STEM, short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, is a way of learning – a cohesive learning paradigm if you want to be fancy about it – that is getting our educationalists, in and outside, government, very excited indeed.
The idea is fundamentally quite simple.
Applied learning, that’s the nub of it. And it has to be fun. Because kids, well, kids are kids. They want to create things, make things, build things. Try things.
“Aha!” the commercial brand guardians are saying. We like this a lot.
Look around Amazon and you’ll see plenty of toys labelled STEM ready or STEM friendly. But are they? And why are all those STEM logos a little bit different? What are the rules here? Who is calling the STEM shots?
The fact is, no-one. Governments around the globe are switching on to the concept of STEM .
The future is STEM. But those governments, including our own, are relatively new to this.
At Rabbit Communications we believe too many brands are looking at things the wrong way round. Instead of asking what STEM can do for them, brands should be asking, what can we do for STEM?
Remember Meccano? The key is engaging kids and winning round parents who suspect that the education to which they were subjected was a little too linear or, let’s be honest, completely irrelevant. Brands who are bright enough will see that the marketing opportunities are much, much wider than product alone; they are in sponsorship, funding educational programs, hosting fun-packed STEM sessions in shopping centres or at family-friendly festivals.
The messaging can be really simple, too. Imagine if Barbie or Action Man hosted a TED Talks JNR channel or every packet of Walkers crisps showed what you can make with discarded crisp packets. Our streets might be a lot cleaner for a start!
So what’s stopping brands doing this?
Not a lot. Education, maybe. I believe many brands take the easy option because they feel they lack authority or are fearful of getting it wrong. They don’t want to miss out and it’s often easier – and the gains more clear cut – to think in product badging terms than in more comprehensive initiatives that have longer term benefits.
If you would like to join one of our regular ‘Brands in the world of STEM’ sessions drop me a line at info@wearerabbits.com or call the team on 0203 011 3124.
