Did you ever get hit in the back of the neck with a paper plane in middle school?
What about fly a Styrofoam model plane through your uncle’s backyard he gave you on Christmas Day?
Drive a remote control car with a camera attached to it into your sister’s room for the ultimate blackmail material?
Well, you’re getting closer.
A few of these things are exactly the basis of what all photographers and hobbyists’ are raving over… drones.
Drones have long been used in some form since World War I . The development of these military drones ceased for a long time because there was simply no need for them. In the early 2000’s, the United States began to utilize them in the war against Afghanistan, specifically in the hunt for Osama Bin Laden.
Today, the use and population of the drone is growing faster than most anyone could have imagined. They are deemed as one of the most high-tech gadgets in the market today. These devices are being used by various professional photographers, videographers, news teams, and advertisers. Looking for the next cool sport? ESPN has begun televising the Drone Racing League tournaments (yes, racing.) on various of their networks. The footage of the drones can be seen in movies, broadcasts, commercials, viral videos, weddings, and even Facebook Live events all around the world. The popularity of this device has also brought deep concern wih government officials and aircraft controllers. Privacy becomes limited to many with ease of these gadgets to virtually be able to fly places where they may not be welcomed or safe for aircraft.
Aerial footage has become one of the most trendy and potentially viral ways for marketers to advertise. It is relatively inexpensive in the long run and the applications and editing software capability with these drones virtually allow them to edit and post their message moments after they film it.
This is the idea behind the DJI Go app.
This application is for use with the most popular professional and consumer drones on the market today. The pilot uses the app on their mobile device to see, control, film, and edit the footage all in live view. The quality of video and capabilities all depend on the model of the drone, however, the idea behind it all is the same… you are flying a camera through the air on a super mini airplane device. Pretty cool, huh?
The huge spark in popularity and portability of these drones allows for this app to take off and explode through the masses of drone enthusiasts. While technically the market for drones is still in the ‘niche’ phase, there are so many untapped markets that are still curious.
For example, I am going to compare DJI drones and the DJI Go app with how it fits in the Gartner’s Product Life Cycle.
The technology or innovation trigger is where there is a new product or idea that is introduced to the market. The idea of the drone itself has been well since World War I but the commercial and professional use of the drone really started as an idea back in the last 50 years. DJI, a Chinese-based company, was launched in 2006.
The Peak of Inflated Expectations phase is when the product is starting to become well known in existence. While starting to become more widely used in the professional world for film and television, drones began to become a viral phenomenon all over social media and the internet. This created the knowledge and desire for commercial and casual users to emerge in the market.
In the Trough of Disillusionment, the product begins to go through trial and error. When commercial drones began to become more popular, there were highly inexperienced pilots that were flying their drones in the paths of air traffic, government buildings, and other unsafe air ways. This caused a major concern for governments worldwide and began to place tight restrictions on drone air travel and pilots. The US government even in some states required that in order to fly a drone at all one must have their pilot’s license.
The Slope of Enlightenment phase is when the product begins to become more widely understood. The DJI fleet of drones and aerial video equipment has grown significantly through the years. Even with the strict enforcement of governments, lobbyist groups began to get together to support and protect these products and make them more widely available. Private and public industries such as energy, environmental, construction, and mining have discovered the essential and potential uses of drones and how they can make their specific industry more safe and efficient. With the very specific integrated technology in the DJI Go app, these groups can have better control over the flight of the device and can gain insightful information.
Through my research, I do not believe that the drone industry, DJI, or the DJI Go app have quite reached the Plateau of Productivity phase. This is the phase where the product has become widely accepted and adopted mainstream. While DJI and the industry are becoming very successful and well-known, it do not think that it has reached its fullest potential.
Follow my blog on a journey to research more about the DJI Go app, the drones, and how social media marketers and influencers can use these devices in a way that can be the future of social media advertisements.
DJI Go Blog 