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Drone Seen as an Advertising Vehicle

As an advertiser, it can be hard to get people’s attention. Some companies resort to big slogans on roadside billboards while others pay tens of thousands of dollars for a TV spot during the big game. But a flying ad — it’s a novelty that’s certain to catch people’s eyes.

That’s the thinking behind PromoDrone, a San Diego-based startup building drones that essentially serve as flying billboards for their clients. The company was founded three years ago by Jamar Williams and has since been accepted into Connect All’s startup incubator, won We Tha Plug’s pitch competition and raised $50,000 in funding.

Williams started his career in finance, not marketing. He spent most of his early career as a banker in Baltimore and making hip hop music in his spare time.

“I was doing banking by day and music at night,” Williams said.

In 2010, he moved to San Diego with his girlfriend, who had gotten a job with a large company here. Williams immediately began looking for a job. His resume was polished, and he had a good amount of experience, serving as assistant vice president of a bank. But in the middle of the recession, he couldn’t find anything.

So, he focused on his music. He put out two albums and began shooting music videos. That turned into a profitable video business.

“I go to the bank and I sit across from that same person at that same desk that I used to be, and they’re helping me with my account now,” Williams said.

Williams first came up with the idea for PromoDrone in 2014 while working for a video production company. His business partner had ordered some drone parts and was assembling them together to build a drone that could take videos.

“Whenever we flew the drone, people could not take their eyes off of it,” he said. “Even if it’s only for 10-15 seconds, you’re going to look at it.”

That sparked an idea: Why not attach a banner advertisement to the drone?

Williams’ first prototype was a bit rough. He used clothespins and yarn to tie a laminated sign to the drone for a networking event. That’s when Williams encountered his first big obstacle: wind. Within minutes, the sign had fluttered down to the rooftops below.

“I still believed in it. I just wanted to put some engineering effort into it,” Williams said.

The project was tabled until Williams met his cofounder, Xavier Rodriguez, a retired Marine who was also interested in the idea of banners on drones. They worked together with an engineer from Colombia to design the hexagonal frame for the drone that would allow the air to flow around it in the correct way. The company currently has a provisional patent filed for its frame and display system.

Williams knew he was on to something when he was able to fly the drone at the Celebrity Championship Golf Tournament, with ads for Ralphs and Grey Goose on the sides. Business owners took photos of the flying ads.

“It was a mini home-run,” Williams said.

Shortly after that, the company raised $25,000 in a friends and family round. PromoDrone recently flew its drones at the Switchfoot Bro-Am and is focusing on events and sports marketing companies in San Diego.

Williams is currently working on the third prototype for his drone, which he hopes will open new opportunities for the company. It would mount a screen and a camera to the drone, which would allow it to show multiple ads and videos and take audience “selfies” at events. He is particularly focused on sports events, with the potential for the drones to function as “mini-jumbotrons.”

Williams is currently working with a mentor to develop bright, lightweight screens that would have their own power source, instead of tapping into the drone’s battery. He also hopes to incorporate public safety features into the system, using the drone’s camera.

Of course, there’s still the regulatory aspect to consider. Williams is a certified drone pilot, and he is in the process of training a group of certified pilots on the nuances of flying its drones. He also is working with San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department, the Port of San Diego, and other major entities throughout the city to create a process for getting approval to fly.

In the future, Williams said he would begin fundraising to be able to outpace future competition as drone-based businesses get closer to becoming an everyday reality.

“This isn’t just the Jetsons,” he said. “We are going to be the leader of this movement.”

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