Home » Business » Autotalk Special
Auto artists unzip a niche market
By Nengneng Lu |
July 20, 2011, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WITH the car body as the canvas and the spray gun as the brush, many young artists like Alan Liu are painting their way into a budding business in a bustling market segment --- auto painting.
Liu, 30, runs a company called Bluefish, with eight regular employees and about 10 independent contractors. Located on Huaxiang Road, a high-profile area of Shanghai for car modification, Liu's art studio stands out among the surrounding engineering workshops like a proud misfit.
"Some car owners have begun to look for upgrades besides enhanced driving experience, and that's the gap we are trying to fill in the market," Liu said.
China's now two-decade-old auto boom has not only put private cars on the streets but has also become a way for people to express their status and, sometimes more importantly, their individual personalities.
Young, outgoing and individualistic, many car owners are seeking bold ways to "tattoo" their autos to make statements about themselves. One of their favored choices is highly custom-made patterns painted on hoods, side doors and trunk lids. Bluefish, according to Liu, is one of the few companies in China offering creative car designs.
The company was founded in 2008 as a wall painting firm. But Liu was soon attracted to the idea that auto tattoos were an untapped market niche. Last year, he finally decided to steer his business toward that opportunity.
Liu said he invested several hundred thousand of yuan - he declined to be specific - in equipment, most of it imported from abroad. It took quite awhile to find a qualified technician, but he finally hired Jason Wang, said to be the first to master creative auto painting in eastern China.
"No industrial chain, no talent pool - the auto painting is still at a nascent stage here," Liu said. "And one important reason for that is regulation throttling the business."
Creative business
Vehicle-color alteration was once prohibited in China for safety and management reasons. In 2008, the revised Provisions on Motor Vehicle Registration lifted the ban and offered space for the budding industry to grow.
It's a business that feeds on creativity. A unique selling point about auto decoration is that patterns can be painted into the car body landscape to create a three-dimensional vision. For example, a rifle butt is ingeniously integrated into the fender of a rear wheel, and a sniper comes alive on the side door of Liu's own jeep.
Bringing a design sketch into reality is a complicated process. Sanding the surface to prepare a good canvas, spraying paint into an intricate pattern and then polishing the car body to add a glossy finish all require sophisticated skills and great patience.
It usually takes five days for Wang and his assistant to complete one auto-painting job, but the pair and Liu may spend at least two weeks beforehand working on the design in tandem with a customer.
"A good pattern design should speak volumes about the car and its owner, and we need some time to understand both," Liu said.
Customers are encouraged to meet the creative team face-to-face at the start. Idea exchanges after that usually take place on the phone or via the Internet.
Liu admited it makes for a grueling schedule, but he enjoys every minute of it and juggles tasks without losing his focus.
"Any full-fledged business is based on highly efficient teamwork," Liu said. "It is really great to have Wang take on the technical part so I can concentrate on my design specialty."
The size of the design varies according to a customer's requirements. The possibilities are endless. One customer has Mount Fuji and sakura painted on his Nissan to remember his life in Japan.
Liu said most of his customers have been abroad and have some exposure to the auto painting culture. They are not shy to express themselves through visually striking patterns, or hesitant to spend money on creating them.
Bluefish charges for its auto painting by the meter. The price for each meter of work is usually somewhere between 1,500 yuan (US$232) and 3,000 yuan, depending on the complexity of design. After filling more than 50 orders since late last year, Liu reckons revenue has just reached the breaking point and profits are sure to flow into next year.
Unclear rules
"The growing numbers of young and rich customers who drive cars worth more than 100,000 yuan and often own more than one car have an insatiable appetite for anything unique," Liu said. "It is only a matter of time for them to discover auto painting."
Tattooed cars help raise the profile of the auto industry. Bluefish plays an active part in many painting shows organized by the auto shops in or near Shanghai and also has a strong presence in car exhibitions around the country. This April, the company painted a creative design on one of the latest models of domestic auto maker Chery for the Shanghai Auto Show.
Marketing is the least of Bluefish's concerns. The hardest hurdle for the company is towing the fine line between what's allowed and what's considered underground in the business.
A vehicle that's been color-altered is required to be re-registered within 10 days if its appearance has been altered more than a third from its original look. The rules say "dramatic" patterns that may distract other drivers are prohibited, as are designs that offend public decency. But there are no clear definitions for all the rules. Sometimes design-painted cars pass inspection; sometimes they don't. It's all frustrating for Liu.
