Boosting Europe’s role in space and the role of space in Europe

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capabilities and ensure that its investments in space continue to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and around the world.

The Telecommunications and Integrated Applications (TIA) directorate of the European Space Agency (ESA), based in Paris, came to waveL in 2021 to ask for support in strategic business communication and messaging.

The mandate focused on a change in perspective and an alignment with the agency’s overall strategic plan: to shift the view of space activities and programmes from mission goals in orbit to the benefit of space systems on Earth. To explain the use of space for improving our life on Earth and enhanced capabilities in the sustainable use of our resources, in managing climate change and energy efficiency, in truly ubiquitous and fast connectivity and secure and sovereign architectures for security, mobility, health and education.

The main objectives of the approach were therefore twofold: on the one hand, to showcase the ‘down-to-Earth’ impact of ESA’s space programmes and the key role of space technologies in multiple market verticals, including telecommunications (5G/ 6G), transport, energy, health, education, and climate management. On the other hand, to highlight ESA’s excellence in business incubation and innovation, and its unique ability to create and orchestrate strong European and world-spanning Public-Private Partnerships.

The challenge was to step out of the comfort zone of b2b communication and reach larger audiences, from top decision-maker and C-levels to citizens and users who ultimately pay for publiocly funded or co-funded space programmes. A new challenge also arose from the orientation towards the commercialization of space: the birth and creation of new business models, the promotion of space in sectors that so far were unaware of its relevance, and the ambition to pull in investors and entrepreneurs that were not used to look at space opportunities. All this demanded a new communication and marketing approach and meant to no longer speak to experts and insiders only – but to large audiences and far-flung sectors that need to be convinced, in the first place of the benefits of space on Earth.

waveL developed a communications matrix, based on its methodology, helped formulate the directorate’s key programme pillars and translated them into narratives along the lines of relevant key topics. We organized the media outreach, prepared and conducted briefings and interviews with top tier and trade media and supported ESA’s communication team in its messaging and with curated content. We established an editorial routine, maintained a detailed communication plan and delivered, along the roadmap, on event logistics, speeches, briefings and documentations for over 60 international conferences, tradeshows, and ESA industry days.

To complement and boost these outreach activities, social media campaigns on the ESA-TIA Director’s Twitter and LinkedIn helped to increase visibility and gained one million cumulative impressions across key industries and a 180% increase in followers.

At the end of 2022, these activities contributed to build momentum in the ramp-up to the ESA Ministerial Conference in November 2022, which decided on a 20% increase in the directorate’s triannual budget from ESA Member States, totaling 1.9€ billion.

Client results

1,000,000 cumulative impressions gained over the campaign

180% increase in followers across LinkedIn and Twitter

60+ events supported