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  Marketing the Moon (Richard Jurek, David M. Scott) (Page 1)

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Author Topic:   Marketing the Moon (Richard Jurek, David M. Scott)
Robert Pearlman
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posted 10-19-2013 11:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Marketing the Moon: The Selling of the Apollo Lunar Program
by David Meerman Scott and Richard Jurek
Foreword by Gene Cernan
In July 1969, ninety-four percent of American televisions were tuned to coverage of Apollo 11's mission to the moon. How did space exploration, once the purview of rocket scientists, reach a larger audience than My Three Sons? Why did a government program whose standard operating procedure had been secrecy turn its greatest achievement into a communal experience? In Marketing the Moon, David Meerman Scott and Richard Jurek tell the story of one of the most successful marketing and public relations campaigns in history: the selling of the Apollo program.

Primed by science fiction, magazine articles, and appearances by Wernher von Braun on the "Tomorrowland" segments of the Disneyland prime time television show, Americans were a receptive audience for NASA's pioneering "brand journalism." Scott and Jurek describe sophisticated efforts by NASA and its many contractors to market the facts about space travel -- through press releases, bylined articles, lavishly detailed background materials, and fully produced radio and television features -- rather than push an agenda. American astronauts, who signed exclusive agreements with Life magazine, became the heroic and patriotic faces of the program. And there was some judicious product placement: Hasselblad was the "first camera on the moon"; Sony cassette recorders and supplies of Tang were on board the capsule; and astronauts were equipped with the Exer-Genie personal exerciser. Everyone wanted a place on the bandwagon.

Generously illustrated with vintage photographs, artwork, and advertisements, many never published before, Marketing the Moon shows that when Neil Armstrong took that giant leap for mankind, it was a triumph not just for American engineering and rocketry but for American marketing and public relations.

  • Hardcover: 144 pages
  • Publisher: The MIT Press (February 28, 2014)
  • ISBN-10: 0262026961
  • ISBN-13: 978-0262026963

ColinBurgess
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posted 10-19-2013 11:56 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ColinBurgess   Click Here to Email ColinBurgess     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just in case anyone fails to make the connection, the authors are both long-time collectSPACE contributors. I have had the privilege of seeing some preview material from this book and if one word can sum it up, that word is superb. This will be a terrific book, well told, beautifully illustrated, on an intriguing subject.

freshspot
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posted 10-20-2013 04:30 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you Robert for posting the information about our book and Colin for the kind words.

Rich and I have been working on this project for some three years. The marketing aspects of the Apollo program is a fascinating topic for both of us as we are both professional marketers, both authors (I have 8 other books on marketing and Rich writes about marketing for magazines) and we are both passionate space collectors (as many here know).

But the Apollo marketing story had never been told in the way we thought it should. There are so many aspects where the marketing story is untold and even some where the record is just plain wrong.

We interviewed dozens of Apollo-era astronauts, NASA PAO officers, contractor public relations people, and journalists who covered the program. And we drew from our collections of Apollo materials so that many of the 300+ color illustrations have never been published before.

We're working with MIT Press on the final edits now and the book is scheduled for publication in very early March, 2014.

David Scott
(not the astronaut)

Rick Mulheirn
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posted 10-20-2013 06:13 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rick Mulheirn   Click Here to Email Rick Mulheirn     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Looking forward to it.

rjurek349
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posted 10-20-2013 07:43 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, thank you Robert for announcing the book! To echo David's comments, this really has been a three year labor of love on the book, exploring a lot of stories and topics that really have never been published before.

We met so many fascinating and critical behind the scenes folks, and we learned a lot from them about how the story of Apollo was told through the media, and marketed via business and the contractors. The combination of original interviews, along with all the illustrations and sidebar captions, we think will appeal to both enthusiasts and collectors as well.

Many of the illustrations and original artifacts in the book have never been published before... so there will be (or should be) something new for just about everyone when they pick up the book.

I also want to publicly thank David for bringing me along for the ride on this book. It was his idea, and he brought me under the tent at an ASF event many years ago. As we discussed it over the years, and chatted with many astronauts about the subject of PR/Marketing during their time in the space program, it became more and more real (and urgent) for us to write this book.

