It can be hard to remember what life was like before we could put a phone in our pocket or search for information online. In the not-so-distant future, it will be hard to imagine what life was like before we could get across town in an air taxi.
When we start using commodities and services as part of our everyday life — without hesitation — it’s a good indication that it has become ‘socially accepted’. The concept of ‘everyday’ is a core part of our thinking at Wisk, where our mission is to deliver safe everyday flight for everyone. But social acceptance is not something that happens overnight, and it is not always possible to predict the pace, path or challenges to overcome in order to achieve it. So what are the factors that contribute to something new or emerging becoming accepted by citizens, decision makers, and communities?
That’s exactly what we’ve explored in our latest whitepaper, “Building Social Acceptance for Advanced Air Mobility.” We share insights into the approach we’ve taken in our own ten year journey, including examples of our engagement methods and early outcomes from our time working in New Zealand and beyond. Additionally, we outline the different levels that companies need to move through to achieve social acceptance, and what the acceptance curve may look like when it comes to Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).
There is no silver bullet for achieving social acceptance, particularly for something as complex as riding in an advanced autonomous aircraft. So without an engagement rule book to follow to build legitimacy, credibility and trust with stakeholders, we’ve had to develop and tailor a specific approach for AAM while also staying true to our company values and philosophy.
We created four guiding engagement principles for building social acceptance:
- Safety
- Equity and Inclusion
- Accessibility and Transparency
- Evidence-Based Data
From listening to stakeholders and the work we have done, it’s evident that these areas matter the most, and align strongly with our own values as a company.
Wisk has always believed building social acceptance is a collaborative journey, which is why we’re sharing this paper with our thinking and experience with the AAM industry. It is about being part of a conversation and building a strong foundation that will help us move to a future that we can all be proud of.
Download the Whitepaper:
