Space Day - Case Study

From 1997 to 2004 Devillier Communications was the agency in charge of the international public awareness campaign for Space Day, an educational initiative sponsored by Lockheed Martin Corporation.

The goal of Space Day was to promote math, science, engineering and technology education by nurturing young people’s enthusiasm for the wonders of the universe.
Target audiences included students, educators, parents, policy-makers and the corporate community, with a particular emphasis on the aviation and aerospace industries.

DCI’s comprehensive strategic plan included the following recommendations:

• Secure Senator John Glenn and the CEO of Lockheed Martin as the co-chairs of the Space Day initiative, and ask them to also serve as official spokespersons.
• Create an Educational Advisory Committee to provide guidance and credibility for the new initiative.
• Develop a strategic Partnership program that would develop relationships and support from the business community, nonprofit educational and scientific organizations, youth organizations, related federal agencies, school districts, and professional associations.
• Enlist the support of Partners to also disseminate information to their constituents and members to help “spread the word.”
• Produce a high-profile Space Day annual celebratory event in Washington, D.C. featuring leaders in education, aviation, aerospace, math, science and technology
  and included students, teachers, youth organizations and parents in the audience.
• Produce the first live interactive Webcast devoted entirely to space, science, math and technology that would be held on Space Day each year and fed directly into classrooms and homes around the world.
• Conduct an aggressive, year-round media relations campaign to build awareness about the initiative with multiple audiences.
• Create a group of credible spokespersons -- both youth and adult -- who could address the importance of math, science, technology and engineering in their lives and speak to various targeted audiences.
• Develop the creation of an exciting Web site that would serve as the “hub” of information for all Space Day information and events across North America.
• Create an aggressive grassroots effort to encourage Partner and local school districts to hold Space Day celebratory events across North America.
• Create a Partner Regional Coordinators Committee to develop local and regional Space Day events across North America.

Ms. Oxley’s initial responsibility as co-leader of this massive effort, was to secure 70 high-profile Partner organizations who willingly agreed to support the goals of Space Day.

From 2002-2004, Ms. Oxley led the entire Space Day year-round initiative and managed the work of 10 DCI staff members, consultants and vendors. Because of their combined efforts each year the initiative grew – not only in activities, partnerships and support from many sources, but also in media outreach and public awareness.

By 2004 it is estimated that more than one billion people and students learned about Space Day and hundreds of thousands had participated in events across North America.