The Game Face Company hit the markets in 2014 when the founder of the company pitched his idea at the Shark Tank reality show. The now famous investor sought to get $450,000 in venture capital in exchange for 25% stake in the company (ABC). Two years down the line, the company has become a household name in Texas, USA and many other parts of the country. The company has been featured in several Disney short films and owing to these developments; the company has come to be known as a game-changer in face painting having brought paradigm shifts in fanfare among children and also among the fans in various games and sports, including football and baseball among other sports. The current paper presents a proposal seeking to import the Game Face Company to Saudi Arabia. The paper is organized into two main sections. The first sections provide the description of the company and the products that it produces. The second section provides detailed information on projected market demand in the Saudi Arabia.
Product Specification
The GameFace Company was founded by Doug Marshall in 2008. It is currently located and headquartered in Tyler, Texas. The company’s name is borrowed from the design and use of its products, which involve the creation of temporary face tattoos and masks that peel off. As described by the founder of the company at the Shark Tank reality TV pitch, the GameFace is like a layer of skin that one wears on the face (ABC). The product can be worn to celebrate one’s favorite team, a certain player, or even a certain country. At least, the founder envisioned that the product would be used widely by fans but above the fans, the product now gets a wide application in various other events, including Halloween events, family events, and parties. The product is also gaining wide application in colleges, and the good thing is that unlike face painting, the Game Face can be used by people across all ages.
The investor found and recognized a gap in the face painting market. The product’s design is based on the understanding that while many people would like to celebrate their teams by painting their faces, the idea of face painting was not attractive considering that the paint was likely to get to other parts of the body; hence, making the clothes dirty. Face painting is also messy considering that one is highly unlikely to get a smooth finish of whatever they want to be drawn on their face. Another reason this gap exists in the market is the fact that cleaning the paint after one is done is always messy, and not many people are pleased by the hustles associated with washing off the paint after an event. The other reason is the fact that some paints used in face painting are at times smelly, and this raises questions about whether the paints are even health for body use and where children are involved, the mere fact that they are likely to ingest the pain makes it an unattractive ordeal (Shark Tank).
The GameFace came to replace the common face painting. It means that the customers no longer need to worry about the long time associated with face painting. Secondly, the customers no longer need to worry about cleaning off the paint since the GameFace is easily peeled off after use. Additionally, the parents do not need to worry about the consequences of their children ingesting the paint and for those with sensitive skin, they do not need to worry about being affected by the face painting since the GameFace is manufactured with FDA compliant products. It means that the products are safe for body use and that they are free of any health hazards that are likely to result from the common face painting (The GameFace Company).
Other than the above-mentioned advantages of the GameFace, there are other advantages that make the company exceptional. The first advantage is the fact that it can print GameFaces that are customized. It means that in case one has a family event and they would like to have the GameFace; they can call the company and order customized products. Secondly, the products come in various sizes meaning that children and adults are all in a position to find a product that suits their needs. However, the main success factor of the GameFace is the fact that the company has now managed to print the GameFaces for various football teams. As a result, fans can now easily access these products either from the company or other resellers including supermarkets near them. The company has also announced that it is pursuing the establishment of business in other fields of the sporting industry including the NFL. Soon, the company’s products will be hitting the stores in different parts of the world in Europe, Asia, and even Africa as the company hopes.
Other than the production of GameFaces, the GameFace Company is currently focused on expanding its product line. The product line is set to include customized t-shirts, fan masks, and branded megaphones. The concentration so far is in the sporting sector with football being the greatest source of business for the company. As the company sign-up NFL fans, the experience of the GameFace Company is set to expand nationally in the world (The GameFace Company).
The GameFace is a new product in the market and the company has not yet been involved in the exporting of the product. Consequently, the product is not listed on the HTS codes and additionally, a search for the product on the Schedule B engine yielded no results. It means that importing the GameFace to Saudi Arabia with be exceptional and it is also a groundbreaking activity. The action may serve as the beginning of the HTS/Schedule B coding for the product.
Market Demand in Saud Arabia
Saudi Arabia like many parts of the United States and Europe has high numbers of fans for football. For instance, football remains one of the games that is highly watched by the Saudis and apart from that, there are also family fun days and other events in which the people often need face painting and masks to celebrate what they love. As a result of this, the GameFaces can be considered to be in high demand in the Saudi Arabia. Considering that no other company in the world has patented the rights to produce what GameFace produces, it would be important to import the GameFace Company to Saudi Arabia either by having the company opening offices and outlets in Saudi Arabia or through the licensing a manufacturer in Saudi Arabia to produce the GameFaces, masks, and all other wearable face and body decorations.
