ARE SELF DRIVING CARS NAUGHTY OR NICE?

Imagine hopping into a car, punching in your destination, and then kicking back and relaxing while the car drives itself. That's the future Waymo, the self-driving car company from Google as well as its competitors, is trying to create.

They've put millions of miles on public roads and even offer rides in some cities. Starting in early 2025 – rides will even be offered directly through the Uber app, in a partnership happening in select cities across the US. However, there are some significant challenges to overcome.

Regulators have raised concerns about the safety, job implications, and ethical considerations surrounding self-driving vehicles. Additionally, there have been reports of Waymo vehicles operating dangerously close to emergency responders, even blocking their response efforts.

Here's the thing: Waymo, like a lot of pioneers, is pushing boundaries. It scored in the top 10% in culture on DIFFERENT, VISIONARY, ENERGETIC and GAINING IN POPULARITY in 2023. But sometimes, this can mean bending or even breaking the rules.

Despite these concerns, Waymo believes self-driving cars can improve road safety, reduce traffic congestion, and benefit the environment. This is resonating with US audiences, where from 2022 to 2023 – Waymo gained public interest and acceptance; growing RELEVANCE by 10 percentile rank points and esteem by 15 percentile rank points.

So, is Waymo a good guy or a naughty rule-breaker? It's a bit of both. They're leading the charge in self-driving tech, but they need to play nice with the rules too. Only time will tell if Waymo can navigate the road to self-driving car success without any bumps (or crashes!).

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Author: Dor Katz, Sr. Analyst

Dor is a Senior Analyst who joined BAV Group in August of 2022. Prior to joining BAV Group, Dor attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she completed her Masters of Behavioral and Decision Sciences.

Dor is driven by research and data in creating insightful branding strategies that help clients shape their business and purpose. She is passionate about psychology, consumer decision-making, and the gripping art of storytelling – and has leveraged her position to develop and strengthen her ability to curate and tell brand stories.

Dor is originally from Israel and grew up in Prague, Czech Republic. In her free time, she enjoys playing the guitar and hosting dinners with gluten-free goods.

Connect with Dor on LinkedIn.

Opinion Party (Vol 4): Naughty or Nice
This article is from the fourth volume of "Opinion Party" from BAV Group, a collection of points-of-view  from our brand experts, focused on exploring what it means to be a naughty or nice brand and which brands landed on which list this year.