Product Description
The product is a face mask that encloses the nose and mouth. The respiratory gear is a half-mask as it will provide cover from high up the nose to below the chin (Matuschek et al. 183). The product has a filtering facepiece that shields the customer and the immediate surrounding from respirable contaminants (Matuschek et al. 184). The commodity has a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter that is replaceable. HEPA filter prevents the consumer from drawing in ariel and moisturized particulate substance. The filter’s component is polypropylene, a material that is highly resistant to the penetration of dust, pollen, soot, bacteria, and submicron liquid aerosols, among other pollutants (Mousavi et al.5462). HEPA filter seizes more than 99.97% of particles as minuscule as 0.1 microns (Mousavi et al. 5464). The filter then eliminates microorganisms and neutralizes the contaminants, ensuring maximum customer protection.
The face mask has a valve, speakers, a fan, and lighting features. The valve allows air to circulate from the interior to the exterior of the respiratory gear, supplying fresh air (Staymates 964). A fan aids the wearer in exhaling the air stuck between the face and the gear and circulates for thermoregulation. The commodity’s fan is noiseless, reducing its sound to a bare minimum. The face gear has two speakers whose purpose is to augment the wearer’s voice.
The red, green, and blue (RGB) Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) lining the speakers produces illumination. The current from the battery flows through the RGB LEDs causing them to discharge different spectrums of light. The purchased product is integrated into a phone application that enables the consumer to navigate it. For example, the buyer can increase the speed of the fan and the speaker’s volume and change the lights to their liking. It has a small button at the lower part of the mask to switch the speaker on and off. The ear loops and metallic wire at the top hold the face mask into position.
Target Market
The target market demographic segmentation centers on people with a compromised immune system. They could be people living with HIV/AIDS, patients with leukemia, rheumatoid, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. Adults, children, and any gender that desire cleaner air, particularly those residing in heavily polluted areas, fall in this segmentation. Persons in COVID-19 high-risk professions such as teachers, community workers, doctors, and gamers could use the product (Li et al. 7). Industrial workers in contact with liquid aerosols and some chemical pollutants could use our products.
The geographic segmentation will target anyone with an emphasis on densely populated and highly polluted areas. Most cities are overpopulated and support heavy industrial activities within their environs. Several motorcycles use leaded petrol and other fuels that are not environmentally friendly. Only a few vehicles have filters that neutralize the poisonous emissions, making the air of most cities unsuitable for breathing. Pollutants from the environment and diet, such as automobile emissions, nitrosamine-containing foods, and aflatoxins, cause micro mutations that eventually lead to cancer (Mousavi et al. 5470). The focus will be on cities like Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, and places with rampant infectious diseases.
The psychographic element entails the populace that may be anxious about contacting COVID-19, among other infections. They include people who have insomnia and avoid movement due to fear of getting COVID-19 (Li et al. 9). People with a heightened fear of getting cancer from the environment will form part of the prospective clientele. The behavioral segment will center on clean freaks and cautionary individuals to infectious diseases.
Market Size
The market size expansion for face masks is due to the increasing COVID-19 infections in the recent past. In 2019, the value of the worldwide market share was $6 792 million. Li et al. claim that the market size of face masks will increase to $9052.1 million by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate of -11.1% from 2021 to 2027 (20). Mask coverage is admissible in East Asia, and many residents wear masks for aesthetics, and winter protection, among other reasons. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 63% of Japanese and 79% of South Koreans wore masks in public (Li et al. 20). Mask production and utilization is also increasing since 2019 to date.
Market Research
Market research is an undertaking that involves collecting, recording, assessing, and translating information on the feasibility of a firm’s products and services to consumers. Firstly, market research will aid in pinpointing opportunities that will enable a successful launch, such as new locations to supply products and modifications to improve the product (Chernev 14). Secondly, market research identifies different risks and prepares strategies to avert or reduce them (Chernev 14). Thirdly, it will help develop a suitable product promotion strategy to reach the target population and boost sales. Lastly, market research enables a firm to enhance communication with potential customers (Chernev 15). The organization will be able to identify the location of its target market and the language they are most conversant with to captivate and resound with them emotionally.
The product development process will use an online consumer survey for market research. The goal of the inquiry is to find out the viability of the face mask to consumers, their willingness and ability to buy, and suggestion for product improvement. The survey will employ 400 individuals from all races, including Hispanics, Blacks, Whites, and Asians. The focus will be on employees in high-risk jobs within New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. The survey will inquire whether the consumers consider the face mask necessary and how much they are willing to pay for it. Additionally, the survey will seek information on what brand is preferable and why, and how to improve the product. The details will guide the decision on whether to launch the venture, the pricing of the product, and product improvement.
Brand Name
The brand name of the product is Gale: Force for various reasons. The name is unique as there are no other companies with similar names. The brand’s originality helps the firm avoid unnecessary litigations from competitors due to violations of copyrights and patents ((Chernev 28). The name is all-inclusive as it does not limit the business to producing a particular brand. The business can easily transition into other production lines without worrying about its name applicability on the new products (Chernev 28). Gale: Force is brief and memorable, creating a lasting impression on consumers. Gale means a strong wind, while force signifies an external agent that causes motion. Gale: Force symbolize a strong, durable, and quality product that will revolutionize the masking industry. The brand name also reflects the firm’s vision of creating sustainable and resilient products for the global market.
