Questacon
External Communications Strategy Proposal
Re-making science fun
“Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.� Edwin Powell Hubble
CONTENTS 4
Abstract
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Situation Analysis 7
External Key Factors
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Internal Key Factors
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SWOT
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Market Analysis
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Target Market
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Competitors
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The Problem
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The Solution 26
Objectives and Tactics
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Key Messages
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Strategy and Message Delivery
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Recommendations
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References
The National Science and Technology Centre
Intended for internal circulation only
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Questacon strives to promote greater understanding and awareness of Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) within the community. As an organisation they are committed to making that experience fun, interactive, and relevant. Its main avenue of education is through its education centre located in Canberra. Questacon’s exhibitions cover a range of science topics, from astronomy to zoology and everything in between. As Questacon grows it seeks not only to gain nationwide recognition as one of Australia’s leading science education organisations, but to provide its services and tell the stories of leading professionals in the STEM field all over the country. As an organisation it is Questacons goal to become a leading face in the development and the implementation of STEM Australia wide. This strategy provides an analysis of communication opportunities of the organisation and how it can best fulfill its goal to become a leader in STEM. This analysis will provide a context of the current environment and recommendations on how a planned communications strategy with a clear target market implemented by a communications team can help Questacon achieve its goals.
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
The National Science and Technology Centre
Intended for internal circulation only
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Situation Analysis
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
MAKING SCIENCE FUN Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre aspires to be a world class centre that raises national awareness, fosters understanding and positive attitudes to STEM learning. (Questacon, n.d) Since its opening in 1988, the centre continues to provide fun and interactive exhibitions in Canberra and on-the-road workshops to schools around Australia. The exhibitions and programs support ‘a better future for all Australians through engagement with science, technology, and innovation’. Although Questacon has some level of engagement with consumers beyond its site in Canberra, its online presence and promotion to the greater community falls short of the overall aim of Questacon as a business. Questacon is administered by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, which is beneficial to the support of the business, but also creates challenges in terms of promotion.
Maths (STEM) is a priority of the Australian Government. Questacon is uniquely placed to promote and engage communities in STEM. This strategy will make recommendations about the way Questacon can improve its communication to strengthen its reputation as an Australian wide leader in STEM engagement and education beyond its centre in Canberra.
Increasing community-wide participation and engagement in Science Technology Engineering and
The National Science and Technology Centre
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EXTERNAL KEY FACTORS Women in STEM The information and resources at Questacon are available for use by tourists, students and teachers on site and online. As Questacon broadens its focus from the physical site to its support of STEM education in the wider Australian community, it opens new avenues in the target market. Namely a world-wide political trend which focuses on increasing the number of women going into STEM-related employment.
A Government Organisation As Questacon is a Government organisation, how money is spent must be rationalised and found beneficial to both the business and Government. Control over information produced by Questacon, e.g. advertisement and social media, is also governed by Commonwealth policies and procedures which can influence its methods and level of engagement with stakeholders.
Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence assistants have been increasing in popularity over the past few years, creating more personal interactions between consumers and brands (Forbes, 2019). A new wave of augmented reality is also a suspected trend of 2019, a technological advancement Questacon could utilise to merge its physical and online resources for better education in the community.
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
Ticket Prices To maintain the centre and raise the necessary revenue Questacon is required to charge for entry. Price is a contested issue within the organisation and the public, the Questacon Advisory Council (Questacon Advisory Council, 2018) has suggested that the price be subsidised as it represents a high barrier to entry and may distort community views on the value of science in everyday life. The Australian Labour Party has pledged to reduce the price if elected in the 2019 Federal Election (Leight, 2016). Consumers generally believe Questacon’s prices are too high (Google.com, 2019), especially when compared to competitors in Canberra, such as CSIRO. The CSIRO has a much lower entry fee of $10 for adults and $7 for children. Other tourist venues in Canberra such as the Dinosaur Museum and the National Museum of Australia have lower or no entry fees.