This paragraph provides some market data on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has a population of 30.77 Million (Abu 34). The rate of unemployment stands at 5.7 % and a business confidence level of 9 out of 10. The ease of doing business in Saudi Arabia is 82% (Abu 76). The market in Saudi Arabia is demographically unique as compared to the US. Firstly, the main demand for the GameFaces will be from the male population in the country. This is because it is this population that majorly participates in sporting activities and it is also the same population that supports football teams. It is due to the structural and cultural properties of the population in Saudi Arabia especially, when considering the fact that women in the country are not allowed to participate in activities considered to be masculine (International Trade Administration 36). Sports and games being one of them, it should be expected that men will be the main source of the demand of the GameFaces. Though the Saudi local women are not a key source of demand for the products, the country also has a substantial number of expatriates who include both men and women. This means that other than the local community, the expatriates are also a key source of demand for the GameFace products (The GameFace Company).
The second major source of demand for the GameFace products includes the children in schools (The GameFace Company). There are several events for children that lead ton increased demand for face painting, and it is this market that the GameFace products will be replacing. Consequently, it is evident that the demand for the products is not only confined to the adults but also among the children. It means that the company should, therefore, focus on growing the market for the product among the children.
The third source of demand includes students in colleges and universities in Saudi Arabia. There are several characteristics of the college population that makes it a major source of demand for the GameFace products. Being majorly comprised of young and enlightened people, the college population is a major source of demand for various innovative products with the GameFace products being one of them. The population is also highly experimental meaning that whenever there is a new product in the market, it is the college population that is most likely to test the product. Additionally, the population in the colleges engages in more activities, sports, and other events such as parties, more than any other population in the country. Consequently, it would, therefore, be viable to target the GameFace products to this new population that comprises of the college students (Abu 41).
Focusing on the legal environment, Saudi Arabia is governed by a constitutional leadership. It means that so long as the product does not contravene any constitutional laws, then there should be no legal hurdles of trying to get the product into the market. Secondly, the leaders in the region have been a key advocate of business development, entrepreneurship, and innovation. The GameFace is an innovative product which transforms the manner in which face painting is done, and consequently, the product would be considered attractive to the legal environment. Thirdly, Saudi Arabia comprises mainly of Muslim faithful, and this means that the laws of the land are inclined to the sharia principles (Abu 45). There are regulations on dressing, especially among women in the country, and this is concerning the need for them to cover their faces with the traditional hijab and related dressing. The GameFace can be worn together with the sharia-compliant dress-code, and this means that the new product will not in any way conflict with the laws of the land. As a result, legal environment in the region supports the proposal to import The GameFace Company to Saudi Arabia, and it also helps in supporting the creation of demand for the product in the country (International Trade Administration 53).
Other than the political-legal environment, there is the socio-cultural environment that also affects the demand for the GameFace products. The culture of the nation is anchored on the premise that men lead and women follow, meaning that unless the man of the household accepts the new product, it is highly unlikely for other members of the family to accept the product. Majorly, the family man rejects products that are not compliant with the Sharia law and face painting has not been one of those products. The GameFace comes to boost the experience of face painting. This means that it will replace face painting and make it easier for the children and other family members to decorate themselves and for the others to show support for various players in the sporting arena. Since face painting has been accepted in the nation, it should be expected that the new product will also be accepted especially when noted that the new product is firstly targeted to the male supporters of various football games, teams, and even various players in the country (Shoult 67).
Saudi Arabia's economy is fast growing hence indicating that the market for commodities is also expanding. According to the country's economic data, the GDP growth rate stands at 3.6%. The inflation rate stands at 4.3%, and the rate of interest stands at 2% (Abu 98). While inflation is considered evil in some instances, as an economic indicator it is relevant in market analysis considering that it shows the movements in the prices of commodities. This can be used to tell whether the market prices are rising or whether the market prices are generally decreasing. Considering that the prices are on upward trend, the market for GameFace products is expected to be strong.
In conclusion, this paper covers the analysis of the GameFace Company. The analysis provides information on the product description, its history, and the factors that lead to the creation of the GameFace. The company is currently selling only in the United States. However, the product is growing in its use across the world hence the consideration that it should be imported into Saudi Arabia. Based on the analysis provided herein, there exists a wide market for the GameFace in Saudi Arabia. The population is majorly among the male population, the expatriates in the country, the college and university students, and the children across the country.
Works Cited
Abu, Naba'a A. A. M. Marketing in Saudi Arabia. New York: Praeger, 2015. Print.
International Trade Administration. Saudi Arabia. Washington: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, International Trade Administration, 2014. Print.
Shark Tank. "The Gameface Company." Shark Tank Blog. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
Shoult, Anthony. Doing Business with Saudi Arabia. London: Global Market Briefings, 2006. Print.
The GameFace Company. "About Us – The GameFace Company." The GameFace Company. N.p., 2016. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
