Bandit Industries is literally letting actions speak louder than words by incorporating QR codes into its printed product literature and advertisements. This new interactive experience allows potential customers to see Bandit equipment in action by scanning the QR code with a smart phone or similar electronic device, ushering in the next phase of Bandit’s move towards a more hands-on approach to customer relations.
“We’ve always said our machines speak for themselves, and with QR codes we can bring the action right to our customers’ phones,” said Bandit Industries Marketing Director Kim Hasenbank.
QR codes are a type of bar code that can be scanned by smartphones or similar electronic devices equipped with a camera and an application to interpret the code. The information contained within the code is then displayed on the device used for the scan. Scanning QR codes on Bandit print advertisements or product brochures will load a video of that particular machine, effectively bringing the equipment to life from a two-dimensional page. “Bandit has always been on the leading edge of technology,” said Hasenbank. “These days it seems like just about everyone has either a smartphone or a tablet PC. By using the QR codes we can connect people straight to websites or videos, like our Bandit Chippers YouTube channel where they can actually see the equipment working.”
Bandit has been slowly integrating QR codes into advertisements for the past few months. The company also began utilizing QR codes to accompany owner testimonials in their recent customer magazine to deliver an even greater account of Bandit equipment working in the field. Bandit’s all-new stump grinder product line brochure now features QR codes as well.
“There’s a big demand these days for information and interaction on all levels, and that’s where social media has really changed the playing field,” says Hasenbank. “Companies and magazines continue to find new ways to engage their audiences, and as a manufacturer of wood chippers, stump grinders, and other wood processing equipment, we’re very proud to take a lead role in our industry when it comes to living and working social. We’re on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, and each outlet provides a unique way for our customers to interact with us. Using QR codes to link videos with print items was really just the next logical step for us.”
In the coming months, Bandit Industries is planning to incorporate QR codes in each of the company’s model line brochures, including hand-fed and whole tree chippers, forestry mowers and horizontal wood waste grinders. Many of these codes link to videos on their YouTube channel, which currently has more than 500,000 views.