The National Science and Technology Centre
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INTERNAL KEY FACTORS Business Plan Questacon has an up to date business plan for 2018-2019 with 13 objectives spread over the following six categories. The National Science and Technology Centre
Leadership in the Australian STEM informal learning sector
National outreach and engagement
Questacon international engagement
Community STEM engagement
Sustainable growth agenda for Questacon business operations and forward planning
Board of Directors Furthermore, Questacon has a Board of Directors that oversee the vision and interests of the business. The board is responsible for the overall governance, management and strategic direction of the organisation and for delivering accountable organisation performance in accordance with the overall organizational goals and objectives (Australian Institute of Company directors, 2016). From a technological standpoint, interviews with an executive member of Questacon found that the organisation suffers from a lack of funding dedicated to its online communications front. This is to the detriment of the business given it is intended to be a leader in STEM education. Presenting the idea that the board is not delivering the desired performance as its corporate image contradicts its corporate message as a leader within STEM.
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
STEM and Staff Questacon strives to create “a better future for all Australians through engagement with science, technology and innovation” (Durant, 2019). With this vision in mind, Questacon values itself on being a leader in STEM education throughout Australia. The vision for Questacon to engage, connect and inspire all Australians in STEM is upheld by its staff and board of directors. These members of the Questacon community organise and coordinate the programs and opportunities offered to the general public. Staff members are trained to deliver a high quality of information to their audiences, whether on site or out in the field, that engage people of all ages. This is an important aspect of their customer service as Questacon strives to deliver “fun” education to all ages. The team at Questacon are highly trained in multiple areas of science and technology engagement, from volunteers and staff working at the National Science and Technology Centre, to members of staff who take programs out into the community. Questacon does not see the need for a communications strategist on its team to handle marketing and public relations for the organisation. Questacon has the benefit of being an Australian Government funded organisation, meaning it receives funding from the Commonwealth to encourage its success in the community and reinforce its policies and programs. In the 2019 Federal Budget Questacon received approximately $5 million a year over three years in new funding for education and outreach programs (Industry, Innovation and Science, 2019).
Physical Site The success Questacon’s physical site delivers to the business relieves the stress of financial pressure. Located in a hub of tourist attractions in Canberra, within the Parliamentary Zone, Questacon is situated in a prime area. The physical site is a popular tourist and holiday attraction for families and schools. Questacon maintains popularity throughout the winter months due to the exhibitions being located indoors. Due to its popularity, there are complaints from customers that the rooms can be overcrowded, frequently reaching maximum capacity (Google. com, 2019).
The National Science and Technology Centre
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SWOT STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
Well known
Limited media presence/quality
Government body
Expensive
Well trained staff and volunteers
Can be crowded
Excellent location
Outdated content and design of the website
Physical site performing well & selfsustaining Trusted by the community as a responsible institution that values accessibility, equality and sustainability A long history of making science fun for generations Questacon Advisory Council Is implementing a series of Questacon Smart Skills Program that showcases young Australian entrepreneurs A rotation of exciting and new exhibition is being installed constantly
Low engagement of social media No communications plan/manager Lack of space to expand Difficulty getting Australians to engage with their resources and content Poor booking systems in place Lack of advocacy and marketing strategies/skills Unprepared or unqualified staff managing social media content No Communications department Weak national recognition
Partnerships with CSIRO and ASTA There is a variety of outreach programs utilized to help students engage with STEM Good commitment to improving the community 2017 Australian Tourism Award for Best Tourist Attraction in Australia
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Improved media presence (both social and traditional media)
Government priorities affecting how much of the budget is awarded to specific departments or the National Innovation and Science Agenda
Great facilities to engage the target market and sub-target markets Utilise upcoming STEM Events (STEM Ed ACT, National Science Week, etc) Larger awareness of scientific issues Outreach and engagement programs
Competitors - tourist attractions and science educators The downfall in the Australian economy The rising level of complaints by patrons about the quality of services
Two locations in Canberra with the need for expansion $15.1 million increase in government funding for outreach programs and STEM education (2019). The Questacon Foundation Funding from Inspiring Australia Science and Tourism Review A push towards encouraging women and indigenous Australians into STEM by schools and Government New technological and marketing trends of 2019 STEM is important as a passport towards a student’s future. Research shows that students who undertake STEM subjects can be more creative, flexible, and able to take advantage of the changes that are predicted in the workforce of the future.