And a special shout out also goes to Captain Eugene Cernan for kindly offering to write the foreword to the book. He eloquently sets the tone for the book, and the chapters that follow.

4allmankind
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posted 10-21-2013 01:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for 4allmankind   Click Here to Email 4allmankind     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I know how hard these two have been working on this book so I'm certain its going to be an A+ product.

I'll certainly line up to own this book. My only question is on the completion fee to get BOTH Rich and David to sign it.

mode1charlie
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posted 10-21-2013 07:48 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mode1charlie   Click Here to Email mode1charlie     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sounds very interesting - and relevant for going forward.

I just pre-ordered it.

freshspot
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posted 10-22-2013 02:38 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Regarding the fee - ha!! Rich and I would be happy to sign of course. But we can't speak for Gene Cernan! And a true crew would be all three of us.

garymilgrom
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posted 10-22-2013 07:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
So that's a completion fee then David?

I've pre-ordered this too. Looks great. And Captain Cernan has never stopped marketing returning to the moon.

Gilbert
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posted 10-22-2013 07:53 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Gilbert   Click Here to Email Gilbert     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I'm really looking forward to this book and its unique perspective on the space/Apollo progam.

DougS
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posted 10-22-2013 09:55 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for DougS   Click Here to Email DougS     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for letting us know of this book! This looks great!!!

I try to limit myself now on the books and DVDs I buy on space history (otherwise my bookcase will explode along with my wife when the credit card bill comes). I now only buy books that cover topics that aren't already in books I own.

This is definitely one of those topics! Going to go over and pre-order it now.

freshspot
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posted 10-22-2013 11:23 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the pre-orders, guys. We appreciate it.

Four years ago, Rich and I were at an ASF show lamenting about how the marketing aspects of Apollo were either not known or worse, mis-represented. We said we wanted a book on this topic.

After bitching about it for a while, we decided that we needed to set the record straight by writing the book we wanted to read.

Fortunately dozens of people who were involved from NASA, the contractors, and the news media agreed to speak on the record and we're thrilled to capture their thoughts as well as many documents that haven't been published before..

rjurek349
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posted 10-22-2013 11:49 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
...and tell stories that haven't been heard before. That was the fun for both of us in writing this book — talking to a lot of the unsung heroes and uncovering those golden nugget stories that really highlight the marketing and PR work that was done by the astronauts, NASA PAO, the contractors, and the media.

We really appreciate everyone's support, because David and I feel strongly that these are stories that needed to be told. I think you all will enjoy the final product.

rjurek349
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posted 11-04-2013 09:15 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am thrilled to share with you some of the pre-publication reviews and endorsements for Marketing the Moon. These will be appearing on Amazon and elsewhere shortly, but we wanted to give our friends at collectSPACE a sneak peak:
"Don't think for a moment that NASA masterminded a PR campaign that brought the Apollo missions into our living rooms. Just like everything else about the moon program, how — and how much — to share Apollo with the public was a learn-as-you-go affair that involved not only NASA's public affairs office but top NASA managers and even astronauts. As this excellent and informative book details, even the idea of live television from the moon was a matter of heated debate, and there were moments when it might've gone the other way. Thank heaven it didn't: When humans first voyaged to the moon, they took the world along." — Andrew Chaikin, author of A Man on the Moon

"To call the Apollo Program the greatest marketing exploit of the 20th century is not hyperbole, but, as David Meerman Scott and Richard Jurek show us, simply a statement of fact. Thanks to this thorough and detailed account, we can better understand not just the talent and dedication of the Mad-Men-era professionals who sold the Moon to a global public, but also the larger transformation of statecraft into stagecraft, and the enduring and irreversible transformation of the public sphere into an enterprise of image creation, and manipulation." — Nicholas de Monchaux, Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Design, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo

"We have long known that NASA mobilized a broad public relations campaign supporting the Apollo program of the 1960s. We have not known until now with the publication of Marketing the Moon by David Meerman Scott and Richard Jurek the details of this public relations campaign. Scott and Jurek offer a compelling account of these great efforts, informed by interviews with many of the participants, and well-illustrated by unique imagery and documents." — Roger Launius, Senior Curator, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

"President Kennedy hoped the nation would succeed in sending a man into space and landing on the moon. Though he did not live to see it happen, his dream was fulfilled. David Meerman Scott and Richard Jurek's Marketing the Moon shows us in vivid detail what it took to make this happen. This is one of the great stories of the twentieth century." — Alan Brinkley, Allan Nevins Professor of American History, Columbia University

"Marketing the Moon is a fascinating look at how NASA and its partners brought the Moon to the world's living rooms. Apollo's revered place in the collective imagination stems, in large part, from the efforts detailed in this book." — Fritz Johnston, Vice President, Brand and Advertising, The Boeing Company

GoesTo11
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posted 11-06-2013 07:19 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for GoesTo11   Click Here to Email GoesTo11     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I initially overlooked this thread, but now I'm really excited about this book! As a space geek who a) has some professional experience and interest in marketing, and b) was born too late to experience the Apollo phenomenon firsthand, this should be right in my wheelhouse. It's also great to see an Apollo book that makes a genuinely new contribution to the literature of the subject.

mode1charlie
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posted 11-06-2013 08:22 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mode1charlie   Click Here to Email mode1charlie     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
David and Richard, you may want to consider finding out who's producing 'Cocoa Beach' - the TV show in development and send them a copy. I'm looking forward to the book and it sounds like it would be a much better basis for a TV show than Jay Barbree's book. Given the "Mad Men" reference and the fact that some of the writers from that show are supposedly working on 'Cocoa Beach', maybe they'd option it as a source.

freshspot
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posted 11-08-2013 03:42 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That is a great idea. Many thanks. We're on it.

rjurek349
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posted 11-08-2013 09:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Yes, thanks for the kind words on the book, and for the great idea.

SkyMan1958
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posted 11-08-2013 03:15 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SkyMan1958   Click Here to Email SkyMan1958     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Congratulations on all the Great reviews!

mode1charlie
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posted 11-08-2013 05:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for mode1charlie   Click Here to Email mode1charlie     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I could insert a joke about waiving my usual commission fee, but don't want to jinx anything. So just...break a leg. (It's bad luck to say "good luck" in show business. Or mention Shakespeare's "MacBeth" - it's called "the Scottish play" - but I digress...)

rjurek349
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posted 12-19-2013 04:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Received some advance copies today, and our designer and MIT did an AMAZING job in the production of this book. I posted a few pics to a Facebook album if you'd like to check it out. Books ship from MIT (and or Amazon, BN, etc.) at the end of February, as they are on their way (via boat I imagine) to the warehouses...

rjurek349
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posted 01-19-2014 11:57 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Got word today that the back cover of the February 2014 issue of Harper's magazine is running the following ad to promote MIT Press titles, including Marketing the Moon. Pretty cool. The book is still scheduled to ship the end of February.

garymilgrom
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posted 01-21-2014 06:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I just received notice from Amazon the book is delayed. They don't give a firm delivery date either. Anyone know what's up? Thank you.

rjurek349
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posted 01-21-2014 06:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Gary - As far as I am aware, the book is not delayed. I have been getting that notice myself periodically from Amazon, which is pretty much just a courtesy email letting me know that the book is not yet released. (It is still a good month away from release date - and my understanding from the press has always been it would ship toward the end of February, not the middle). So we are still right on schedule. If there is a delay, it would only be a matter of shipping days, rather than anything major. But as I say, we are on schedule.

cspg
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posted 01-21-2014 07:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The MIT Press gives March as a release date.

rjurek349
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posted 01-21-2014 10:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
To clarify dates, I spoke with the press. The official publication date is March 27, which means the date when books are in the majority of physical bookstores in North America. It is likely that books will ship earlier from some online bookstores like Amazon, as they release the books as soon as they arrive to their warehouses, which can be as early as the end of February in this case. (Which kind of argues for doing an advance order via Amazon, if you are anxious to read the book.)

It will obviously take a little longer for the book to reach other parts of the world.

