SPACE MARKETING: Rebranding and Positioning Space Businesses

Farnaz Ghadaki
Director, Canadian Space Commerce Association (CSCA), and Marketing Consultant

Abstract

Quite often, in many industries, marketing is 'that thing' that is thought of, or becomes important, only in the later stages of an organization. This is despite the fact that marketing plays a significant role in the success of any business in any industry, including the Space Industry, and the 'business' of space marketing.

We are living in an exciting time; this is the global space age. There has been a profound shift in the Space industry. The space race of the past, with its hostile nature of competitions between national governments, has now morphed into collaborative, more peaceful efforts, with objectives and goals that are shared by many nations, groups, and organizations around the globe. This has provided an opportunity to market Space to a wider audience, not just locally, but globally. New interest from the private sector has created a new level of competition that could fast-track humanity to reach the next milestone of space exploration. With prospects of space tourism, commercial space flights, space solar power, and many other 'NewSpace' ventures, Space has a new appeal. As Space marketers, this is our golden opportunity to re-brand Space, reach out to new audiences and get more people excited about Space.

It is important, therefore, to understand the core of who we are as Space marketers and entrepreneurs, the direction we should take, and our strategy and tactics for achieving our goals. This paper provides a set of knowledge, tools, guidelines, and tips on how to successfully market Space. It includes, an overview of the fundamentals of marketing - including "the 3 Cs", STP Analysis, and "the 4 P's" of the marketing mix - and how they pertain to the Space industry. In order to better understand the marketability of Space, the paper also includes an analysis of where the industry has been and where it is going, as well as the role of community programs and local governments in helping the industry sector. Questions such as 'who is the target audience', 'what is the product offering' and 'how and where to promote these offerings' are addressed. These concepts are presented alongside real-life examples and applications, drawn from industry experiences as well as number of space advocacy organizations. The end result is a comprehensive marketing plan that not only businesses in the private sector, but also agencies and educational groups, can use to successfully and effectively market Space.

Presented at ISDC 2011 - Huntsville. Paper and presentation charts are not available.