Presentations Besides scholastic, media, and written forms of education, there is also the opportunity to educate people through special presentations on the Space Solar Power Program. In this direction, particular attention needs to be paid to methods of communicating with the public. First of all we have to remember that generally people have no particular interest in the Space Solar Power Program—it is our task to create this interest. The presentation of the project has to be neither boring nor patronizing. One of the most proven techniques in this regard is to send IPSO speakers to appropriate social events of large public attraction; they can present the most significant features of the importance of the Space Solar Power Program. Multidisciplinary conferences and workshops are good ways to communicate more specialistic issues about it; these will be addressed to that part of the public which has a higher level of education but not necessarily a scientific or technical background. They will be prepared keeping in mind that an architect or the biologist will have a different approach to the subject than an engineer or a physicist. The goal of these events is to help the general public to critically and competently deal with the Space Solar Power Program debate. We would like to have an informed, and not a merely emotional, response to the initiative for solar power from space. Image and Information Policy The Image of the Space Solar Power Program is a vital factor in the survival and funding of the organization. Externally, the public image of the Program can make or break the organization because it has the key element to gaining public approval. Internally, it needs a well-defined corporate identity as a way of maintaining morale, inspiring dedication and loyalty, and unifying the members of the organization. Image Policy The public image of the Space Solar Power Program has to be carefully engineered. This must be done by coordinating the visions and work of the public relations team and the top management of the organization, and lower level organization members. It is vital that a consistent image be defined and communicated internally to the entire organization so that it will be reflected in the external communications of the Space Solar Power Program from all levels within the organization. Because of the high potential for criticism from environmentally-minded special interest groups who oppose microwave beaming for various reasons, it is important to construct a pro-environment image for the Space Solar Power Program. This image should position it as an attempt to help save the environment, not merely as a profit-making venture. Indeed, the profitability of the Space Solar Power Program should be de-emphasized to avoid creating an image of a greedy organization willing to endanger the health and safety of the masses in order to make a profit. Instead of emphasizing profit, it should emphasize break-even. This has the added benefit of heading off criticism that it will be a money pit. The Space Solar Power Program should seek to build an inspiring profile. This can be done through public relations literature/presentations/video which emphasizes the innovation, grand scale, future vision, and new frontiers introduced by the Space Solar Power Program. It is also important to convey a sense of historical purpose, the public should come away with a sense of how and where the Space Solar Power Program fits into the current and future social, technological, ecological, and political environments. The Space Solar Power Program should choose an effective logo and attractive yet functional formats for organizational stationery. The colors and design aesthetic should convey the orientation of the organization; for example, consider earthy colors and rounded geometries for an environmentally- minded appearance, and on the other hand, primary colors or grays, and angular geometries for a high-power corporate appearance. It would be a good idea to print organizational literature on recycled paper that includes the standard logo/note to this effect. Establishing a strong and effective public image is a dynamic process. In the early stages, much of the work is done through presentations and literature. Later on however, it is mostly done through the media. At this stage of the game, image must be actively maintained and supported through an iterative adaptive process. As criticisms and threats appear, they must be analyzed and responded to as quickly as possible. If a criticism is not met with a response, it is regarded as true by those who witness it and also by those who originated it. Such a situation has to be anticipated and defended against.
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