The National Science and Technology Centre
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THE MARKET Education Tools Figure. 1
A variety of existing tools and services for science exist and will need to be considered in developing a solution. It is important to be aware of the prolificity of existing services to ensure Questacon delegates its resources efficiently. Companies have developed teaching apps and services to make educational resources easily available for students or teachers to engage with.
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Figure. 2
A prominent example in the industry is Stile and Firefly Education. Stile is an educational and learning platform that blends interactive science lessons, science news stories and hands-on investigation to empower students to observe, write, think and argue like they are in fact real life scientists or engineers (Stile, 2019). It provides resources such as experiments, videos, lessons and quizzes for students to engage and test their knowledge. Stile won the 2017 Educational Publishing Honorable Mention conveying the impact and success of the platform (Stile, 2019). The other app is Firefly Education which is a digital classroom. It offers a range of professional development and support options for outstanding programs for teachers and it provides a range of learning programs that students can engage with in order to educate themselves and improve their overall abilities and application (Firefly Education, 2019).
External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
Competitive Offerings Figure. 3 Figure. 4
Questacon is much more than just a tourist destination it is a leader in collaboration and promoting STEM. Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources to maintain and update its website and limited utilisation of social media Questacon is not using its resources optimally to increase its standing the field when promoting STEM. An example of a similar business in the field that is utilising their resources is the London Science Museum. The museum stays present and relevant as the technological world develops. This is evident through their website, located in Figure 3 is an example of the minimalist, clean and simple website, it is also modern and extremely easy to navigate therefore increasing the chance of users engaging with the content. Figure 3 also conveys that the London Science Museum has ready to use learning resources for teachers to download and use in their classrooms, they do not have to look far for the material as it is located on the main bar. Another element of the website is that it provides students and teachers examples of different apps they can utilize in order to engage and stimulate interest in STEM (Figure 4).
The National Science and Technology Centre
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TARGET MARKET Students and Teachers In order to achieve the desired goal, there needs to be a clearly outlined target market. For the specified goals the primary target market is students and teachers. Students make up one area of the target market due to the fact that they are the demographic where they first become exposed to and engaged in STEM. As mentioned above employer demand for STEM qualifications and skills is high and will increase in the future according to the office of Australia’s Chief Scientist (West, 2012). Currently according to research from the Department of Education,75% of jobs in the fastest growing industries require workers with STEM skills, To remain competitive the Australian workforce needs students who are educated and can adapt to a changing workplace (Department of Education, 2017). It is vital that students engage with STEM at every level to further the prosperity and wellbeing for a future Australia therefore it is important to make the most of what Questacon has to offer from its learning resources to its ambassador opportunities to support this (Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, 2019). The target market should be representative of all students in Australia, including girls, students from low socio-economic background, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and students
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from non-metropolitan areas as they can be less likely to engage with STEM education and therefore at higher risk of not developing the required capabilities (Education Council, 2015). These groups are also more likely to miss out on the opportunities related to STEM thus it is vital to try and target all students in order to increase engagement with STEM overall. As mentioned above an area that will be of focus within the target market is targeting young girls to engage with Questacon’s resources and STEM. This is due to the fact that there is a significant gap between young girls and young boys engaging with STEM (Office of the Chief Scientist, 2016). It is important to target girls whilst they are young as research shows that girls start doubting their STEM intelligence by age 10 and continue to lose confidence throughout primary school (Office of the Chief Scientist, 2016). Teachers are also located within the primary target market, as that they are the gateway that connects students with STEM. This idea is supported by the Australian Federal Government when it announced a National Innovation and Science Agenda, the key message is to “Inspire all Australians, from preschoolers to the broader community to engage with STEM” (Pfeiffer, 2017).
External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
PERSONAS To help model and further understand the target audience, persona’s were created to test our campaign against. These personas embody random members within our target market that may already use Questacon’s services or have the chance to be future consumers.
