Delivering in Christianburg, VA as part of the FAA Integration Pilot Program and now the BEYOND program, Wing has made extraordinary efforts to work with the community of Christianburg, VA. As a result, new research from VA Tech and the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP) shows that drone delivery has a high approval rating with residents – and programs like this one to help delivery Girl Scout Cookies by drone are part of the reason.
“Not only are we delivering cookies via drone, we’re working with the local scouts to show them how drone delivery works and hopefully inspire some to pursue a STEM career. In return, they’re teaching us a lot about how to sell cookies,” says Wing.
“We began talking to the local troop in Christiansburg about a month ago. Even with loosening COVID restrictions, the traditional method of selling cookies outside of grocery stores or shops is difficult this year, and sales are down about 50% from prior years,” the company explains. “During 2020, Wing was able to support a number of local businesses with our unique and contactless delivery capabilities. For example, the owner of Mockingbird Cafe, a Christiansburg (Va.) bakery, reported that drone delivery accounted for about 25% of sales during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Additionally, we also helped a local library deliver books to kids stuck at home. It was a natural fit to partner with the Girl Scouts to help out in this situation. It’s also an opportunity for the local Girl Scouts to learn about drone delivery and become familiar with a technology that we hope will be widespread as they enter the workforce.”
“Girl Scout cookies are currently available for order through the Wing app in Christiansburg until the end of May. We’ve committed to 3,000 boxes of cookies, and if needed we’ll do more. Thus far, the most popular cookie order is Thin Mints, followed by Somoas.”
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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