The Fine Line Between Creating Curiosity and Creating Controversy

You’ve probably heard the adage, “There is no such thing as bad publicity.” A study published in Marketing Science concluded, “Although negative publicity is not always a good thing, in some cases, negative can actually be positive” (Berger, Sorensen, & Rasmussen, 2010). As a science center, you want to pique interest and perhaps push your marketing comfort zone in order to create a buzz, but there are always risks when you push the envelope.

From May to September 2013, Science World British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, presented an exhibition entitled The Science of Sexuality. The marketing campaign included radio and print ads, as well as a TV ad and some bus stop shelter posters. The marketing efforts were designed to be intriguing and even a little edgy, but not offensive or controversial.

The run of the exhibition went pretty smoothly, with mainly positive feedback, but in the last month, unexpected attention placed the exhibition in a whole new light.