Brand + Advertising Campaign Strategy, B2C + B2B

Company Black+Decker / Sector Consumer Goods & Durables, Power Tools, Hardware

Innovative Products and Engaging Product Demo Advertising Increases Sales ⇧ 30%

by Christopher Vickers, Atlanta-based Brand, Advertising + Content Marketing & Communications Strategist & Creator

Background   For decades Black+Decker tools enjoyed high unaided awareness and significant market share. Yet both were down, eroded by smaller more nimble players and diluted by the company's forays into housewares and kitchen appliances. The company's stock price was sliding and sales were down.

Black+Decker Drill + Circular Saw

Opportunity For decades B+D had been marketed almost exclusively to “heavy-users”, men 25 to 54, including professionals. In a changing and expanding market this focus left little room for growth.

Research revealed light and medium users - primarily male and female homeowners who were ‘Do It Yourself-ers’ - represented an excellent opportunity for growth. 

Black+Decker Hedge Trimmer

Approach We developed humorous integrated campaigns featuring "regular guys" and “regular gals” using innovative new and popular mainstay Black+Decker tools to perform maintenance and repairs around the home. Each spot demonstrated Black+Decker’s power, versatility and ease-of-use, demonstrating that even the least skilled can tackle projects around the home and succeed.

In addition to new consumer and retail content and campaigns we expanded the target audience to skew younger and more female, developed sub-brands for innovative new products and evolved the parent brand.

Black+Decker Portable Light + Reciprocating Saw

Outcome  Results surpassed Black+Deckers’ sales goals. Year-over-year average dollar sales increased 30+%. During the Black+Decker power tools media flight some retailers completely sold out.

Agency McCann