StormRacingDroneBrief

Creative Brief:January 2015HeliPal.com: Storm Racing Drone

Gianna Gagliardi Joe Kruszka Drew Adams Kellie O’'Connell

COmpany

and drones, as well as accessories and parts for their items. In addition to just being a retailer, Helipal produces their own line of drone and helicopters under the ‘Storm’ name, that they manufacture and test in their Storm factory.

The ProductThe product being introduced is from the Storm line, the Storm Racing Drone Type-A: a very small drone (250 class) with a smooth FPV (first person view) system aboard that is much more efficient than other drones. The strengths of the Storm Racing Drone include:

• A Carbon Fiber Airframe, making it light and durable, little maintenance • Powerful motor and Tri-Blade Propellers for acceleration and sharp cornering• CC3D Flight Controller, makes the drone stable and controllable• 110 degree camera and video transmitter, for good quality video with zero delay• Blue LED in front and red LED in the rear for nighttime flying• Well-tested and pre-calibrated before shipping• 2.4Ghz RC system; will not jam with others & allows many people to race together• Flip a switch to select Flight Mode, from beginners to expert• Sport mode: for beginners• Race mode: for sharper control, throttle response, and more tilt angle• Free-Style Mode: for rolls and flips • Storm Factory has experience building drones

The Storm Racing Drone fills a very particular niche in the drone market, but problems may arise from the fact that Helipal is based overseas. Because of the language barrier, the website is written in broken English that makes some of the content confusing to read. Furthermore, though both HeliPal itself and customer reviews applaud the company’s customer service and shipping speed, some convenience may be lost in the the long shipping distance. HeliPal current lack of advertising has led to its drones making very little splash in the category, in spite of their quality. However, this quality, combined with the drone’s unique speed, racing capabilities, and ready-to-fly nature help to set it apart.

Helipal is a Hong Kong based company that

sells drones and a wide variety of other R/C vehicles online. Their clients are people who are

ready for a new experience when racing a remote control toy. Helipal sells everything radio controlled, from boats and cars to tanks

Storm Racing Drone Type-A RTF

Package includes:• Fully assembled drone Type-A with FPV System (Camera and transmitter)• Walkera DEVO 7 Radio System• 11.1V 1500mah Li-Po Battery• 6pcs Clockwise Tri-Blade Propeller (4 of them are spare parts)• 6pcs Counter-Clockwise Tri-blade Propeller (4 of them are spare parts)• SKYRC E3 Battery Charger• 1.5mm Hex Wrench• 2.0mm Hex Wrench• 2.5mm Hex Wrench• 10mm Hex Nut Driver (for motor cap)• 5.5mm Hex Nut Cross Wrench (for airframe• Extra Battery Warning Buzzer

Price:$379.00

Important Definitions for Understanding Drones

Drone: Technically, a drone is exclusively an unmanned aircraft that flies autonomously. However, the definition has been expanded to include small hobbyist unmanned aircraft flown remotely or in first person view (FPV). (For more information about the definition of drones: http://blogs.scientificameri-can.com/guest-blog/2012/04/12/what-is-a-drone-anyway/)

First person view (FPV): A remote flying technique that allows the pilot of an aircraft to see, via an on-board camera, what the drone sees.

Ready-to-Fly: A drone that comes equipped with everything needed to fly and is almost completely assembled; the user may have to attach the battery and/or propellers.

Bind-to-Fly: A drone that comes RTF, except without a transmitter/controller; the user has to bind, or connect, the drone to a separate controller before flying is possible.

Class sizes: This refers to the size of the frame, or the number of millimeters between the motors; 250, 450 550, 650 are the most common class sizes; this can also refer to the size of the motor.

Flight controller: The electronic heart of the drone that stabilizes the on-board motors/propellers; can have increasing degrees of complexity and may be able to do more advanced tasks such as automatically land or take-off, follow a flight plan, or keep altitude/self-stabilize.

