend that you just spend as much time in costume as possible. This is how you learn what works and what doesn’t. You build your repertoire of different bits. This is how you learn how to communicate non-verbally, work a crowd. There’s just so many things that you can’t teach somebody. You’ve got to actually put the costume on, get out there, interact with people, and just learn what works and what doesn’t work. So spend as much time as you possibly can in costume.

[1:03:21] Andrew Johnson:

Spend time in front of a mirror because you might think something looks really good from the outside, but if you haven’t actually seen yourself doing it, whether that’s in front of a mirror or recording yourself on video, it may not look as good or may not come across the way you think it is from the outside. So just hop in costume, spend as much time in costume as you possibly can. Second, I encourage you to watch what other mascots are doing. And I think this is a whole lot easier today than it was when I first started when I was in high school back in 2005, 2006. Social media has just allowed you to be able to see everything that’s going on. Everything they’re doing isn’t always covered on television if you’re watching the game. But now with social media, you have a direct feed to see what these mascots are doing on game day. So follow every single mascot around the industry because you’ll be able to see photos and videos and all their different zany bits and things that you might be able to take and apply to what you’re doing on social media. And just a shameless plug, if you want to follow Toro, you can find him on social media at Texans Toro and the number one. But yeah, definitely follow all the different mascots to see what they’re doing and get ideas and inspiration for how you can run your program or do different skits and videos within your setting.

[1:04:31] Andrew Johnson:

And then my final point would just be to network, network, network, because not all jobs in this industry get posted online and you can’t find them. And so the only way you find out about these jobs is by knowing somebody, whether that’s other mascots or game directors or folks in the marketing department. Just having a wealth of different contacts around the industry are going to help you break in. Reach out. I mean, I think we’re all friendly people that have these roles across the sports industry. Don’t hesitate to reach out, whether that’s finding their email address on the website or direct messaging their mascot account through social media. But find a way to reach out, network, grow your list of contacts. And it’s always fun to talk shop with different people around the industry. So I’m sure people would be willing to reach back out and connect with you. And then just being in the right place at the right time, I think, is also a key. And that’s something that you don’t really have a whole lot of control of. But making sure that you put yourself in the right position to get hired and figure out that these postings are active. And along those same lines, when I talk about networking, I just want to close by thanking you, Don, for the impact you’ve had on my career. And I alluded to it earlier when I was telling my story.

[1:05:40] Andrew Johnson:

But sometimes I don’t think you even know the impact that you’ve had on my career from getting my job with the minor league hockey team in Kansas City, the Missouri Mavericks. Just when I connected with you on LinkedIn, we just happened to be mutual connections. And that’s what launched a really important job within my career to take my job with the Kansas City Royals. And I was a mascot handler. And I really learned a lot about how a mascot should be utilized by just watching the way that they ran the program there in Kansas City. And then believing in me and elevating my position to game day audio director. It wasn’t as long as I would have liked. But having the faith and the trust in me to take on that position for a season. And then when I came to Houston, you probably didn’t even know. But Jackie was sitting there wearing her jacket. We were able to connect because we both had a mutual connection. And she had worked with you at the Spurs and then came over to the Texans organization. But whenever we got out of that meeting, I think you had texted me and said, hey, good luck on the position. Because you had already talked to Jackie and given a good recommendation. So I just can’t thank you enough for believing in me, helping me progress my career and for the opportunity to get to talk on your podcast today.

[1:06:41] Don Costante:

Well, let me tell you, everything that has happened to you, for you, is because of your hard work. And I tell you what, it’s been a true honor talking with you today. I can’t thank you enough for sharing all of your best practices, not just with me, but for everybody listening. I know I’ve learned more about your role and what it takes to be a successful mascot. It’s been a pleasure talking with you.

[1:07:03] Andrew Johnson:

Thank you so much for the opportunity. Like I said, I’m a big fan of the podcast and can’t wait to hear who else you have on the podcast down the road.

Don Costante’s Key Takeaways

[1:07:12] Don Costante:

Wow. Throughout our conversation, I found Andrew to be incredibly well-spoken and knowledgeable. The information and personal insights he shared certainly shed light on just how integral mascots are to organizations. More importantly, if you’re a mascot or somebody who oversees a mascot program, he just provided a blueprint that you can follow to ensure successful results for your program. Now, we covered a lot of material in our conversation today. Here are some points that stood out to me. First, I love how Andrew goes about generating ideas each season with the Ideapalooza. What stands out to me is that he invites people from outside the organization to be part of the creative process. This is so helpful in getting your staff to think differently and or helping them to spark ideas. I also like the mindset for Ideapalooza. It’s so much more than just a brainstorming meeting. Let’s face it, meetings are boring and it’s important to have fun and create an environment that promotes expansive thinking. Next, when I asked about how the Texans market Toro and the impact he’s making in the community, I loved his view of Toro. He said he’s a living, breathing extension of the Texans brand. That he’s the only consistent ambassador within the organization that lives beyond players and cheerleaders.

[1:08:38] Don Costante:

And that his accessibility to the fans on game days, as well as his over 400 appearances each year, allows people to feel part of the Texans. Now, when I asked Andrew about social media and where Mascot should focus their content efforts, he had three very specific goals for how he utilizes social media platforms for Toro. First and foremost, entertainment. Get people to follow and make them laugh. Secondly, educate, deliver marketing and sponsorship messaging. And third, to engage. Create a two-way conversation by interacting with followers. Another point that stood out to me was the advice he gave to those who manage mascots to better assist and support the performer and the overall program. First, mascots want to be utilized. They want to have a strong presence. So use them. In several cases, mascots feel underutilized and disconnected from the organization. Second, give your mascot constructive criticism. It’s very helpful to a performer to provide clarity and understanding of goals. And third, encourage the performer to see the bigger picture. What’s the mission of the organization and how can they support it? And finally, I loved Andrew’s advice to those looking to become a mascot. He had four simple points. First, spend as much time as you can in a costume. This is the only way you’re going to learn what works and what doesn’t.

[1:10:09] Don Costante:

Second, watch what other mascots are doing to get ideas and inspiration. Third, network, network, network. Not all jobs are posted online. So reach out to people and grow your contacts. And fourth, put yourself in the right position to get hired. I could go on, but those were just some highlights from our discussion that resonated with me. As always, I hope you found the information covered beneficial. I want to thank Andrew again for being on the podcast and for sharing his thoughts and best practices with all of us. Well, that wraps up this episode of the rundown. As always, I encourage you to reach out to me and share your thoughts and or questions and send them to [email protected]Email The Rundown. That’s [email protected]Email The Rundown. Also, I would really appreciate it if you would subscribe and share this podcast and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. And until the next time, I’m Don Costante.