Q: This year, HOVERAir launched on Indiegogo and joined the platform’s Shipping Guarantee program. During the banner promotion period, it received 42,513 clicks, raised over USD 2 million on the first day, and ultimately surpassed USD 4.7 million with 6,493 backers. Are you satisfied with these results?

Satisfied, indeed (laughs).

Q: What were the main goals for HOVERAir’s crowdfunding campaign this time, and were they achieved?

There were two motivations for launching the crowdfunding campaign.

For some time now, the experience of aerial and aerial photography drones hasn’t fundamentally changed, with product updates feeling incremental. As a result, people have lost interest in drones. When we introduce new products, the public may view them with some prejudice.

Last year, the HOVER X1, our new product series, first met overseas users through the Indiegogo platform. We received support from four or five thousand backers at that time, which greatly helped to popularize the flying camera category in a short period.

Our users have been telling us since last year, “I dreamed about Hover’s new camera, and in my dream, it had such and such performance.” Our users are really adorable.

So, the first purpose of launching our new product on Indiegogo this year was to share it with our supporters, whom we consider family, allowing them to see and experience it first.

Secondly,
the perception of crowdfunding has changed from what it used to be. In traditional crowdfunding, people often feel like they are co-creating with the project team, witnessing the birth and refinement of the product together. However, nowadays, including ourselves, some product teams use Indiegogo more as a pre-sale channel or e-commerce platform. Many supporters also feel like they are not supporting a project but rather purchasing a product. Expectations differ accordingly.

For this campaign, we joined the Shipping Guarantee program, and it took us only two months from launch to delivery. This isn’t the pace of traditional crowdfunding. Yet, it’s also distinct from e-commerce platforms.

Although some new products operate this way now, personally, I find it hard to imagine launching a product that people can only buy 60 days later. The advantage of crowdfunding is that we have the opportunity to bring products to market 30-45 days earlier than our internal projected timeline, and crowdfunding supporters are more understanding and accepting of this. Of course, we also set up corresponding reward mechanisms to thank everyone for their early support.

It’s a complex experience. During this period, Indiegogo also provided us with a lot of support.

Q: If you could do it again, what strategic adjustments would you make?

We might push back the shipping date a bit. This time, we shipped while crowdfunding was still ongoing.
Users want to use the product as soon as they receive it. But after receiving it, there were still four software updates within a month of the crowdfunding ending, each of which they needed to check and experience.

Next time, we’ll wait until the software is more mature to ship.

Q: Can you share what preparations HOVERAir made before launching the Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign?

We’ve launched on Indiegogo before, so we’re familiar with the entire process and have great partners assisting us. To be honest, I was quite involved in this Go-to-Market strategy, including promotional materials, the official website, etc., paying close attention to the details. The TV commercial hadn’t come out yet, and the official website was still being adjusted the day before the launch. It was a real rush (laughs).

Q: When HOVER launched, the banner promotion received 42,513 clicks, and 6,493 backers supported the project. How do you think the Shipping Guarantee program positively impacted the crowdfunding performance?

We originally estimated a maximum of four or five thousand orders. We didn’t expect this (laughs).

Q: How did you handle the influx of orders?

When orders poured in, we struggled to keep up with production. Eventually, we pulled back all advertisements because, at that rate, we wouldn’t even need DTC sales (laughs). We set ourselves a deadline to ensure we could fulfill crowdfunding orders first, as it’s crucial for our credibility. 

Additionally, we had many accessories that required certifications for various markets, which caused some anxiety towards the end. But we were happy to deliver on time. It was a great learning experience for us.

Q: What insights do you have regarding supply chain management?

Zero Zero has been around for ten years, and our supply chain is relatively mature. We’ve handled large-scale production before and are confident in product quality and processes. I’m not worried about that.
This year’s challenge was logistics. The fourth quarter is the holiday season, and our products, being in the aerial vehicle category, face additional scrutiny due to international political situations, leading to delays in delivery. It’s a mark of our times.

Q: During the crowdfunding campaign, what marketing strategies did Zero Zero implement to increase project exposure and attractiveness? Which ones do you think were the most successful and effective?

The most important thing is to let the product speak for itself.
This year’s product exceeded expectations, not just from our users but also from our own product managers. The product performance is truly exceptional.
In extremely challenging environments like ski resorts, HOVER can keep up with skiers going at speeds of 50-60 km/h. In low-light conditions, we can also capture cycling speeds. Users have also praised the image quality, saying it exceeds expectations.
Our small remote control also won the CES Innovation Award. Product quality is the hardest-hitting promotion.

Secondly, community is the key.
Previously, there were no products serving people who ride, ski, or require professional imagery for other activities. Now that we have a great product, we want to introduce ourselves to this community and make friends.
Some of our big news this year includes becoming the official flying camera of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association and the official flying camera of the U.S. Cycling National Team. We’re also in talks with many cross-brand collaborations and channels in the cycling industry. Domestically, our ambassador is Zhang Yiwei, China’s first-generation snowboarding athlete and world champion.
Therefore, it’s crucial to precisely identify our target audience and enhance brand recognition within that group.

Q: During the entire crowdfunding process, was there anything that impressed you?

For this crowdfunding campaign, we recorded a founder’s video that many users in our community found touching. It included some reflections on our decade-long entrepreneurial journey.
Suffering is all it’s about, in some ways.
Sometimes you encounter extremely difficult situations with no outside help. During these times, you face yourself and discover what you’re made of.

Q: Can you give advice to crowdfunding project teams?

Try to resist the temptation to oversell yourself. Try to be humble and keep to your roots. Let the product speak. People would appreciate exceeding their expectations.

Check out our unboxing of the HOVERAir below: