The Hypothesis

The executive team at Lowe’s had a hypothesis that they could bring the best mechanics tools available to retail. They saw a major chasm in the hand tool marketplace. “Weekend-warriors,” the guys working on their cars at home, bought Craftsman brand at Sears. Professional mechanics purchased brands like Snap-on and Matco from mobile tool trucks. The gap in price and availability between Craftsman and Snap-on was huge. And Lowe’s believed that guys who love cars wanted better tools.

They needed to test their hypothesis and, if valid, create the brand that could take on Craftsman and win. But they had not ‘created’ a brand (see Logo, A.) on this scale before, so they turned to BOLTgroup.

Innovation and the Brand

With innovation quickly rising up as one of the pillars of the brand, Kobalt needed to set the standard in mechanics tools from day one. Every touch point of the brand—from the name, logo, and identity system, to the products (see Screwdriver Design, B.), packaging, visual merchandising, and marketing communications had to speak with the brand‘s voice, the finest mechanics tools available at retail. We conducted months of quantitative and qualitative research to determine the best brand positioning, product design features, and identity elements for the aspirational mechanic. An integrated product + brand strategy was conceived and Kobalt Tools was born.

Taking the Checkered Flag Every Day at Lowe’s

Through meticulous development and testing, validating everything with our target consumers, we not only established the Kobalt brand in stores—as a national brand—but also in the hearts and minds of consumers. The brand was designed to look of the highest quality, with hints of Swiss or German heritage, as if it had been around for years. Then, as AOR for Kobalt, we helped place the product in the hands of writers, trade magazine editors, celebrities, and shade tree mechanics, creating word-of-mouth buzz for the brand. Through an association with NASCAR (see #48 Lowe’s Kobalt Car, C.), Kobalt reached a new level of brand mind share. Today Kobalt is a multi-hundred million-dollar brand—the most successful propriety brand in the store. Needless to say, the hypothesis was proved!