Earlier this year, Mayor Nathan See of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, said that drone delivery company Zipline had become a “totally normal part of life” in his city. “People use it to order groceries and to get meals. There are people that enjoy just watching the drones take off,” See was quoted as saying in a blog post published on Zipline’s website. “Zipline keeps sick people at home by delivering medicine and lets our residents spend more time with each other. We’ve loved having Zipline as a part of the community and we’re excited for the company’s continued growth in our community.”
Except that quote was in large part not written or conceived by the mayor. It was drafted by a Zipline’s US Community Engagement Lead, according to emails obtained by 404 Media. Those emails show Zipline wrote the main thrust of the mayor’s praise, who then edited it slightly. 404 Media obtained the emails through a public records request.
The emails provide some insight into the close relationship between private companies and cities. It also shows how some of those private companies try to use endorsements from public officials in order to promote their products. The case is similar to surveillance camera company Ring, which has aggressively partnered with police departments and even required police officers to shill the company’s products.
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Zipline is a logistics company whose main product is drones that can deliver various products or supplies. They have been used in Rwanda to move blood samples. In March, the company announced a partnership with fast casual salad restaurant Sweetgreen.
In Pea Ridge, Zipline is used to ship packages from Walmart, according to a Zipline produced video.
“Hi Mayor Nathan,” the Zipline US Community Engagement Lead wrote to the mayor on January 11. “We would love to include a quote from you on a blog post we are making about our recent Walmart partnership expansion to Dallas. Would you be interested in saying a few words about how Zipline has become a normal part of life for the community in Pea Ridge? I would also be happy to send you a draft that you could edit to your own voice if that would be easier.”
Later, the employee provided a draft of the quote, which read, “Zipline is a totally normal part of life in Pea Ridge. People use it to order groceries and to get meals. It keeps sick people at home by delivering medicine and lets our residents spend more time with each other. We've loved having Zipline as a part of the community and we're excited for the company's continued growth in our community.”
A week later, the mayor provided his version: “Zipline is a totally normal part of life in Pea Ridge. People use it to order groceries and to get meals. It also has become a very well visited sight of interest from the community. There are people that enjoy just watching the drones take off and land when they are in the area of the landing pad, it's really become a space of entertainment to be honest, as well as serving a great purpose for not only Pea Ridge, but the region. It keeps sick people at home by delivering medicine and lets our residents spend more time with each other. We've loved having Zipline as a part of the community and we're excited for the company's continued growth in our community.”
When asked if they believed it was appropriate for a private company to write a quote that was later attributed to him publicly, Mayor See told 404 Media in an email, “Yes, I think that is fine they have [an] example, it doesn’t mean anyone has to use it.”
Zipline did not respond to a request for comment.