Radio controller/transmitter: The RC transmitter is the handheld device that allows pilots to fly their drones with joysticks and buttons; the receiver is connected to the drone and allows communica-tion between the two devices.

Drone types: There are several general uses that the consumer population has for drones; while each consumer individually has their own reasons for purchasing, the type of drone any particular consumer may choose can be generally guided by what they want to do with the drone. The main (but informal) categories for drones are:

• Aerial photography: these types of drones are equipped with advanced video recording technology. They can cost upwards of thousands of dollars, and are generally large and easy to fly. • Recreation: drones specifically meant for recreation cover an extremely large range, with $20 toys at one end and relatively large drones costing hundreds of dollars on the other. Peo-ple who buy drones for recreation may either be first-time buyers, or already have a collection of drones. The capabilities of these drones will vary as greatly, if not more so, as their users, but they are often sold as ready-to-fly or bind-and-fly.• Hobbyist: drones for the Hobbyist user are generally sold in kits, or focus heavily on cus-tomization. These drones are often very expensive and can have very impressive capabilities, with a focus on function over form.

SWOT AnalysisWeaknesses

• Short flight time (7 minutes)• No body cover• Separate viewer required• Unknown/new brand• No real advertising• Headquarters is overseas

Strengths• Increasing number of laws & regulations• Intricacies of current laws • Mature competition brands• Specificity of target market• Niche nature of category

Strengths• RTF & pre-tested/calibrated• Carbon fiber frame• FPV camera pre-installed• Ease of flight & flight control settings• Customer service & speed of shipping• Price• Form-over-function (uniqueness of design)

Opportunities• Fast growing drone demand• No current category leader• Niche nature of product (few other RTF FPV racing drones)

A particular obstacle for Helipal and the Storm Racing drones in the future includes FAA setting restrictions on drones, making it difficult to find places to fly drones especially in cities like NYC. Pilots and controllers have reported roughly 150 incidents this year alone, in which drones flew close to airports or aircraft in the US. However, the market for drones is growing, as they are being used outside their recreational use. Businesses have been cited using them for farming, filmmaking, and mining. This growth is largely due to the fact that technology has made drones smaller, cheaper, and easier to fly in recent years.

The ChallengeThe Storm Racing Drone is a fairly new product with minimal ad-vertising. This campaign will increase sales of the product, while

also building awareness and recognition for the product.

Target AudienceStorm Racing drones are targeted primarily to men, 30-65, with household incomes of 50-100k. The men buying this product must have a disposable income, due to the high price of the Storm Racing Drone. The audience involved in buying a Storm Racing Drone must have access to wide open spaces, no where near urban living areas. Although this drone is expensive, there could be a secondary audience of people younger than 18. This audience would likely not make purchasing decisions about the drone, but more likely would receive them as gifts.

The Storm Racing Drone is more of a luxury than an everyday use item, but the consumer desire for the product is fairly straight forward. Because the price of a Storm Racing Drone is a little steep, the consumer who chooses to purchase places a high value on pure fun and competition. There are many videos online of consumers who are merely using the drone’s for personal use.

Meet JohN:John, 53, is a resident of Denver, Colorado. Although John lives in urban Denver he has access to wide open areas to use his drone. John is a member of the Denver Drone Racing Club. He spends his weekends in the mountains racing drones for the sole purpose of winning the race. Although John is 53 he has a household income of 115k plus, which means he has a disposable income.

COmpetitors There are innumerable drone types and brands out in the market, but the specifications of the Storm Racing Drone puts it in a very specific position in the category. With its combination of FPV and specially designed racing capabilities, as well as the price point, there are very few direct competitors.