So, not too far off from earlier estimates by Amazon. But it is more art than science, with the different meanings behind "publication date," "release date," and the all important "ship date." Not exactly the type of precision timing of, say, a Saturn V launch!

freshspot
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posted 01-22-2014 01:27 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
And just a side note - we are not going to do an e-version of the book. The images just don't look good in the basic e-readers. So it is all about the physical book!

rjurek349
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posted 01-22-2014 06:54 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
And, just for fun, for those who want to track the progress of our book as it makes it's way to the Port of New York, you can follow along on this real-time ship tracking link.

The books are aboard the MSC RANiA currently on the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and Tunisia.

fredtrav
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posted 01-22-2014 10:02 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for fredtrav   Click Here to Email fredtrav     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Are the books being sold on Amazon actually coming from your publisher. I know there have been issues with some space titles issued by Amazon not having the quality of the books offered by other outlets. Amazon doing in house printing seems to be a problem.

rjurek349
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posted 01-22-2014 10:24 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Good question -- and yes, they are actually coming from MIT Press, via their printer. They have done a phenomenal job in designing and packaging this book. Take a look at the link above to my Facebook gallery of some images. There will not be a "print-on-demand" at point of sale option on this, for quality control reasons. It is a wonderfully designed and produced book. I think you will really enjoy it.

ColinBurgess
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posted 01-22-2014 04:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for ColinBurgess   Click Here to Email ColinBurgess     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Richard and David have confirmed they will be at Spacefest VI in Pasadena in May.

rjurek349
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posted 01-29-2014 10:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I am pleased to announce that, because of strong pre-publication demand, the book is now going into a second printing. Just got word this morning from MIT Press that the order has been placed. A big thank you for those who have placed advance orders.

freshspot
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posted 02-11-2014 07:33 AM           Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Documentary film rights to "Marketing the Moon" are being optioned by Robert Stone Productions.

Multi-tasking as a producer, director, writer, editor and cameraman, he has over the last 25 years developed a steady international reputation with a range of unique and critically acclaimed feature-documentaries about American history, pop-culture, the mass media and the environment.

Robert has had four films premiered at Sundance and an Academy Award nomination for Radio Bikini as best documentary film. He is passionate about space exploration and made Satellite Sky and Earth Days both featuring space themes.

Robert's latest film, Pandora’s Promise (2013) premiered at Sundance and is getting great buzz.

Robert is currently raising money to turn our book into a movie.

rjurek349
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posted 02-11-2014 09:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
David has written a nice announcement about the book on his website WebInkNow.

We have also launched a microsite for the book, and reviews are starting to come in.

We'll keep you all updated on the latest here on collectSPACE and on our Marketing the Moon website!

rjurek349
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posted 02-12-2014 09:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Another great by-lined article by David about the content and themes in Marketing the Moon. If you haven't ordered the book yet, and still wanted more info, this article provides a very good perspective on how we approached the subject and some of what we learned and present.

And if you like the article, please do help us spread the word and tweet, facebook, et al it out to your circle...

....did I mention the book was available for pre-order yet? :-)

rjurek349
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posted 02-13-2014 10:56 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Another good review, this one talking about the "quest speech" aspect of Apollo with Kennedy.

rjurek349
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posted 02-14-2014 08:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
A new review from a communicators perspective on Marketing the Moon, and the lessons to be learned from Marketing the Moon in a content driven world. Keith does a great job of spelling out some of the key lessons for content creators in marketing - and it also serves as a nice flattering review.

rjurek349
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posted 02-28-2014 09:19 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great news: books have finally made it out of the Port of New York after three weeks on the docks. They have been on their way to Amazon distribution centers over the last few days, so those who have pre-ordered, should start to get shipping notices soon from Amazon.

In the meantime, this newest review points out a lot of the key lessons from the book from a marketing and PR perspective -- messages underscored by our interviews with the NASA PAO and contractor marketers.

This great review is worth a read if you are still curious about the depth of content in the book.

Thanks again for everyone in the collectSPACE community who have supported us with this book. We give cS, and all of you, a shout out in the acknowledgements!

garymilgrom
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posted 02-28-2014 06:46 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for the update Richard. Like all cS'ers we look forward to personal mention in the book and participation in the royalties.

To the few who might not understand - Richard is a friend and this is meant as humor. Actually as humour.

rjurek349
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posted 03-01-2014 10:20 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for rjurek349   Click Here to Email rjurek349     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks, Gary!


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