Challenge

Following a name change from Mobay to Miles, Inc., and then to Bayer, Miles/Bayer was looking to reintroduce itself to communities near its operating locations nationwide. Science was the common denominator across all its lines of business.

Dymun + Company helped Miles to establish a national science education and literacy program that would establish the company as a national leader on this issue and strengthen its relationship with local communities. Two years into the program, Miles’ name was changed to Bayer, and Dymun + Company was enlisted to help with the transition

Strategy

Dymun + Company positioned Miles/Bayer as a leader on the issues of science education and science literacy through a national program involving everything from mailing butterfly larvae to business media and education writers, to developing community advertising aimed at parents.

Major campaigns included development of the “Miles Ahead in Science” program, including national issue advertising, corporate positioning and national and local media relations. Dymun + Company also helped to establish a Consortium of education and civic leaders to retrain teachers in teaching Science through hands-on activities.
As Miles changed to Bayer, Dymun + Company transitioned the science initiative into “Making Science Make Sense,” a nationally recognized program that involves branding, corporate positioning, internal communications, advocacy advertising, employee volunteerism, national and local media relations.

The agency also created the “Everyday Science” radio program, heard on National Public Radio stations around the country, that helps listeners to understand the science behind everyday questions such as ‘How does popcorn pop?’ and ‘Why is the sky blue?’ as an accompaniment to the “Making Science Make Sense” campaign.

Results

The program established Bayer as the recognized national leader in science education and literacy and strengthened relationships with community leaders at Bayer sites nationwide.

The Bayer Corporation saw a five-fold increase in employee volunteerism and the White House recognized the effort as an outstanding program for volunteerism.
Media impressions are in the hundreds of millions over the past 10 years, and the Public Relations Society of American and CIPRA have given the project national awards.

The program received recognition by the National Science Foundation as an exemplary model for improving science education and science literacy.