How Can National Achievements Be Turned into Marketing and Economic Value?

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite in history, putting it ahead of the United States in a field where the latter considered itself scientifically and technologically advanced.

The achievement was not simply about sending a satellite into space. It was a message to the world about the Soviet Union’s capabilities. The question then went beyond who had reached space first to who possessed the technology and ability to lead the future.

Four years later, the Soviets succeeded in sending Yuri Gagarin into space as the first human to do so, further strengthening that image.

A 1959 U.S. document on the effect of space programs on global public opinion even noted that Sputnik’s launch changed how the world viewed the Soviet Union’s capabilities and standing.

The United States therefore faced a challenge greater than simply catching up with its competitor scientifically.

How could it restore its image as a global leader in science and technology?

How did America turn the space race into part of its global image?

The United States established NASA in 1958 and expanded its investment in research and development and space programs, until the space program became one of the most prominent projects demonstrating American capabilities.

But what deserves closer study is not only the scale of the investment. It is how a scientific project became a story known and followed by millions of people.

Space missions, astronauts, tests, and expeditions were all events covered by the media and followed by the public.

America was showing the world what its institutions, scientists, and engineers could achieve.

Over time, NASA became associated in many people’s minds with scientific progress, innovation, and American engineering.

Of course, we cannot attribute this standing to marketing alone, because it was built on real scientific and engineering achievements. But the way those achievements were presented helped build an international image that extended beyond the project itself.

This highlights an important idea: a national achievement can affect more than the sector in which it was achieved. It can also strengthen perceptions of a country’s capabilities in other sectors.

This brings us to another aspect of the American experience.

How did companies strengthen their brands through NASA?

As the space race became a global event, brands began using public interest in NASA to market their products.

Some products were actually used on space missions. Others drew on the event in creative advertising, while some companies built commercial products using technologies that emerged from NASA-related research.

One example I find particularly interesting is the story of Tang.

How did an ordinary drink become associated with astronauts?

General Foods introduced Tang in 1959, but its connection to the American space program gave it a different marketing opportunity.

The drink was used on John Glenn’s 1962 flight and on later space missions.

In an advertisement published in 1966, the company linked Tang’s selection for the Gemini program astronauts to its availability for American families.

The idea was simple: if astronauts drink Tang, why not choose it for your family?

The product’s function did not change, and it did not become a new piece of technology. What changed was the story used to present it to consumers.

Its association with astronauts became part of its marketing image.

What stands out is that the advertisement did not need a lengthy explanation of the product’s quality. It used the choice of a well-known scientific organization to build credibility with consumers.

Omega: When an achievement becomes evidence of product performance

The story of the Omega Speedmaster was different.

Astronauts used the watch on NASA missions, and it became associated with the first human landing on the Moon in 1969.

This gave the brand an opportunity to market the watch through its actual use in exceptional conditions, rather than relying only on familiar advertising messages about quality and durability.

Although Omega is a Swiss brand, it shows how the marketing value of an American achievement can extend to companies outside the United States.

Volkswagen: Capitalizing on global interest in the space race

In 1969, Volkswagen released an advertisement featuring an image of the lunar module with a line meaning:

“Maybe it’s not beautiful, but it gets you where you’re going.”

The company did not build the lunar module, but the advertisement linked the spacecraft’s reliability with Volkswagen cars.

This kind of marketing shows that a company does not always need to take part in an achievement to benefit from the public interest around it, as long as the connection is clear and not misleading.

What is striking about these examples is that the companies did not use the event in the same way. Each chose the angle that served its products and market position.

From space advertising to mattresses and pillows

This type of marketing shows that a company does not always need to take part in an achievement to benefit from the public interest around it, as long as the connection is clear and not misleading.

What is striking about these examples is that the companies did not use the event in the same way. Each chose the angle that served its products and market position.

From space advertising to mattresses and pillows

The story of memory foam is one of the clearest examples of scientific research becoming commercial products.

The technology was developed as part of a NASA-funded project in the late 1960s to improve shock absorption and protect passengers in aircraft seats.

Over time, the technology moved into a range of commercial applications, including mattresses and pillows.

Later, brands such as TEMPUR built part of their marketing identity around the technology’s connection to space research.

This is about more than using a well-known event in an advertisement.

We are talking about a technology that originated in a research project, moved into the private sector, and evolved into products consumers buy.

NASA has a dedicated program for transferring technology to the private sector. It also publishes Spinoff, a magazine documenting commercial applications of technologies connected to its research.

Since 1976, the magazine has documented more than 2,000 products and services that have benefited from NASA technologies and expertise.

In my view, this is one of the most important aspects of the American experience: a national project produced more than a scientific achievement. It also helped build knowledge and technologies that later became commercial opportunities.

What about Saudi Arabia?

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has achieved milestones across many fields, from space and scientific research to industry, infrastructure, and advanced technologies.

What I believe deserves discussion is how we can build on these achievements to create marketing and commercial opportunities for Saudi companies.

We do not necessarily need to copy the American experience, but we can learn from its central idea: How can a national achievement create value that lasts beyond the event itself?

