Companies: Honeywell International and NASA
Timeframe: 2005 - ongoing
Assuming that the first person to walk on Mars is probably sitting in an elementary or middle school right now somewhere in the United States, NASA and Honeywell
International embarked on a mission to attract more American students to the sciences, math and engineering. At a time when enrollment in those subjects is declining in colleges
and universities, while jobs in technology are growing at a rate of three times that of all other careers, they had their work cut out for them.
Honeywell Hometown Solutions, Honeywell International's community relations and philanthropic initiative, was happy to get the bandwagon rolling. They helped NASA create a dynamic,
interactive program called FMA Live! Where Science Rocks. Named for Sir Isaac Newton's Second Law (Force = Mass x Acceleration), FMA Live! is a traveling multimedia science education
concert that uses live actors, hip-hop songs, music videos and interactive scientific demonstrations to teach kids about Newton's laws of motion and gravity in a compelling and
memorable way.
The mission, by all accounts, is an unqualified success, according to middle school students and their teachers.
"You can tell how thrilled the students are and how engaged they are by the fact that they are singing the songs from the show and dancing as they leave," says Jim O'Leary,
headquarters spokesperson for Honeywell Hometown Solutions. On September 21, O'Leary--one of PR News' "15 to Watch"--was in Washington D.C. for performances of the program at
Howard University. The Howard University program, he says, "will reach 2,000 from 24 different schools in the area" with these performances.
To create the program, Honeywell and NASA reached out to middle school teachers throughout the country to learn what challenges educators face. They heard, over and over, that
although the program needed to align with National Science Education Standards, it was even more important that it speak to the students in a language that would reach them. "We had
to make it exciting and relevant and interesting enough to capture their attention," says O'Leary.
Similarly, they needed to capture the attention of the media. To boost awareness and generate interest, Honeywell developed a public relations campaign that targeted local media in
each market, as well as select national media. In executing the plan to saturate each local market with pre- and post-event coverage, O'Leary noted that the program really sold
itself.
"We are fortunate in that the program is so dynamic, and so interesting to media that we don't have much difficulty getting the attention of local media. We reach out to them, and
the program sells itself. Interactive and engaging pieces of the program are very friendly to print media, photos and broadcast."
The benefits to Honeywell are two-fold: "One, we champion these causes and promote science and education," says O'Leary. "From a philanthropic standpoint, we can change people's
lives. From the brand standpoint, we provide experiences that are associated with the Honeywell brand. This connects our brand and brand promise with our customers and our community."
The public relations campaign's objectives were to enhance the public's perception of Honeywell through its affiliation with NASA and the FMA Live! partnership; further influence
students and teachers at other schools to embrace science and math through education that was entertaining and relevant to everyday life; and increase charitable donations from
employees to support Honeywell's math and science programs. Its success is measured by the mark it leaves on each student, as well as the marks it leaves on local politicians,
educational leaders and the community.
The ongoing program, which was launched last year, has so far touched the lives of 73,000 middle school students around the country in 153 schools. The students were able to
participate in activities that demonstrated Newton's laws, from Velcro walls to futuristic hover chairs. A Web site, http://www.fmalive.com, lets students and teachers experience some of the action online, including the original music. Lesson plans and education
materials on the site also help teachers in the sciences and math.
The media has been eating the program up. Coverage has run in USA Today, The New York Daily News, The Arizona Republic, Houston Chronicle, Washington Times, Dallas Morning News,
Star Ledger, Atlanta Journal Constitution, the Seattle Times and Baton Rouge Advocate, to name but a few. More than 60 stories have also appeared in local market broadcast
outlets. So far, the program has generated more than 250 stories, making 25 million media impressions with an ad value of $837,861. The return on investment for Honeywell so far has
been 2,394 percent.
Among the lessons learned is the fact that, "if you develop and execute programs that are real and meaningful and textured, it makes media outreach easier," says O'Leary. "You
provide a value add to the media, in going out to them and getting them to cover your story. This program is so real that all you have to do is give them a good picture on the phone.
Reporters like the show and appreciate the quality. Every reporter says 'thank you, this is great, tell me when you are coming back.'"
The real success for Honeywell Hometown Solutions, however, is the impact on children's lives. "Ultimately, this is a philanthropic program," O'Leary stresses. "The fact that we
are touching and changing people's lives is a key objective for us."
CONTACT:
Jim O'Leary, 973-455-6684, jim.o'[email protected]