In episode 467 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Frank Crowson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, and Jim Nelson, fractional executive creative director at Northern Tool + Equipment, a family-owned, leading supplier of high-quality tools and equipment. Listen in as Crowson and Nelson provide an overview of the company and its 40-plus year history (1:10), each of their career backgrounds (6:20), the unique marketing approach at Northern Tool + Equipment (10:50), and a radio spot from its newest campaign (13:25).
In addition, Crowson and Nelson discuss the marketing campaign's laser-focused messaging to its target audience of tradespeople (15:40), Northern Tool + Equipment's overall brand identity (18:00), and the witty, tongue-in-cheek messages in the ads (20:40). They share how the high-quality campaign was produced (23:30), the logic of calling out big-box stores in the ads (25:05), and the goal of driving both brand impact and sales with the right prices in a tough economy (27:50). Lastly, Crowson and Nelson detail what’s next for Northern Tool + Equipment (30:35).
Frank Crowson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, joined Northern Tool + Equipment in 2023 with senior leadership experience at some of the nation’s most successful retailers. In his role, he oversees all elements of the marketing function and is responsible for leading the company’s initiatives involving brand awareness and revenue growth. Frank brings an entrepreneurial spirit and tenacity to his role in addition to his breadth of retail experience and expertise. Prior to joining Northern, Frank held key leadership positions at multiple retailers. He most recently served as Best Buy’s chief marketing officer, where he led meaningful evolution of the brand, acceleration of digital media, and significant growth in the retail media business. Prior to Best Buy, Frank was senior vice president and head of marketing for Guitar Center as well as holding multiple leadership positions over the course of 15 years with Target Corporation, including buying, owned brand and entertainment marketing and vice president of promotion marketing. Frank is a graduate of Hamline University in St Paul, MN, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics. Frank brings a human-centric focus to his leadership, prioritizing customers and team to drive success. He is a future-focused leader who enjoys a blend of art and science and working at the intersection of data and intuition.
After 20 years working as a writer, executive creative director and chief creative officer leading creative for some of the world’s most iconic brands, Jim Nelson founded Wolfes LLC to be a more collaborative, flexible creative resource for brands. Jim joined the Northern Tool + Equipment team as the fractional executive creative director in 2024. He is an insanely passionate, hard-working, internationally awarded writer and creative director. He believes great ideas and great work can create miraculous results for brands large and small because he’s seen it happen. Jim has created and led work on some of the most iconic brands in the world, including Coca-Cola, Porsche, and Harley-Davidson. In addition, he’s worked with up-and-coming brands like Subaru and Jack Links Meat Snacks and helped startups get off the ground. Jim’s work comes from the belief that the most powerful weapon brands have to move business forward is creating a story that connects with the audience in an emotional way. If you make them feel something, you can inspire them to do something.