Saudi Arabia’s space mission: does the story end when the astronauts return to Earth?

In May 2023, Rayyanah Barnawi and Ali Alqarni reached the International Space Station as part of a Saudi mission that included 11 scientific experiments, as well as educational experiments involving 12,000 students.

This was an achievement for Saudi capabilities in the space sector and an opportunity to introduce the public to national talent and scientific research.

But let us look at it from a business development perspective.

What if there were an initiative connecting the results of this research with Saudi companies and exploring how the resulting technologies could be turned into commercial products?

For example, if research in human health demonstrated the potential to develop a medical technology, its application could be explored in partnership with universities, companies, and investors, after confirming its scientific and commercial viability.

Instead of letting the story end with the mission’s success, we could begin a new story about a Saudi product developed from space-related research.

Proposed initiative: Saudi Space to Market — From Space to Market

The idea is to connect space research with technology transfer and product development opportunities, while creating content that documents the innovation journey from research to market.

This is not an existing initiative whose results we are reporting. It is an idea I am putting forward as a model that could be studied and developed.

Mishaal Alshammari: A Saudi example of innovation in the space sector

One Saudi story worth exploring is that of engineer Mishaal Alshammari.

Mishaal is a Saudi engineer specializing in aerospace and rocket engineering. At the age of 26, she founded MISHAAL Aerospace in the United States to develop rockets designed to launch small satellites.

She has also worked on 22 rocket programs at Raytheon, in addition to advisory roles connected to the space sector.

Her story matters not only because she is a Saudi engineer who entered a specialized field, but also because she moved into technology entrepreneurship.

I see a broader opportunity in how stories about Saudi talent are presented.

Instead of only sharing an individual achievement, why not also explain the technology the person works on, the challenges they have solved, and the opportunities they could offer the market?

This kind of content can help build the country’s reputation while introducing investors and companies to Saudi expertise and talent.

This does not mean that all of these experts or projects were established in the Kingdom. It does mean we can explore ways to attract knowledge and connect it with local commercial and industrial opportunities.

Water technologies: marketing expertise and engineering capabilities

In February 2025, the Saudi Water Authority achieved a world record for a reverse osmosis desalination plant in Al Khobar, with a production capacity exceeding 670,000 cubic meters per day.

This achievement offers a different example from space.

Here, we have a major engineering and operational project in a sector that presents a challenge for many countries around the world.

This could inspire a marketing concept for international markets titled:

Engineered in Saudi Arabia

The concept would present case studies of projects, technologies, and engineering expertise in the Kingdom, highlighting the actual contributions of Saudi companies to their delivery.

The campaign would not simply announce the project’s scale. It would present the solutions used, performance levels, and the capabilities of companies that could offer their services or products in other markets.

In this way, we connect the reputation created by an achievement with opportunities to market engineering services and develop business.

How can we connect Saudi products with these achievements?

Saudi Arabia already has the “Made in Saudi” program, one of the initiatives working to strengthen the identity of national products and their presence in markets.

We could build on this identity with an additional marketing concept:

Behind Saudi Innovation

Imagine a campaign showing the story of how a Saudi product is developed: from the initial idea, through research, design, and testing, to manufacturing and sales.

Instead of telling consumers, “Buy this product because it is Saudi,” the message becomes, “Discover the capabilities, technologies, and quality behind this Saudi product.”

The idea could also expand into joint campaigns between companies and research organizations, where there is genuine collaboration that can be demonstrated.

This gives us more persuasive marketing content, especially when targeting markets outside the Kingdom.

How can these ideas create economic value?

In my view, it is not enough for a campaign linked to a national achievement to attract millions of views for us to consider it successful.

What matters is defining the value we want to create before launching it.

If the goal is to build the country’s reputation in a particular sector, we need to measure changes in awareness, trust, and perceptions among the target audience.

If the goal is to support companies, we need to know whether the initiative helped increase demand, reach new customers, or build business partnerships.

For technology transfer, the indicators are different and may include the number of products developed, licensing agreements, or revenue generated from commercial applications.

That is why I believe investment in national achievements can be viewed through four connected stages:

National achievement → Building reputation and trust → Developing commercial opportunities → Measuring economic impact

The relationship between these stages is not automatic. Each stage requires accountable organizations, delivery mechanisms, investment, and indicators that measure actual results.

It is also important to distinguish the value of marketing campaigns from the value of the innovation itself. A strong reputation can help open opportunities, but it cannot replace product quality or commercial viability.

From celebrating an achievement to extending its impact

The American experience with NASA is worth studying because it brings together several dimensions: building an international image, companies marketing their products through a national event, and transferring technologies developed through research to the private sector.

In Saudi Arabia, we have scientific, engineering, and industrial achievements, as well as companies, talent, and research organizations that could contribute to similar opportunities in ways suited to our sectors and markets.

I believe the greatest opportunity lies not in producing more campaigns that celebrate achievements, but in developing ways for their impact to continue through products, innovation, partnerships, and business growth.

A national achievement may end as an event, but its value can last for years when we know how to build on it.

This raises a question I believe is worth discussing:

How Can National Achievements Be Turned into Marketing and Economic Value?