TBS GeminiThe primary competitor is Team Black Sheep’s Gemini racing drone. The Gemini is a RTF hexacopter (six propeller) built for speed and the use of FPV streaming. Some other features of the Gemini include:

• A forward-tilting base, optional HD camera, & crash-friendly layout• Long range FPV capabilities• Canopy for electronics• 6 motors and propellers

However, TBS is only releasing this drone in limited quantities; the first batch was sold and shipped in the summer of 2014 and the second batch was released in October of 2014. This is particularly important because the primary competitor to Storm Racing Drones is currently not being sold. Furthermore, Helipal.com keeps the Storm Racing drone stocked all of the time, and removes the listing from the website if they are out-of-stock, which serves as a major customer service security benefit. Specs here: http://team-blacksheep.com/products/prod:gemini

There are no other drones on the market right now that combines both FPV and racing besides the Storm Racing Drone and the TBS Gemini. However, there are a wide variety of drones with some of the features of the Storm Racing Drone that make them secondary competitors. The following drones are ranked according to amount of similarity, and therefore level of competition, to the Storm Racing Drone:

1. Parrot AR Drone 2.0Regular $299/Power edition $349This drone is also a quadcopter and comes equipped with a 720p video camera to allow FPV and/or in-flight recording, as well as self-stabilizing flight controllers. The battery life is slightly longer, at 10-12 minutes, with a 2-hour charge time. The thing that makes this

drone special, however, is it’s operating method; the drone is flown via an app on a mobile phone or tablet, or otherwise electronic controller with Wi-Fi. Parrot has created several apps to appeal to all of its different customers:

• AR Freeflight: available on all OS, this is the primary app for controlling the AR 2.0; it allows users to control their AR 2.0 by moving their mobile device. It also receives video footage from the on-board video camera. With in-app purchase, the app will give users access to the Director’s Mode, which assists users in creating aerial footage montages. The app even includes a Rescue mode to assist users when the drone is unreachable and/or stuck.• AR Race 2: available exclusively on the Apple App Store, this app helps to train users to fly their drone in the “training” option, and then gives users the ability to set up circuits and run races to get the fastest time (unlike the Storm Racing Drone, only one AR 2.0 can be used at a time, and the races are on the same track while trying to get the fastest time.

There are even games associated with the drone that do not involve the drone itself, but simply use the same flight controls and look. This drone fits in a different niche of the market than the Storm Racing Drone, as it does not allow for the use of the typical R/C controllers. It sits directly between the hobbyist helicopters and the professional drone video cameras, and is primarily suited for people who want to use it for fun, but need a little more than the cheaper toy helicopters can provide.

Specs here: http://www.brookstone.com/parrot-ar-drone-power-edition-quadricopter

2. Hubsan X4 FPV H107D$178.00 on AmazonHubsan produces several different versions of the X4, but only the H107D provides FPV footage. The X4 is much smaller than the Storm Racing Drone; it is called the smallest FPV drone on the market at only 4.5” across. The battery life is on par with most other drones of this type, at about 7 minutes, but the X4 only takes 30 minutes to charge. The drone is RTF and comes pre-loaded with a 6-axis flight control system for stable flying. The transmitter range is approximately 100 meters. The drone comes with an R/C controller fitted with a 4.3” screen for the video feed, and recording can also be controlled on the unit. The drone is fully encased in plastic, for a more aesthetically pleasing effect.In terms of flying, the drone is said to be slightly more difficult to fly than some of the more expensive models, due in part to its size, and otherwise due to the drone’s lack of GPS positioning. Again, this drone fits a different niche of the market: it is not meant for racing or for recording video, but fits in the middle. The main consumer for this drone are people who do not wish to spend as much money as the Storm Racing Drone, but who wish to

find something more realistic and more capable than a simple R/C helicopter.

Specs here: http://www.hubsan.com/productinfo_11.html

3. Walkera QR 100S RTF-$119.99 on AmazonThis drone is very similar to the AR 2.0, in that it can also be controlled by a mobile device (exclusively iOS) over Wi-Fi; however Walkera has also outfitted the QR 100S with traditional R/C equipment for greater control. The flight-time is approximately 10 minutes, with 90-minutes to charge. This drone is reportedly very easy for beginners to fly; the plastic body also gives it a feel of being cheap and makes the drone seem more toy-like.