Jenny Chisholm Age: 46 Occupation: Year 5-6 Primary School Teacher Family: Two young daughters and a husband of18 years Location: Taree, NSW Goals: • Become a reputable teacher in the local community • Equip young children with critical thinking skills after they leave school Frustrations: • Lack of access for field trip opportunities • Low funding
Anna Mathieson Age: 10 Occupation: Full-time learner Family: One bratty brother and two loving parents Location: Darwin, NT Goals: • Learn new ways on how we can help the Earth in the future. • Study in Melbourne, Canberra, or Sydney in the future. Frustrations: • Walking to and from home and school • Feeling behind in Science class
The National Science and Technology Centre
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COMPETITORS As an organisation that works within both the education and tourism industries Questacon faces competitors in both. Each competitor offers a variety of similar services and experiences and excel in different areas. Educational
Entertainment and General
Local parks
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Arcades and Amusements
Theatres
External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
Local Competitors
CSIRO Discovery Centre
National Museum of Australia
Location
Acton, ACT
Acton, ACT
Annual visitors
69,279 visitors
532,314 visitors
Major managers
CSIRO Board, Larry Marshall Chief Executive
Mathew Trinca, Stephanie Bull, Fiona Dalton, Katherine McMahon, Ruth Wilson
Company owners/parent corporation
Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change, Science, Research and Tertiary Education
Stand-alone with support from other organisations such as the Australian Government and Australia Council for the Arts
Strengths
High levels of customer satisfaction, ethical, high-quality products, 5 applications you can download to your personal device
High quality of experience/product, user-friendly/attractive website, multiple applications you can download to your personal device
Weaknesses
Response times, staff availability, length of contract and legal processes.
Expensive products to purchase at the physical location
Product line
STEM learning experiences, science outreach programs, support for tertiary researchers. Commercial, customer-centric products and services for industry, government and the community, including education, publishing, infrastructure technologies, Small and Medium Enterprise engagement and CSIRO Futures, Nutrition and health services/ products
Commercial art and history exhibitions, supporters of the creation and preservation of art across Australia and internationally
How do their products compare to Questacon
Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths
History and Contemporary matters
Price structure
Children $10 adults, $7 children, $30 families (2 adults & up to 3 children)
Free w/ ticket prices for certain exhibits
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Partnerships:
Chrysos, Amfora, Boeing, Air Radiators, Mining3, Main Sequence Ventures, Radiant. Earth, The Australian Academy of Science Government Partnerships: The Great Barrier Reef, Hydrogen, Data Integrative Partnerships for Australia, St Vincent’s Hospital, Anatomics
Gandel Philanthropy,Vatican Museum and the Sharjah Museum, National Australia Day Council ,National Museum of China, Papua New Guinea National Museum and Art Gallery, South Australian Maritime Museum, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, the Australian National Maritime Museum and the Western Australian Museum, the Australian National University, Monash University, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Princess Cruises, Gab Titui Cultural Centre, the German–Australian Repatriation Research Network, the British Museum, the Singapore National Heritage Board, South Australian Museum, The Canberra Writers Festival, DFAT Diplomatic Academy
Marketing Activities
CSIRO Publishing, CSIROpedia, CSIROgram, ‘The Faces’ page, Social media presence, partnerships with other organisations
Online learning resources, social media presence, partnerships with other organisations
Strengths and weaknesses of marketing literature
Long captions on Instagram posts, great social media engagement,
Instagram presence is strong with good caption length, quality of photos and call to action, no response to online reviews
Plans for expansion or downsizing
New partnerships and programs No upgrades to the discovery centre
Defining Moments Digital Classroom expansion Redevelopment of open spaces and permanent galleries
Quality
4.4 from 18 Google reviews
4.5 stars from 2312 Google reviews
Social media presence
Facebook: 180, 512 likes Instagram: 27.4k followers Twitter: 79.4k followers YouTube: 16,720 subscribers
Facebook: 33, 896 likes Instagram: 5, 984 followers Twitter: 38, 100 followers YouTube: 1760 subscribers
External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
Tess Ariotti, Head of CSR - Samsung delivering a speech at a 2018 ‘Smart Skills’ workshop
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The Problem
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
Questacon is highly successful in its physical facility, drawing over 500,000 visitors in 2017 and predicting to reach thousands more in the coming years. Despite this the centre is no closer to nationwide recognition as one of Australia’s leading science education organisations. Questacon seeks to tell its stories at a national scale and increase its presence amongst all of Australia. The increasing demands of the physical space have also drawn resources away from developing its online and external facing communication framework towards achieving these goals.
