In a DRONELIFE exclusive interview, CEO Jamar Williams shares how Promo Drone is creating a new category of aerial messaging—from fan engagement to emergency response
Promo Drone, a San Diego-based drone technology company founded in 2016, began with a simple insight: people always notice drones. Jamar Williams, the company’s founder and CEO, saw this attention as a unique opportunity—not for surveillance or photography, but for communication. What started as an innovative approach to aerial advertising has grown into a scalable tool for mass visual notification—capable of delivering everything from branded promotions to critical public safety messages during disasters.
“The idea for Promo Drone was born from real-world experiences as a drone pilot,” Williams explained. “While capturing real estate content, I had frequent encounters with homeowners—some curious and excited, others fearful or even confrontational. That wide range of emotional reactions made something clear: drones demand attention. But that attention was often met with suspicion, not value.”
“That was the spark. I thought—what if we flipped that perception? What if drones could be seen not as intrusive, but as helpful, informative, and even entertaining?”
Turning Attention into Connection
Founded in 2016, Promo Drone began as a concept to enhance outdoor advertising with aerial digital signage. Since then, the company’s mission has grown to include applications beyond marketing, such as real-time crowd communication and emergency messaging.
“When I launched Promo Drone, the focus was on creating a new outdoor advertising experience,” said Williams. “But as the drone industry evolved and I spent more time engaging with different communities, the vision expanded. What started as an innovative advertising concept has grown into a platform that delivers value across multiple sectors, helping communities stay informed, engaged, and connected.”
Williams calls this “mass visual notification”—a term that captures Promo Drone’s broader impact across public events, crisis response, and smart city infrastructure.
A Flying Billboard, Engineered for Communication
Promo Drone’s current platform, the Starling X.2, features a programmable, ultra-bright LED display visible from hundreds of feet away in direct sunlight. The screen is remotely controlled and fully customizable in real time, allowing users to push updates on the fly.
“Unlike traditional aerial advertising—which relies on static banners or skywriting—our system offers high-impact messaging, animations, and emergency alerts with precision and control,” said Williams. “It’s not just a drone with a sign—it’s a flying platform that merges media, mobility, and mission.”
The Starling X.2 is FAA Part 107 compliant and modular, enabling operators to fly with or without the display depending on the mission. Promo Drone is also developing drone-agnostic payloads to expand compatibility and accessibility.
“We addressed the biggest technical hurdles—balancing visibility, weight, and power—by selecting screen solutions engineered for both brightness and efficiency,” said Williams. “Every technical hurdle we’ve faced has helped us refine the platform into a field-ready solution that delivers when attention, timing, and visibility matter most.”
Bridging Technology and Human Experience
At its core, Promo Drone aims to make drones more interactive and emotionally resonant. From festivals and concerts to parades and sports games, the system can drive fan engagement through aerial QR codes, sponsor messages, and directional signage.
“Drones are more than just tools for display—they’re interactive connectors that create shared moments in real time,” said Williams. “Every flight becomes an opportunity to connect, engage, and monetize—all while enhancing the overall event experience.”
This vision extends beyond brand activation. Promo Drone is now working with public safety teams to support emergency response, including the ability to visually inform communities during wildfires, natural disasters, and civil emergencies.
“These realities are creating demand for agile, deployable safety communication systems—and drones are becoming a critical tool,” Williams noted. “Promo Drone provides cities and agencies with a scalable way to visually inform and protect communities when it matters most.”
Empowering the Operator Economy
Promo Drone has introduced a “business-in-a-box” model that enables drone operators to enter the aerial messaging market with a complete package: the Starling X.2 hardware, training, and access to a growing network of events and brand campaigns.
“Our business-in-a-box model gives drone operators a complete, ready-to-deploy aerial messaging system—but more importantly, it gives them a path to revenue from day one,” Williams said. “Events want the tech, pilots want the work, and Promo Drone is the bridge between the two.”
This approach creates a new career path in the drone industry—one that moves beyond traditional photography or inspection services into higher-margin, scalable engagements.
“We’ve built something that allows drone operators to break out of saturated markets,” Williams explained. “At the same time, we’re giving event organizers, municipalities, and sponsors a way to tap into the attention economy in a visually powerful and emotionally resonant format.”
A Global Vision, Built for Local Impact
Promo Drone is already expanding internationally through partnerships like its launch with Bella Wings Aviation in Guam. These collaborations have highlighted both the global appeal of the platform and the importance of developing local networks to support adoption.
“We learned that selling the hardware is only half the equation,” Williams said. “The supporting network—sales reps, event partners, brand relationships—needs to be built in tandem to ensure that customers can monetize their investment through actual flight opportunities.”
Looking ahead, the company plans to enter new markets with tailored strategies that include operator enablement, partner collaboration, and infrastructure development for paid deployments.
“As we expand globally, we’re pairing each new region with local support,” Williams said. “That’s how we’ll scale—with purpose, readiness, and staying power.”
What’s Next for Aerial Messaging?
Looking toward the future, Williams sees Promo Drone at the intersection of several key trends: drone-as-a-service growth, integration of data analytics, and the rising demand for responsive public communication tools.
“We’re focused on building with intention—expanding our operator network, growing our event partnerships, and deepening our data capabilities,” said Williams. “It’s a pivotal time for the company, and we’re engaging with aligned stakeholders who see the long-term potential of aerial communication.”
Promo Drone’s trajectory suggests that drones aren’t just flying cameras—they’re rapidly becoming a new layer of public infrastructure, capable of supporting both civic need and commercial opportunity.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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