Specs here: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__49783__Walkera_QR_W100S_Wi_Fi_FPV_Micro_Quad_Copter_IOS_And_Android_Compatible_Mode_1_Ready_to_Fly_.html

4. QAV400 RTF version$495.00This drone is simultaneously the most similar and most different of the competitors. This drone is actually parts that are assembled onto a frame and delivered RTF, similar to the Storm Drone. The drone is set-up to have FPV capabilities added to it, but does not come with such features on its own. It is similar primarily in appearance, as the Storm Racing Drones are built for ease of repair and replacement on a simple frame, while all of the other competitors are encased in plastic or carbon fiber. This drone is strictly for hobbyists who want a drone they can upgrade to suit their needs.However, this is one of the few drones built for speed and loaded with FPV.

Specs here: http://www.getfpv.com/multi-rotor-frames/qav400-fpv-quad/ready-to-fly-qav400-rtf.html

DifferentiatorsThe Storm Racing Drone is the only drone on the market that provides speed, FPV, and is designed to be used alongside others. It is meant to be used in groups, with friends and other drone enthusiasts, for racing. This drone is a solid entry point to the drone world for first time users, as it is incredibly easy to fly, relatively inexpensive for the quality, and provides a unique video game-like experience.

Furthermore, the Storm Racing Drone is not trying to be a beginners camera drone; it doesn’t record video on-board and its not meant to produce high quality footage. Some people have created aerial footage videos using the drone, but these are more to show the drone’s capabilities than for the footage itself.

Core Value PropositionThe Storm Racer is ready to race straight out of the box, coming with the FPV camera attached to the drone. The ready-to-fly manufacturing does not stop there, as it is faster and more durable than normal drones, because it is built out of carbon fiber materials. The Storm Racer can also be flown by anyone, with 3 settings of controls labeled Sport, Race, and Freestyle.

The Take-AwayThe Storm Racing Drone provides an intense and fast paced experience from a Point-of-View perspective, achievable by anyone from the casual consumer to the high tech junkie, ready to go straight out-of-the-box.

In the End...

MandatoriesThe Helipal company logo must be included in the advertisement, along with Helipal’s in-house manufacturer’s name, Storm.

Company CommandThe Helipal company is the head of this project, due to their headquarters being in Hong Kong. Since we have no means of knowing their chain of command, the entire company itself will represent the entity that would represent all aspects of this section.

External ResourcesCompanywww.helipad.comhttp://www.helipal.com/storm-racing-drone-rtf-type-a.html

Competitiorshttp://www.getfpv.com/multi-rotor-frames/qav400-fpv-quad/ready-to-fly-qav400-rtf.htmlhttp://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__49783__Walkera_QR_W100S_Wi_Fi_FPV_Micro_Quad_Copter_IOS_And_Android_Compatible_Mode_1_Ready_to_Fly_.htmlhttp://www.hubsan.com/productinfo_11.htmlhttp://www.brookstone.com/parrot-ar-drone-power-edition-quadricopterhttp://team-blacksheep.com/products/prod:gemini

Drone Infohttp://www.droneflyers.com/2014/11/best-quadcopters-for-2014-holiday-gift-giving/http://myfirstdrone.com/tutorials/buying-guides/best-drones-for-sale/#par-rot_bebop_indexhttp://myfirstdrone.com/tutorials/buying-guides/want-to-buy-a-drone-5-things-you-should-know-before-you-buy/http://www.wired.com/2012/06/ff_drones/all/http://www.dronebench.com/how-to-build-a-drone/http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/04/12/what-is-a-drone-anyway/

Drone Laws and Regulationshttp://knowbeforeyoufly.org/for-recreational-users/http://dronelaw.net/https://www.aclu.org/blog/technology-and-liberty/status-domestic-drone-leg-islation-stateshttp://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/09/map-are-drones-illegal-your-statehttp://www.wsj.com/articles/faa-reports-more-aircraft-drone-near-miss-es-1417025519