Meet Louise Bristow, Vice President Marketing and Communications at Archer in our interview series '5+1’. 

We have written about Archer before, and it’s probably clear why their innovative business model would be an inspiration for us at ellectric. We consider the electric plane manufacturer based in Palo Alto, California to be a brand of the future, paving the way for a better, brighter and smarter mobility. This is why as soon as we realised that their VP of Marketing and Communications was a woman with a bright and impressive career behind her, we had to invite her for ‘5+1’. In this interview, you will learn about her path, what drives her, Archer’s place in the aviation industry, communicating with audiences, being a woman in the industry, and of course the future of mobility. 

1. You have quite an impressive career in Marketing and PR at automotive companies such as Tesla and Karma, and you have now been the VP of Marketing and Communications at Archer for almost two years. What does your role entail and what drives you?

Archer is more than just a new company making a new product, we’re working to create a category from scratch and to reconfigure consumer’s expectations when it comes to the concept of everyday travel. In a nutshell, I’m responsible for building Archer’s brand from the ground up. The concept of a clean-sheet marketing opportunity is often talked about but seldom more than industry speak designed to push creatives out of their comfort zone. For me and the team at Archer however, the opportunity to design a brand from scratch is very real and it’s one that keeps me energised about work every single day. There’s no roadmap of ‘how to market an aerial ridesharing service’ so everything we do is a chance to think in a very unconstrained way when it comes to how to inspire and excite our future customers as well as lay the educational foundation so that people trust in our brand and our industry as a whole. That challenge, coupled with the creative freedom and the incredibly inspiring team I am lucky enough to work with every day, is what drives me.

2. In your view, how is Archer an agenda-setter in the aviation industry?

At Archer, we’re working to build the world’s leading electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft company that will move people throughout congested cities in a quick, safe, sustainable and cost-effective way with our battery-powered, all-electric aircraft. We’re laying the groundwork to address the environmental issues caused by road transportation and urban overloading while working towards curbing carbon emissions and decreasing traffic.

eVTOL transportation will move us closer to a world where, for example, you can travel from San Francisco to San Jose in 17 minutes rather than up to two hours via car, or from Manhattan to JFK in just seven minutes. That represents a significant redefinition of transportation for today and for generations to come. Integration of our aircraft into urban landscapes will address the shortcomings of current transportation networks, creating broader multi-modal transportation systems that reduce the need for cars and that will ultimately transform the daily lives of millions of commuters

3. How do you inform your audiences about the future of aviation and the importance of projects like Maker?

We are pioneering a new generation of efficient, economically viable and environmentally responsible electric aircraft. This places us in a unique position from a marketing standpoint. While our B2C brand must be built to generate interest ahead of our service launching, we also have to educate consumers on eVTOLs in general. As with any new form of transportation or technology, there’s going to be some initial resistance to adoption. It’s common to fear the unknown, and to many even current aircraft technology is a mystery. Our strategy is to combat that fear with knowledge, exhibiting not only the technology that’s at work in our eVTOL aircraft but also how that technology provides for a safer, more enjoyable experience. And we get that knowledge out there using a multi-channel marketing strategy that encompasses video, blog posts, engaging social media commentary and content tailored for each specific audience, and of course regular press interactions to make sure our message is interpreted and dispersed without bias. And of course there’s plenty of room for creativity alongside the learning-focused content. To paint a picture of eVTOL reality for our community, we’ve utilised cutting-edge production technology to build a movie-quality set that allowed attendees and livestream viewers to feel like they were flying inside our aircraft when we unveiled it for the first time.

This education in eVTOL is also woven into the narrative we craft around the Archer brand. At launch there will be obvious similarities to existing rideshare services, both in concept and in accessibility. But commuters will not ride with us because it’s an alternative. They’ll fly because it sets them free. Our differentiator, therefore, is not our service but our purpose. We are explorers. We strive to make travel, and ultimately exploration, more affordable for all. We are saving time, allowing more people to venture further, and connecting like never before. That’s how we approach our messaging, our service, and our aircraft.

4. Do you have some advice for women who want to work in the mobility industry, and the aviation industry more specifically? 

With the shift in views on transportation, the good news is that we’re also seeing a shift in the balance of talent. At Archer, I work with a hugely talented team, many of whom are women, and I anticipate that we’ll see strong females in more areas of aviation going forward, from engineers to pilots and beyond. My advice to any women looking to carve a career in mobility and sustainable aviation is to build a solid foundation first - this applies universally regardless of gender or background. Learn and perfect your craft. Be interested in the world beyond your company and learn about trends which can affect your business and your customers so that you can appreciate the entirety of the ecosystem in which you’re operating. Then once you have that foundation, own your voice and be the expert you’ve been hired to be.

5. Let’s talk about the future of mobility. What do you think aviation will look like in 2030?

There’s no doubt that this is the time for real change in transportation. eVTOLs have long been associated with futuristic tropes, like the flying cars of the Jetsons and too many science fiction movies to mention. While this image resonates with consumers, it does a long-term disservice to the credibly emerging eVTOL industry. We won’t be looking up in the skies to see hordes of ‘flying cars’ cluttering up the space above us. Instead, we’ll see people moving more freely via new, sustainable forms of aviation. The skies, just like they are now, will be regulated by the FAA, EASA, CAA and other similar authorities and travel will not only be safer than ever before, it’ll also be quieter, faster, more sustainable and more attainable.

Beyond the impact on commuters and the environment, eVTOL aircraft like Archer’s will usher in a new age of micro-exploration -- the ability to experience new parts of your surroundings made accessible by the speed and range of eVTOL travel. From a hike in the mountains after work, to a weekend trip to a peaceful cabin or even a new city, mirco-explorers will use our aircraft to discover and explore their cities and surroundings at previously unobtainable levels. No matter the journey you have in mind, Archer symbolises a clear vision for what sustainable urban air mobility can look like in the near future.

Louise’s question to you:

If you could go anywhere within 60 miles from where you are now, unconstrained by traffic, where would you go to explore?

Thanks to Louise for doing this insightful 5+1 interview with us. If you want to hear more from the many inspiring women in the industry, check out the ‘elle’ section of our magazine.

Pictures: Archer
Interview: Britta Reineke