National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aims to shift public perceptions of its brand through an interactive kiosk experience called SpaceSmart. SpaceSmart uses technology-driven kiosks to engage audiences, collect data on perceptions, educate participants, measure changes in perceptions, and reward participation. It contains multiple stations on topics like NASA's contributions to daily life and sustainability. Data from SpaceSmart's first deployment at an AARP event showed it effectively engaged older audiences and demonstrated initial shifts in perceptions of NASA's relevance after gameplay.

1. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Shifting Public Perceptions
Exhibitor 2011
Session M107
Our Mission: To create the world’s most meaningful and memorable experiences for brand marketers, show organizers and event attendees.
1

2. Session #M107
NASA How to Shift Public Perception
Beth Beck, Outreach Program Manager, Office of Space Operations, NASA Headquarters
Beth’s career spans nearly 25 years in the federal government, beginning as a graduate fellow with the Central Intelligence
Agency to her current position as Space Operations Outreach Program Manager at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.
Joining NASA in 1985, Beth’s assignments include space science, astrobiology, space shuttle, space station, and exploration
programs; handling policy issues that affect NASA’s international, legislative, budget, procurement, web, and
communications areas.
Joanna Scorsone, Senior Account Executive, GES Global Experience Specialists
Upon joining Global Experience Specialists (GES, formerly Exhibitgroup/Giltspur) in March of 2004, Joanna Scorsone began
managing experiential and trade show programs in various industries including government, home improvement, consumer
electronics, healthcare, and entertainment. As part of GES’s New York City team, Joanna’s integrated approach to managing
her clients’ initiatives ensures that business goals and objectives are met through innovative turnkey solutions to often
complicated programs. As a Senior Account Executive, Joanna leads a team of industry specialists at GES, assuring that every
part of every project is driven by an expert in the field.
Angela Triano, Strategic Marketing, GES Global Experience Specialists
Angela Triano has dedicated the past 17 years to the Direct Marketing industry working at top dm agencies in the US and UK.
In 2007, Angela joined GES (formerly Exhibitgroup/Giltspur) to assist in bringing experienced strategic marketing efforts to
the Event and Exhibition arena. Upon joining the New York City based CRM team she engaged immediately with major
brand clients such as, NASA Space Operations Outreach Program. For the past three years Angela has assisted many brands
and organizations in focused audience messaging, gaining insight and obtaining pertinent metrics around business objectives
overall.
2
2

3. Your Parting Gifts; or Takeaways
• Engaging the right audience
• Determine the right communication channels
• Gain Baseline perceptions on Brands
• Simple and effective live social networking ideas
• Virtual rewarding through social media and casual gaming
• Understand the value of obtaining data that
reveals immediate shifts in brand perception
• Validate event efforts with immediate data trend
3

4. Volunteer Questions:
What does NASA stand for?
1) North American Space Association
2) National America Space Agency
3) Northern Astronomic Science of America
4) National Aeronautics and Space Administration
What are current ways of getting water on the International Space Station?
1) Astronauts bring all the water supply they need with them on their long duration missions.
2) There are elements in outer space that were recently discovered that create moisture outside
the station that astronauts collect and filter.
3) Along with resupply vehicles, the space station crew consumes water supply and filters the
waste water including urine! …Yesterday’s water is tomorrows’ coffee.
4) None of the above.
Which of the following statement is true:
1) NASA is the only space agency that launches into outer space.
2) A commercial space provider sends humans to space.
3) 20% of your tax dollars support the space program for NASA
4) 6 humans live off the planet for 6 months at a time.
4

5. Identify The Problem?
• NASA Situation:
• Baby-boomers remember walking on the moon and remain loyal
• Communication channels were limited and now…
• “Rocketeering” turned to Shuttle and more launches with more
missions and scientific experiments.
• NASA Needs:
• Help educate specific audiences that are less loyal
• Engage new generations and new interests
• Grow the loyal generations and update them on current missions
• LISTEN… LISTEN… LISTEN…
5

6. What do they know?
What does the “public” know about NASA?
• Little Specific Knowledge
• Lack of Relevance
• Low Excitement
• Disconnect from Activities
• Lack of Current Context
What does your audience segments know about your brand/s?
6
6

7. What do you know?
What does NASA know about their audience?
Before Exposure to NASA After Exposure to NASA
Technology Technology
100% 100%
94%
80% 80%
60% 60%
40% 53% 40%
20% 20%
0% 0%
Relevant to Lives Relevant to Lives
7

8. What do you know?
What does NASA know about their audience?
• Men support exploration more than women
• 65+ =Interest drops off
• 45-64 yr olds = “base” NASA supporters “The Apollo Generation”
• 25-44 yr olds = Frame of reference = Tragedy
• 18-24 yr olds= Little to no frame of reference
How to engage the right audience by reviewing
behavioral generation differences
8

10. What Are the Best Communication Methods
• Define right communication channel/s
• Over 1,600 messages a day
• Channels seem endless
—TV
—Cable
—Radio
—Web
—Blogs
—Twitter
—Facebook
Define the right
—YouTube communication channel/s for
—Billboard the right audience
—Print
—Mail
—Flicker
10
10

11. So…Now What Do We Do?
How do you …
• Move the needle?
• Measure the movement?
• Grow the brand?
Simple ways to gain baseline perceptions
on your brand/s
Round of applause please!
11

12. 12

13. is…
• Technology driven kiosk experience that
• Engages
• Collects
• Educates
• Measures
• Rewards
• Multiple Kiosk Stations that address some of NASA’s
core areas:
• NASA in Your Life • Orbital / Lunar Rovers
• Green NASA • You Chart The Course
• Space Walk • Explorers Wanted
13

