No doubt you have by now seen the clips of the first all-female space flight with Blue Origin last week. Also, no doubt you have seen the backlash via an onslaught of memes and internet hot takes that have ensued since their return from the upper sky. This epic trip was touted and marketed as a huge step for “Women in STEM.” The press tour beforehand consisted of the A-list (and B-list) celebrities who would bravely enter the Blue Origin “New Shepard” capsule and launch our gender into the future, for the good of all womankind.
Why would something seemingly so powerful generate such a visceral response from the masses? Because this was space tourism promotion disguised as a pivotal moment for women, and the general public is smart enough to see through it.
As communication and public opinion professionals, we know firsthand that there is nothing worse than misleading the public. For example, think of a nonprofit promising 100% of donations go directly to programs, only for donors to later learn a large portion covers overhead. False marketing doesn’t sell. Public trust is critical when building an audience. Ask yourself: Are you delivering the message they want to hear, or are you delivering the truth? The first step to crafting messaging is honing in on your mission and your identity. What do you hope to achieve, and what’s a realistic way to get there?
Ultimately, it is a shame that this incredible achievement has been overshadowed by public response. What could have been used as an opportunity to either promote space tourism or engage youth interest in future careers in science and mathematics jumped the shark and tried to achieve both, to their detriment.
Some recommendations for future spaceflight PR:
- Appearances matter: Identify who would be the best to relay your overall goals. If you want to advance “Women in STEM,” we would recommend amplifying those voices and using them as the flight passengers, rather than pop stars and celebrities. There are surely several women who work in astrophysics who would have jumped at the opportunity to advance their industry and hop on a flight to the ozone.
- Call it what it is: Space tourism. Space tourism, while one day might be attainable for us plebians, is only accessible to the uber wealthy (note: not Uber wealthy, although Uber executives surely could make the shortlist of those with enough money to flee Earth for 10-15 minutes). Pick a lane – if you are marketing a dud as a diamond, batten down the hatches. If you market a dud as a dud, at least people know what they’re being fed. No one would blame Gayle King or Katy Perry for wanting to pay an astronomical fee for a joyride!
- Read the room: Think through potential outcomes and audience responses ahead of time to prepare. Gayle King was interviewed the next day and asked about the public backlash, and she was shocked. Be prepared for something to not be well-received by all. This point goes back to the “self-aware” portion – really take a look through different lenses to ensure you know all angles.
- Call Mach 1.