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The Solution
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
Goal
Position Questacon as a national leader in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) education for young audiences. Objectives
Refresh digital platforms to add utility and improve engagement. Realign and refresh social media content. Strengthen relationships with schools throughout Australia. Create awareness of the opportunities of STEM at a young age, with a consecutive effort in the promotion of STEM towards a young female target market.
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OBJECTIVES AND TACTICS Refresh digital platforms to add utility and improve engagement. Update and redesign the Questacon website to visually embody its corporate message as a leader in STEM engagement. Create an online portal within the main site for teachers and students to gain access to Questacon’s educational materials. Allow teachers to manage outreach activities and facilitate two-way communications with Questacon through the portal. Update and redesign the Questacon mobile app as a portal to access Questacon’s resources.
Realign and refresh social media content. Create a unified voice that caters to the target market for all social media discourse and promotion. Create a framework that allows employees to contribute to Questacon’s social media content. Utilise outstanding members of the Questacon community (Staff, teachers, students) as ambassadors to promote and increase STEM awareness.
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
Strengthen relationships with schools throughout Australia. Create a two-way conversation between schools and Questacon to utilise available resources through social media and online portal. Have Questacon ambassadors visit schools to promote STEM and Questacon’s involvement in the field to create a better relationship with schools. Design a more user-friendly booking system for teachers to access on the website.
Create awareness of the opportunities of STEM at a young age, with a consecutive effort in the promotion of STEM towards a young female target market. Promote the opportunities available for school students such as ambassador programs, holiday programs and availability of programs. When promoting STEM at schools change the current discourse surrounding STEM to dissolve the current stereotypes within science. Create an awareness campaign of the future of STEM e.g. job opportunities and the changing labour market.
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KEY MESSAGES 1. Questacon makes science fun The main key message throughout social and traditional media will be “Making science fun” as that is the most well-known discourse produced by Questacon. This message will also carry when addressing the media in order to promote not only the actual physical space but also draw attention to the resources available for teachers and students in order to engage in STEM but in a fun and interactive way.
2. Questacon is inspiring students Australia wide to get involved in STEM The second key message is promoting the outreach programs in order to obtain ambassadors through students or teachers engaging in the program. The message will be under the same tone as the main key message, conveying a light tone that will be engaging to the target market, because of this the key message will be “making science inspiring”. The message can be presented on social media and traditional media in order to convey the opportunity present for students. This will be furthered through using the ambassadors to promote the existing programs and get more students and teachers engaging with STEM by sharing their stories and experience on Questacon’s social media platforms. This message will also be successful at obtaining more students engaging in STEM as research from Microsoft conveyed that when students have role models within the STEM field they are more likely to engage with the subjects and pursue a career (Microsoft, 2017).
3. At Questacon science is for everyone The third key message is the discourse surrounding STEM, this message can be multifaceted as it will eliminate the current stereotypes surrounding STEM. At this current point in time, there is the misconception that scientists are typically male, this idea is evident by research from the Australian Government Office of the Chief Scientist as two-thirds of children ages nine to eleven draw a man when asked to draw a scientist (Office of the Chief Scientist, 2016). The message needs to be inclusive yet sticking to the tone of the previous key messages, a suitable message is “making science open”. This message will also be successful in targeting students broader than just young girls to make science more inclusive and creating a brighter future. This message can be presented in both traditional and social media.
