Space Marketing: A European Perspective

Space activities are currently in a transitional phase: the shift from publicly financed to private activities is a result of reduced public funding and increased commercial space opportunities. This leads to an increased commercial space marketing mix and marketing management. A classical `4Ps' approach is proposed, covering the Product, Price, Physical distribution, and Promotion of space activities. Special emphasis is placed on technology transfer, spin-off, and intellectual property aspects, as well as on aspects of space economy, such as alternate financing schemes like PPP (Public-Private Partnership) and sponsoring. However, space activists require broad public support and the exploratory aspect of space activities, the `Space Frontier' dimensions should not be ignored. For this reason, the philosophical dimension as an integral part of the marketing mix is elaborated in detail. The approach is illustrated with two case studies: commercialisation of the International Space Station (ISS) and the emerging Space Tourism market.