Even if you don't think you know Qualcomm — you know Qualcomm. For decades, Qualcomm thrived as a behind-the-scenes tech powerhouse, enabling groundbreaking innovations for giants like Apple and Samsung. But as the tech landscape has rapidly shifted, and the mobile market in particular has become saturated, Qualcomm faced a new challenge: staying relevant in a world increasingly defined by AI and IoT.
Qualcomm set out to transform its business and brand to seize this moment, moving from a silent enabler to a tech pioneer.
It turned its focus to a developer audience, the people tinkering, crafting and shaping IoT and AI today, and what will be the technological breakthroughs of the future. IoT and AI are growth categories that stand to one-day eclipse mobile. To succeed, Qualcomm had to pivot from a high-touch model to a low or no-touch model, where millions of developers from small companies could (on their own) research Qualcomm products, read documentation, compare products and ultimately make the decision to use Qualcomm chips to power their products. This wasn’t just a website challenge for Qualcomm — it was a business and operations challenge that demanded creative, full-scale transformation.
Just one problem: Developers are allergic to marketing.
To ensure they spoke directly to developers in a relatable way, Qualcomm transformed its brand and marketing strategy, starting with a comprehensive overhaul of its website. The goal was to shift from a corporate platform to a dynamic, developer-focused hub, serving as an essential resource for professionals in AI and IoT sectors.
From a self-service perspective, developers demand a depth and breadth of information that Qualcomm had never offered in a web experience. Meeting developer expectations with robust and accessible information across their entire product catalog was a huge challenge. Developers prioritize direct access to technical specifications over flashy headlines, sleek designed UI and promotional content. The appeal of a reimagined Qualcomm experience would either build trust with this new audience or break it immediately.
Qualcomm's North Star became the phrase "Developer First". Three pillars emerged to support the Developer First strategy.
Since the launch of the transformed Qualcomm experience competitors, partners, press, and most importantly, developers now immediately experience Qualcomm’s focus on the developer community. As soon as you enter qualcomm.com, the elevation of "Developer" lives at the top-level navigation of the experience, signaling an invitation to their target audience and a commitment to making technical resources readily accessible.
The experience is organized to align with developers' workflows, featuring categories based on hardware types, software tools, and specific developer interests. It also strategically consolidated resources into comprehensive hubs, enabling developers to access specifications, compatibility details, kits, and updates in a unified location. This approach aligns with developers' holistic perspective, streamlining their workflow and enhancing efficiency.
The experience also introduced interactive comparison tables equipped with advanced filtering and sorting capabilities to enhance usability. These tools enable developers to efficiently navigate extensive product data, facilitating informed decision-making. Additionally, the "Developer Workspace" feature allows users to curate and manage selected hardware and software components, organizing them into projects for seamless comparison and compatibility assessment.
Sound technical? That's because it is; and because that's exactly how developers work.
Welcome to the largest developer ecosystem in the world, built by Qualcomm.
This meticulous attention to serving and inspiring developers is the throughline of the transformed Qualcomm experience. After an industry pivot from B2B to B2D(developer), the impact has been immediate across the Qualcomm business and brand:
Developers will inspire and build the future, and Qualcomm will power those developer breakthroughs.