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
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STRATEGY AND MESSAGE DELIVERY Each touch point must ensure it conforms to fit the key messages outlined in this communications strategy. Every message delivered is a reflection of the Questacon’s brand and its values. It’s important that these values are upheld and represented properly. A merger of social media and communication departments will ensure that communications speak with one voice and that Questacon is represented as authentically as possible.
Website A new landing page should be created to help introduce users to the new website and familiarise them with the new look. The landing page should be visually striking and interactive to position Questacon as a leader in STEM. A successful interactive landing page can get users to dwell on the site for longer and increase retention of information. (Digitaland.tv, n.d.)
to articles that discuss scientific developments, coverage of a recently completed outreach program, or an interview with a teacher involved with teaching STEM at their school. Account management functions should be prominently featured in the header. This will be accessed by students, teachers, and Q-Club members.
In lieu of a full written blog component the Instagram account should be integrated and made a prominent feature of the website. In a 2018 survey it was found that 72% of 13-17 year olds and 64% of 18-29 year olds interviewed used Instagram (Anderson and Jiang, 2018). This will allow Questacon to tell its many stories in a visual way familiar to students and young families. At least one brand building article/ content should be featured on the homepage carousel to increase Questacon’s brand perception and positioning. Content can range
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
It is essential all content is visually consistent across all channels to ensure the Questacon brand is recognisable.
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Online Portal The online portal will act as the main avenue for users to access Questacon’s resources. Students will be able to access videos, lessons, and work material from Questacon. Stile has managed to become of Australia’s largest secondary school providers of education in the digital space through their intuitive, simple, and easy to use application. Questacon’s communications within the way content is delivered and presented should aim to be just as clean and fun. Teachers will be able to create online classrooms for students to be invited into. These classrooms will feature content that the teacher has selected and made available. Teachers will be able to browse and choose content out of Questacon’s large library.
Management for outreach programs will be run through the portal. Teachers can browse and review programs and shows, apply for programs, review their application process, and receive and send communications with Questacon. Details about the school and their areas of interest can be submitted so the portal can recommend appropriate content to the teacher. Teachers can nominate members of their network to be featured as an ambassador. A support chat bot can be added for teachers to interact with and answer any FAQs. Using AI technology we can have the bot learn and better cater the needs of the audience.
Electronic Direct Mail (EDM) Establishing a program of EDM to schools should be a key feature of outreach communication as the most effective way to target geographical areas when outreach activities are planned or to maintain a presence within schools through regular newsletters highlighting activities, events and science news (this could be sent out quarterly to coincide with school semesters or monthly). A contact list for schools should be acquired from the Education Department. Emails should be sent to various STEM related education
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organisations such as the Royal Institute of Australia and Australian Academy of Science to invite them to the new website. Evaluation surveys and methods should be sent to schools after programs are completed to further improve Questacon’s programs. Emails and communications engaging schools should embody the key messages Questacon holds. Questacon should act as a valued companion to schools and less as a service.
External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
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Instagram Instagram captions should be kept to a maximum of three sentences. Captions should add context to the image, exemplify one of the key messages, entertain/add value to the audience, and compel followers to take action. The post seen in Figure 5 from Questacon’s current Instagram profile has a 1001 character long caption. The tone of voice and humour is appropriate and encouraged. Unfortunately, the caption is too long and does not encourage any further engagement with Questacon. This post could be shorter, have higher quality photography, and be phrased in a way that educates and adds value to the user’s experience.
Figure. 5
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Engagement with the audience in a positive brand-friendly manner is encouraged. As seen in Figure 6. Instagram stories are a vital part of any businesses Instagram presence. Stories should feature an authentic, high-quality photo or video content. All stories should be shot vertically to accommodate ease of viewing and are not fast moving, blurry, or incomprehensible. Ambassador posts and stories should feature prominently on Instagram as they then will also be shown on the website. Posts should feature 6-10 relevant hashtags. Refer to hashtags section.
Figure. 6
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Twitter Twitter posts should aim to be short and engaging. Posts with 71-100 characters are shown on average to receive 17% higher engagement than longer posts (Shleyner, 2018). Twitter posts should feature at least one hashtag around 6 characters long.
