Tweaking the Sales Pitch for Drones

When you see a hobbyist drone hovering above a park or a party, it probably came from SZ DJI Technology, better known as DJI. The 10-year-old Chinese company is the world’s largest maker of the little photo- and video-shooting copters, with about half the U.S. market, according to drone consultant Colin Snow, chief executive officer of Skylogic Research. DJI’s models are cheap, easy to use, and reliable for civilians, says Snow, so “they definitely dominate.”

In its 10 years, DJI has gained its share of notoriety, too. The drone that crash-landed on the White House lawn last year was a DJI, as was the one that buzzed the Japanese prime minister’s office a few months later. So, as the Federal Aviation Administration prepares to ease restrictions on commercial unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds—the new rules take effect in August—DJI is working hard to fend off a fresh wave of Chinese competitors and convince corporate customers that its designs are the ones they should try.