"I hope there will be more specific regulatory guidance for the whole industry in the future," Liu said. "Whether we prosper or perish, Bluefish needs regulatory references so it can conduct business accordingly."
Liu, 30, runs a company called Bluefish, with eight regular employees and about 10 independent contractors. Located on Huaxiang Road, a high-profile area of Shanghai for car modification, Liu's art studio stands out among the surrounding engineering workshops like a proud misfit.
"Some car owners have begun to look for upgrades besides enhanced driving experience, and that's the gap we are trying to fill in the market," Liu said.
China's now two-decade-old auto boom has not only put private cars on the streets but has also become a way for people to express their status and, sometimes more importantly, their individual personalities.
Young, outgoing and individualistic, many car owners are seeking bold ways to "tattoo" their autos to make statements about themselves. One of their favored choices is highly custom-made patterns painted on hoods, side doors and trunk lids. Bluefish, according to Liu, is one of the few companies in China offering creative car designs.
The company was founded in 2008 as a wall painting firm. But Liu was soon attracted to the idea that auto tattoos were an untapped market niche. Last year, he finally decided to steer his business toward that opportunity.
Liu said he invested several hundred thousand of yuan - he declined to be specific - in equipment, most of it imported from abroad. It took quite awhile to find a qualified technician, but he finally hired Jason Wang, said to be the first to master creative auto painting in eastern China.
"No industrial chain, no talent pool - the auto painting is still at a nascent stage here," Liu said. "And one important reason for that is regulation throttling the business."
Creative business
Vehicle-color alteration was once prohibited in China for safety and management reasons. In 2008, the revised Provisions on Motor Vehicle Registration lifted the ban and offered space for the budding industry to grow.
It's a business that feeds on creativity. A unique selling point about auto decoration is that patterns can be painted into the car body landscape to create a three-dimensional vision. For example, a rifle butt is ingeniously integrated into the fender of a rear wheel, and a sniper comes alive on the side door of Liu's own jeep.
Bringing a design sketch into reality is a complicated process. Sanding the surface to prepare a good canvas, spraying paint into an intricate pattern and then polishing the car body to add a glossy finish all require sophisticated skills and great patience.
It usually takes five days for Wang and his assistant to complete one auto-painting job, but the pair and Liu may spend at least two weeks beforehand working on the design in tandem with a customer.
"A good pattern design should speak volumes about the car and its owner, and we need some time to understand both," Liu said.
Customers are encouraged to meet the creative team face-to-face at the start. Idea exchanges after that usually take place on the phone or via the Internet.
Liu admited it makes for a grueling schedule, but he enjoys every minute of it and juggles tasks without losing his focus.
"Any full-fledged business is based on highly efficient teamwork," Liu said. "It is really great to have Wang take on the technical part so I can concentrate on my design specialty."
The size of the design varies according to a customer's requirements. The possibilities are endless. One customer has Mount Fuji and sakura painted on his Nissan to remember his life in Japan.
Liu said most of his customers have been abroad and have some exposure to the auto painting culture. They are not shy to express themselves through visually striking patterns, or hesitant to spend money on creating them.
Bluefish charges for its auto painting by the meter. The price for each meter of work is usually somewhere between 1,500 yuan (US$232) and 3,000 yuan, depending on the complexity of design. After filling more than 50 orders since late last year, Liu reckons revenue has just reached the breaking point and profits are sure to flow into next year.
Unclear rules
"The growing numbers of young and rich customers who drive cars worth more than 100,000 yuan and often own more than one car have an insatiable appetite for anything unique," Liu said. "It is only a matter of time for them to discover auto painting."
Tattooed cars help raise the profile of the auto industry. Bluefish plays an active part in many painting shows organized by the auto shops in or near Shanghai and also has a strong presence in car exhibitions around the country. This April, the company painted a creative design on one of the latest models of domestic auto maker Chery for the Shanghai Auto Show.
Marketing is the least of Bluefish's concerns. The hardest hurdle for the company is towing the fine line between what's allowed and what's considered underground in the business.
A vehicle that's been color-altered is required to be re-registered within 10 days if its appearance has been altered more than a third from its original look. The rules say "dramatic" patterns that may distract other drivers are prohibited, as are designs that offend public decency. But there are no clear definitions for all the rules. Sometimes design-painted cars pass inspection; sometimes they don't. It's all frustrating for Liu.
"I hope there will be more specific regulatory guidance for the whole industry in the future," Liu said. "Whether we prosper or perish, Bluefish needs regulatory references so it can conduct business accordingly."
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