Caption Lengths (Shleyner, 2018) Instagram Stories
Instagram Posts
Caption Length
30-60 characters
138 - 150 characters
1 to 80 characters
71-100 characters
Tone of Voice
Fun, entertaining, informative
Fun, entertaining, informative
Fun, informative
Fun, informative
Hashtags Below are suggested hashtags to attach to social media posts to further help content reach appropriate audiences. Further hashtags can be created from keywords appropriate to the content posted. For example if the content is a picture of the ‘Born or Built’ exhibition, hashtags can include #bornorbuilt #artificialintelligence #technology or #robots.
#science #funfact #questacon #STEM #elements #womeninSTEM #space #exhibition #scicomm #physics #maths #elements
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Schedule A schedule to organise when posts go live should be planned to ensure that the communications team is able to stay organised and effective. Post type, purpose, time, and platform should be outlined. Copy for these should be prepared and written at the time of planning at least a week before posting. To ensure audiences see the content when it’s relevant and is most open with engaging, an audit into audience engagement needs to be completed. General guidelines exist for optimal post times and should be followed in the meantime. Below is an example of what a week’s plan could look like: Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Insta: 6pm. Event Promo. Photo.
Insta: 6pm. Event Promo. Photo and Story.
Insta: 5pm. General. Photo.
Insta: 3pm, 6pm. Event Promo. Photo.
Insta: 11am, 3pm. General. Photo.
Insta: 5am. Event promo. Photo and story.
Insta: 6pm. General. Photo and Story.
Facebook: 6 pm. Facebook: Event. 3 pm. Event.
Facebook: 3 pm. Event. Photo
Facebook: 3 pm General. Photo
Staff It is also valuable to engage staff as key audience communicators and to get their support for promotional activity to further Questacon’s reputation and influence. Staff can provide content that promotes their activities. However, it is important to ensure consistent high-quality content and maintain visual consistency throughout in keeping with the Questacon brand. Staff should be offered professional development in creating content for Questacon’s communication channels, but it is recommended
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that posting on social media be done centrally by a trained communications/social media officer.
External Communications Strategy
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Ambassadors Ambassadors are a key part of Questacon’s strategy to become a national leader in STEM education for young audiences. Acknowledging and honouring special members of Questacon’s network helps to highlight the importance of STEM, inspire others and spread Questacon’s presence across Australia. Ambassador interviews should cover their background, journey towards their current position, their interest in STEM, why they STEM being important, and their thoughts on Questacon. To appropriately honour ambassadors, compelling visual content must accompany each post. These photos should when available be taken by trained members of the media team. Ambassador content should feature at least 1 x portrait photo 1 x Half/Full-body photo 1 x ambient/work photo if possible Ambassador content should be posted across all platforms on social media. Ambassador content should be promoted at the physical site where suitable.
Portrait
Half Body
Full Body
Ambient/ Working
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RECOMMENDATIONS Engage internal stakeholders to assess the strategy and develop implementation plans once approved. Audit a list of the content and resources Questacon possesses. This will assist in preparing content for distribution. If a partnership with an external company is pursued to distribute lessons then this list will assist in that process. Reviewing content to check that it conforms with the Australian Curriculum can be beneficial. Develop a communications division to oversee the implementation, maintenance, and execution of communications.
Engage the services digital design agency to work towards re-creating Questacon’s digital platforms.
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External Communications Strategy
The National Science and Technology Centre
A big thank you to Lauren Ambrose from the team for guiding us along and assisting us with the project.
