The graphics market
SB: And what hand did you have in all this?
GB: I was taken on two and a half years ago to introduce the BFG brand to the UK and Europe. The first thing I did was to look at each European country and break it down into some key figures, such as GDP (gross domestic product), PCs sold, proportion of integrated and discrete graphics, etc. From those I could make decisions about the types of products I wanted to focus on in each country, i.e. entry-level, mid-range or high-end.
Then it’s a matter of communication: marketing, PC press, distribution and so on. I was very proud about winning graphics card manufacturer of the year at [Dennis Publishing magazines] PC Pro and Custom PC. In the UK there are a lot of PCs and with the help of PC magazines and sites like HEXUS, end-users are getting more and more educated. This is great news for BFG as we feel we have a lot to offer the enthusiast user. UK consumers tend to like strong, trusted brands compared to some other European countries where brand loyalty is less of a factor. The upshot is that sales are going brilliantly and we’re right up there in the high end market in the UK.
SB: Who are your main competitors?
GB: There are a lot of strong graphics card makers out there, but our main competitors would have to be EVGA and XFX.
SB: How does BFG differentiate itself from its competitors?
GB: We used to be known as the highest overclock out there but now we put a premium on stability. In other words: finding the best balance between performance, reliability and durability. We’ve also worked hard on aesthetics, from the art on our products to the flash animation on our website. This also increases the appeal of our products to designers and creative users.
SB: How do you see the graphics market developing in the next few years?
GB: The graphics market is going to grow and grow, not just due to gaming but also lifestyle PCs used for watching high definition video and so on. The growth in popularity of websites like YouTube means that demand for PCs remains high and products like the 8800 GT are at a good price point.