Product’s Positioning Strategy
For immunocompromised individuals, professionals at high risk of infectious diseases, and people in dense and heavily polluted locales seeking prevention and cleaner air, Gale: Force provides a solution to their predicament. Buttressed by the inadequacies in the masking industry, Gale: Force aims to produce quality, reusable, and medically certified masks that guarantee the wearer’s comfort and safety. Unlike other face masks, Gale: Force amplifies the consumer’s voice, retains their autonomy, and provides excellent support services.
Brand Extensions
A successful launch of the product will necessitate various brand extensions. Gale: Force 2 will be the first brand extension, and it will be an improvement of the primary good to promote its lifetime value and consumer loyalty (Chernev 52). For instance, it will have a valve that purifies air during inhalation and exhalation to enhance environmental sustainability. The new product will incorporate a water-resistant material to increase the consumer’s comfort in wet seasons.
The second brand extension will involve producing masks encrypted with different companies’ logos. Gale: Force will work with schools, offices, and factories to make customized products. The encryptions will create uniformity among the institution’s employees by bending into the firm’s primary colors. They will also aid in the promotion of the company’s brand through increased publicity. Thirdly, the firm will center on producing masks that center on aesthetics. The new face gears will have a wide range of colors and will customize the fabrics to the liking of the consumers. The extension will expand the customer base into East Asian markets.
Competitors and Substitutes
The Zephyr Pro-face masks by Razer are one of the product’s competitors. Razer plans to launch a new Zephyr Pro-face masks that amplify the speaker’s voice, uses N-95 filters in 2022 and costs $150 (Fox10 News). The user must install a Zephyr app that navigates the face gear. The product has lighting features and a rechargeable battery that lasts 8 hours. The N95 products with and without a valve can be substitutes for Gale: Force. They are medically approved, popular, disposable, and offer 95% protection (Staymates 972). Surgical and homemade masks are also substitutes for our products. Surgical masks are cheaper than Gale: Force and popular with the global populace.
Figure 1: Comparison of Zephyr Pro and Gale: Force
The evaluation stage is crucial in the consumer buying process as it pinpoints alternative products. In this stage, the consumer identifies different products that can satisfy a specific need and narrow them down to a final selection (Chernev 58). Evaluation enables marketers to identify their competitors’ strengths and weaknesses to develop strategies to make their products popular (Chernev 58). The product must land on the consumer’s choice list and be the most preferable.
Final Price
Each Gale: Force mask will cost $225.99 using the cost-based pricing model. A single HEPA filter is $3, and the product will come with a pack of 30. The labor cost is $15′ while the speakers, lights, and other materials cost $30. The overhead cost is $5, and the marketing and distribution cost is $10. The firm wishes to make 50% of the total cost, and the market price is 1.5*150 = $225. The charm pricing technique encourages the use of 9 and 5 at the end of the price tag to lure customers. Employing the charm pricing will cause the final price of Gale: Force to be $225.99. The price is higher than Zephyr’s by $75.99 since Gale: Force uses HEPA filters that provide more than 99% of particles and bacterial absorption.
Distribution Channels
The distribution channels include the institutions that employ the target populace. They are offices, schools, factories, clinics, pharmacies, and hospitals. The business will also use an online channel for dispensation. The firm will upload the Gale: Force application to the google play store, and it will have an option for ordering the products online. The firm will create Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, linking them to consumers and the public. The social websites will act as distributing mediums for the global populace.
Promotion
Promotion will help develop strategies to enhance Gale: Force’s brand recognition. A promotion strategy is vital to gathering appropriate information to circulate to the target market to increase consumer traffic, boosting sales (Chernev 74). The firm will supply the target populace with information on the uniqueness of Gale: Force in voice amplification, illumination, and top-notch protection from airborne pollutants. Furthermore, the promotion message will contain the accessibility and price of each mask (Chernev 75). Social media engagement through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram platforms are communication tools for product publicity. The engagement will generate emails for willing participants who will aid the business in directing more consumers to Gale: Force websites.
Works Cited
Chernev, Alexander. The Marketing Plan Handbook. Cerebellum Press, 2020.
Fox10 News. “$150 Face Mask Has a Mic to Amplify Your Voice | | fox10tv.Com.” Razer Face Mask Can Amplify Your Voice, Fox10 News, 2022.
Li, Tom, et al. “Mask or No Mask for COVID-19: A Public Health and Market Study.” PLOS ONE, vol. 15, no. 8, 2020, pp. 1–34.
Matuschek, Christiane, et al. “Face Masks: Benefits and Risks during the COVID-19 Crisis.” European Journal of Medical Research, vol. 25, no. 1, 2020, pp. 182–212.
Mousavi, Ehsan S., et al. “Performance Analysis of Portable HEPA Filters and Temporary Plastic Anterooms on the Spread of Surrogate Coronavirus.” Building and Environment, vol. 183, 2020, pp. 5460–5492.
Staymates, Matthew. “Flow Visualization of an N95 Respirator with and without an Exhalation Valve Using Schlieren Imaging and Light Scattering.” Physics of Fluids, vol. 32, no. 11, 2020, pp. 943–975.