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REFERENCES Anderson, M. and Jiang, J. 2018. Teens, Social Media & Technology 2018. Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech. Viewed 29th of April https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/05/31/teens-socialmedia-technology-2018/ Department of Education Government of Western Australia 2017, What is STEM?, viewed 30th of March 2019, https://www.education. wa.edu.au/what-is-stemDepartment of Industry, Innovation and Science 2019, Advancing Women in STEM, viewed 29th of April 2019, https://www.industry. gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/advancing-women-in-stem.pdf Digitaland.tv. n.d. Interactive Landing Page | The Future Of The Landing Pages for 2019. Viewed 29th of April 2019 https://www.digitaland.tv/blog/interactive-landing-page/ Durant, G. (2019). A Message from the Director. Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre, viewed 29 April 2019, https://www.questacon.edu.au/business/a-message-from-thedirector Education Council 2015, National STEM School Educational Strategy, viewed 30th of March 2019, http://www.educationcouncil. edu.au/site/DefaultSite/filesystem/documents/National%20 STEM%20School%20Education%20Strategy.pdf Firefly Education, 2019, About, 4th of April 2019, https://www. fireflyeducation.com.au/about/ Forbes.com. (2019). Council Post: 11 Trends That Will Shape Marketing In 2019, viewed 09 April 2019, https://www.forbes.com/ sites/forbesagencycouncil/2019/01/15/11-trends-that-will-shapemarketing-in-2019/#1fa4fdf436a6 Google.com. (2019). Questacon google reviews - Google Search, viewed 10 April 2019, https://www.google.com/search?q=questaco n+google+reviews&oq=questacon+google+reviews&aqs=chrome..6 9i57.5394j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#lrd=0x6b164d175efe bf79:0x5c5077cc17839be5,1,,,
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Inc.com. (2019). 5 Artificial Intelligence Trends to Watch in 2019, viewed 06 April 2019, https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneurcouncil/5-artificial-intelligence-trends-to-watch-in-2019.html Industry, Innovation and Science (2019). Portfolio Budget Statements 2019-20 Budget Related Paper No. 1.11. Canberra: Australian Government, p.14, viewed 05 April 2019, https://www. industry.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-04/2019-20-departmentof-industry-innovation-and-science-pbs.pdf Kempler, L, Kutner, E, Young, I, Clark, G, Pearson, S, Bennett, A, Barovich, K. 2018. Questacon Advisory Council Submission to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Canberra’s National Cultural Institutions. Questacon Advisory Council, Canberra. Viewed 29th April 2019. https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=df605c13-dafc4d06-a0e0-52ac701816b8&subId=565950 Leigh, A. 2016. LABOR’S POSITIVE PLAN FOR THE ACT - Media Release. Andrew Leigh MP, Viewed 29th April 2019 http://www.andrewleigh.com/labor_s_positive_plan_for_the_act Microsoft, 2017, Closing the STEM Gap: Why STEM classes and careers still lack girls and what we can do about it, 4th of April 2019, https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/ RE1UMWz Patel, K. (2017). What is Augmented Analytics and Why Does it Matter? – DATAVERSITY, viewed 06 April 2019, https://www. dataversity.net/augmented-analytics-matter/# Pfeiffer, L 2017, ‘Explainer: STEM, and what it means to Australia’s education system’, The Sydney morning herald, viewed 30th of March 2019, https://www.smh.com.au/education/explainer-stemand-what-it-means-to-australias-education-system-20170105gtm93f.html Questacon - The National Science and Technology Centre. n.d. Customer Service Charter. Viewed 29th of April 2019 https://www. questacon.edu.au/business/customer-service-charter
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Shleyner, E. 2018. The Ideal Social Media Post Length: A Guide for Every Platform. Hootsuite Social Media Management. Viewed 29th April 2019 https://blog.hootsuite.com/ideal-social-media-postlength Stile, 2019, Lessons, 4th of April 2019, https://stileeducation.com/ lessons The Office of the Chief Scientist 2016, Women in STEM: A Story of Attrition, viewed 2nd of April 2019, https://www.chiefscientist.gov. au/wp-content/uploads/OCS_Women_in_STEM_datasheet.pdf The Office of the Chief Scientist 2016, Australia’s STEM Workforce, viewed 2nd of April 2019, https://www.chiefscientist.gov.au/wpcontent/uploads/Infographic-1-pager.pdf West, M 2012, Office of the Chief Scientist, STEM Education and the Workplace, viewed 30th of March 2019, https:// www.chiefscientist.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/OPS4STEMEducationAndTheWorkplace-web.pdf
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The Questacon Project Team: Gabrielle Markulin Tilly Hammond Kevin Diep 43
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