14. Step One / Start: ID Station
Gather Baseline Information
Step Two: Player Station
Educate, Engage, Measure
Step Three: Leader Board
Competitive , Want More, Share
Have Fun and Tell Friends

15. 15

16. The Experience of SpaceSmart:
16

17. The Experience of SpaceSmart:
Step 1: Welcome: ID Station
17

18. The Experience of SpaceSmart:
Step 1: Welcome: ID Station (Badge Information)
18

19. SpaceSmart: Game On!
Front of Badge Back of Badge
Give your customers something that…
•Makes them feel part of your team
•Important
•Personalized
•Measureable!
19

20. The Experience of SpaceSmart:
Step 1: Welcome: ID Station (Baseline)
Simple ways to gain baseline perceptions
on your brand/s
20

21. The Experience of SpaceSmart:
Step 1: Welcome: ID Station (Baseline)
21

22. The Experience of SpaceSmart:
Step 2: Player Station One: NASA in my life
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
22

23. Player Station One: NASA in my life – Home
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
23

24. 24

25. Player Station One: NASA in my life - Transportation
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
25

26. 26

27. Player Station One: NASA in my life
Score Board: Driving Repetition
27

28. Player Station Two: Green NASA
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
28

29. Player Station Two: Green NASA
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
29

30. 30

31. Player Station Three: Lunar Rover
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
31

32. Player Station Three: Lunar Rover
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
32

33. Player Station Four: Space Walk
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
33

34. Player Station Four: Space Walk
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
34

35. Player Station Five: Explorers Wanted
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
35

36. 36

37. Player Station Seven: Charting the Course
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
37

38. Player Station Seven: Charting the Course
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
Simple and effective live social networking ideas
38

39. Player Station Eight: Debrief Station
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
39

40. Player Station Eight: Debrief Station
(Measure, Challenge, Educate, Shift)
Virtual rewarding through social media
and casual gaming
40

41. Let’s Play!
Demo Registration
Demo Play
41

42. Where’s the beef? I mean Shift?
Understand the value of obtaining data that
reveals immediate shifts in brand perception
NASA stands for ?
1) North American Space Association
2) National America Space Agency
3) Northern Astronomic Science of America
4) National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Does NASA contribute new ways of sustainability, such as recycling Urine?
1) True
2) False
3) I don’t know
Less than 1% of the US taxpayers $ makes up NASA’s annual budget.
1) True
2) False
42

43. Pre / Post Game Question Example
43

44. Perception Shift Data Example
What best describes your opinion of NASA contributions? (Select One)
• Old School; only affected inventions from 1960-1970
• Only affects technology and really not important to me
• Many inventions affect all our daily lives
• Not currently contributing to new inventions that may affect my life in the future
Baseline Pre Game Post Game Play
90
140 132
80
70 120
60 100 89
50 80
40
25 60
30
20 12 40
10 20
0
0
Under 18 18-21 22-34 35-49 50-64 65+ Under 18 18-21 22-34 35-49 50-64 65+
Old School Only Technology Daily Lives Not Currently
44

45. SpaceSmart at AARP
Overview Demographics
AARP utilized the first SpaceSmart kiosk deployment with the following pieces:
• 1 ID station
• 3 Gateway Player Stations
• 1 Leader board station
Summary of players/responders
• Total Users: 378
• Unique Users: 179
• Completed Entire Experience: 22
Audience age group geared to 50+ as expected
Validate event efforts with immediate data trend
45

46. AARP 2010: SpaceSmart ID Station:
Number of Players Per Age Group
200 180
180
160
140
Players
120 110
100
80
60 44
40 27
20 13
4
0
Under 18 18-21 22-34 35-49 50-64 65 and older
Observations:
• As expected majority of the responders are 50+ age group at AARP
N=378
46

47. AARP 2010: SpaceSmart ID/Player Station:
Number of Players Per Age Group, By Game
300
257
250
53 65 and older
50-64
200 35-49
180
14 22-34
150 106 18-21
53 Under 18
100
77
79 8
70
50 27 47 4
35 4 30
13 4 22
22
25 9 1
18 20 8 7
3 3 11 2 6 10 8 6
7 9 4 6 4 6 6 4 4 4
0
nasa-in-my-life green-nasa rover space-walk explorers-wanted chart-the-course debrief
Observations:
• The game play decreases in order as the experience continues. Indicates lack of time or interest to
continue through the experience. The feedback from staff members was that it was more of a timing and
misunderstand issue than lack of interest.
• Recommend revisiting after other show exposures but in short term adding signage to kiosks.
N=648
47

48. AARP 2010: SpaceSmart Player Station:
Number of Games Each Player Completed
120
100 96
80
60
40 32
22
20 17
6 3 3
0
One Two Three Four Five Six Seven
Observations:
• 54% of the players completed one game.
• 45% of the ID responders did not play any games. This was explained that the process was
unclear to the attendees. In many cases, these responders would retrieve their badge and
think the experience was over. We believe the signage will reduce this confusion.
• 18% and less played two or more games.
N=179
48

49. Stay in Touch!
Beth Beck:
SpaceSmart www.twitter.com/bethbeck
• www.twitter.com/spacesmart www.bethbeck.wordpress.com
• Slide Share
NASA Outreach
Joanna Scorsone:
• www.facebook.com/nasa.gov
www.twitter.com/joannascorsone
jscorsone@ges.com
Angela Triano
atriano@ges.com
www.twitter.com/trianotwntxs
www.linkedin.com/in/trianoa
Please remember to fill out surveys for this session
M107