Rotary tool technology specialist Dremel launched a mobile Web site and a QR code initiative to educate consumers and ease the purchasing process.

The new mobile Web site features easily navigable content to help users make a Dremel purchase decision. Additionally, Dremel is incorporating QR codes in-store and in print advertisements to connect consumers to digital content.

Mobile Marketer interviewed Steve Bergstrom, brand manager at Dremel, Mount Prospect, IL, regarding the company's move into the mobile space. Here is what he said.

What is Dremel?s strategy behind launching a mobile Web site and adding QR codes to its marketing mix?
With less space and more need to communicate than ever before, the brand found itself looking for creative communication options.

We saw making use of the mobile Web and QR codes as a great option for providing consumers with the information they need to make a Dremel purchase decision in-store or on the go.

Additionally, we saw the mobile Web as a great medium through which we could share our growing repertoire of multimedia product information without the additional cost of in-store hardware.
 
With which vendor did Dremel partner to create the mobile site and power the mobile bar codes? What challenges do they address for Dremel?
Dremel partnered with Triton-Tek, Chicago, IL, to develop the Dremel mobile site.

Triton-Tek was not chosen because of its mobile development experience. Like us, they were just starting to get into the mobile space. They were chosen because of their familiarity with Bosch, Dremel?s parent company, Web development specs and because of my confidence in their ability to tackle tech projects requiring out-of-the-box thinking.  
 
I had initially talked to a number of mobile-specific developers who spent a lot of time trying to convince me about how complicated mobile development was and how I should buy into their costly text-for-info programs, while they spent very little time addressing how their solutions actually delivered a user experience in-line with our expectations, which was the issue most important to me and the brand.
 
After starting with a blank slate, Triton-Tek  and I ended up with a highly-nimble, template-driven mobile site powered by a Web-based content management system that's so slick I joke a marketing exec could operate it, which delivers what I think to be a great user experience and delivers metrics on everything from visits to tag scan stats.
 
What is Dremel?s target demographic?
The Dremel mobile Web initiative aims to reach 25-40 year old, tech-savvy, creative thinkers who like to engage in hands-on projects.

A group that we believe is growing by leaps and bounds every day.
 
Can consumers buy Dremel products directly from the mobile site? If so, what is/are the payment mechanisms?
No. Dremel does not sell direct-to-consumers. As a manufacturer, we sell to distributors who then sell to consumers.
 
We love how mobile tags can help bridge the gaps between consumers and rich media mobile content ? but we are doing our best to resist the urge of going QR crazy.

We are currently incorporating tags into our in-store merchandising and in limited print advertising ? but longer term we have plans to incorporate tags into catalogs, packaging, and other marketing collateral.

Remembering that a tag is nothing more than a visual link, we can point them at any part of our site that is relevant to any given tag's location and the interests of the consumer based upon the point in the purchasing process they are in at the time that they are interacting with the given code.

If a consumer scans a tag on an off-shelf merchandiser we want to present that consumer with a strong selling message to try to motivate a quick purchase so we'll link that merchandiser's tag to video about the product being merchandised.

If, on the other hand, a consumer scans a tag on an on-shelf product display pod they might not be looking for a quick sell so much as they are looking for information to help them select the right tool for their project at hand.

In this case we would link the tag to feature/benefit information page.

Yes, we want to sell but we also really believe in helping our consumers by providing them information of value and engaging with them.