6 minute read
Company Profile - Science Museum
All a learning curve
The Science Museum Group has recently unveiled its official new STEM badge and packaging style guide, marking the next phase of the Licensing team’s efforts to reach more kids than ever before. Laura Southall, head of Learning at Science Museum Group, and Amy Harbour, head of Licensing and Commercial Partnerships, tell Toy World’s Rachael Simpson-Jones what the new guide means for licensees and consumers as the museum ramps up its efforts to inspire the scientists of tomorrow.
Outside her office, Laura informs me, is a large number of excited schoolchildren: so many, headphones and a microphone are required for our Zoom call, to ensure we can actually hear each other speak. As we approach the end of term time and the start of the summer holidays, school visits to the museum go up a gear with thousands of schoolchildren coming through the doors every day (the museum receives around 350-400,000 visits from educational groups each year). That number rises to 1m children a year when you factor in visiting families. And every single one of these children comes to the museum to learn: to learn about physics, gravity, maths, space, the oceans, the human body, AI, aviation and much more. That’s where Laura comes in.
One of her team’s three core pillars - alongside Community Partnerships, and Events such as Astronights sleepovers and adapted visits for those with additional needs - is Schools and Families, ensuring the museum’s exhibits, interactive galleries and explainer shows are educational and engaging for visitors of all ages. Laura has been Head of Learning for four years, though the museum has catered its learning towards children since 1931, when its first Children’s Gallery opened. Over those nearly 100 years, it’s safe to say Science Museum has become rather good at it.
“Our approach is to get kids learning through play, often via the simplest scientific principles using what are essentially big toys,” Laura explains. “Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery, our popular interactive gallery, gives kids insight into what it’s like to be a technician within a whole range of different industries, including medical
and manufacturing. Elsewhere in the museum, numerous interactive exhibits get visitors hands-on with science. For example, we have a water installation that asks young scientists to consider which toy boat might be the fastest, and construction tasks that get builders pondering what they need to do to make something capable of remaining standing.”
All of this is supported by skilled Explainers with varied backgrounds and differing scientific interests. This enthusiastic bunch make it their mission to help visitors to Science Museum truly understand the wonders of science: how much of it is involved in the most seemingly mundane everyday events, the career opportunities it offers. Crucially, they’re also there to help kids learn the why behind the wow – which is exactly what the museum’s Licensing team is setting out to do with its new STEM badge and packaging style guide, which are being rolled out this year.
“The new badge and guide mark the first time the Licensing team here at Science Museum has actually taken some time to sit back and pay attention to exactly how the Learning team does what it does,” explains Amy Harbour, Head of Licensing and Commercial Partnerships. “We’ve all been utterly inspired by Laura and her team, and the amazing impact they have on our visitors. What we’ve learned is that everyone has a certain amount of science knowledge, as minimal as it may be, and we’re trying to find new ways to increase that knowledge by partnering with toy companies to identify and tease out the STEM principles in their products.”
Ultimately, the aim of the badge and new packaging is to help guide consumers towards the most educational toys with the biggest learning outcomes. As part of the roll-out, Amy’s Licensing team is working with licensees to assess how a toy, whether one that already exists in the marketplace or a brand-new concept, can be enhanced and elevated with clearer on-pack messaging and consistent Science Museum branding that appeals to a wide consumer age-range. According to Amy, the reality is that there are many STEM toys out there that are flying under the radar for want of more
obvious on-pack wording or photography, or packaging that reflects the excitement contained within. The Science Museum wants to find these toys and shine a light on them by collaborating with their creators on a licensing agreement that benefits both parties. Such partnerships mean the museum can inspire and educate even more children, while licensees can enjoy working with one of the UK’s most trusted educational institutions.
“Consumers know they want an educational slant to the toy they are buying, but when faced with too many choices and not enough support, it can be overwhelming and confusing,” Amy notes. “By working with us, our licensees can provide much-needed clarity for those consumers.”
She continues: “Within the STEM toys category, boring packaging can be a challenge. Our design team has done an amazing job, working with our eye-catching colours and brand aesthetic to create packaging that massively appeals to gift buyers – be that family or friends – as well as the child the toy is destined for.”
Reassuringly, Amy is clear that the roll-out leaves no room for so-called ‘brand slapping’: the museum’s new STEM badge will not be given to any product, toy or otherwise, that doesn’t reflect STEM principles. To Laura’s amusement, Amy jokes that her team looks at each product up for consideration and asks: “What would Laura think of this?” If Laura or her team wouldn’t consider it educational, it doesn’t make the cut.
“A lot of people grow up thinking science isn’t for them, but it is actually, science is for absolutely everyone – and learning is in our DNA here at Science Museum, the UK’s premiere attraction for school groups,” Laura enthuses. “We’re at the forefront of informal science learning seven days a week and we take such pride in our jobs, and in our responsibility to kids and families. I’m delighted to see the next chapter of our mission – ‘Inspiring futures’ – come to life via the Licensing team’s latest initiative. Any area we can extend this mission into has to be fully explored, and I think the new STEM badge and packaging guide will really help us forge that path ahead.”
