GearWrench

Transcending the Trade: GearWrench Hand Tools & the DIY Consumer

Launched in the late 1990s, GearWrench quickly became a leading tool brand among automotive technicians across the country. The company is best known for revolutionizing the hand tool industry with the original patented 5-degree ratcheting wrench. With a pipeline full of new innovations that promised broad consumer appeal, GearWrench turned to Rose Communications to help establish the brand within the do-it-yourself (DIY) marketplace.

Fresh Perspective

When presented with this challenge, our first step was to consider how we would make the GearWrench brand relevant to this new audience. One trend we felt we could tap was the desire among consumers to own professional-grade products (e.g. Viking range or DeWalt tools). The continued interest in all things related to home renovation and automotive hobbies also provided fertile ground for the story, but it was critical to find a way to break through the tremendous noise in the sector. To that end, we focused on the GearWrench brand attributes that we felt would resonate effectively with the DIY market:

  • Unmatched productivity (GearWrench products help you “get it done”)
  • Unparalleled innovation (When GearWrench introduces a new tool, people say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”)
Authentic Approach

To reach the DIY market, we:

  • Translated the GearWrench story for consumer media by showcasing products and applications that would resonate with a broader audience
  • Focused our communications efforts exclusively on products that were true innovations in the marketplace
  • Engaged influencers – top journalists, industry insiders and bloggers – with “first look” prototypes of new products
  • Continued to cultivate relationships with trade journalists who would begin to see the GearWrench brand appear in consumer channels
  • Reached hundreds of new influencers through product awards, trade shows and a NASCAR sponsorship
Meaningful Impact

In our first year working with GearWrench, we:

  • Garnered 12.5 million media impressions with an advertising value equivalency of $640,000
  • Secured media coverage in a number of outlets that previously had not covered GearWrench, including Associated Press, Popular Science, America’s Car Show, PC Magazine, Family Handyman, HANDY and Popular Mechanics among others
  • Introduced the GearWrench story to key media – This Old House, Good Housekeeping, Handyman Show, etc. – at the National Hardware Show
  • Hosted a luncheon in conjunction with the Specialty Equipment Market Association trade show, where more than 200 journalists had the opportunity to get “hands on” with GearWrench
  • Entered and won the 2006 Best of What’s New Award from Popular Science magazine in the Home Technology Category for the GearWrench X-Beam Wrench
  • Displayed the product in New York’s Grand Central Terminal as part of the Popular Science Best of What’s New Live Showcase
  • Drove unprecedented traffic to www.GearWrench.com, forcing a switch to a higher capacity server
  • Met and/or exceeded sales expectations for a number of new products

SHOW AND TELL

The GearWrench X-Beam Ratcheting Wrench

More than 200 journalists gather at SEMA for the GearWrench luncheon

“The X-Beam wrench may look odd, but bear down on it and you’ll quickly feel its advantages. One end of the wrench is twisted 90 degrees from the opposite end, giving it a wider handle that’s easier to hold and easier on your hands when you’re tightening or loosening stubborn nuts and bolts.”

“The GearWrench X-Beam Wrench has a big advantage over conventional wrenches: Its large hand-contact area makes it much more comfortable to use and magnifies the torque you are able to apply to fasteners.”

“To give physical evidence of what it says is a commitment to innovation, GearWrench introduced X-Beam combination ratcheting wrenches that provide increased contact area between the wrench handle and the mechanic’s hand. The tool became the first tested and approved by the American Arthritis Foundation for its ease of use.”

“Maybe you thought wrench technology had progressed as far as it could—but then you see the X-Beam. Its handle is twisted in the middle, putting its ends at a 90-degree angle from each other, so, unlike with standard wrenches, you always grip a wide, flat surface, not an uncomfortable edge.” Full Article

FULL ARTICLE