The Challenge
Caught between legacy stalwarts like Buck and premium upstarts like Spyderco, CRKT was known as a reliable, mid-tier knife brand—but it lacked clear distinction. To unlock profitable growth, CRKT needed to reposition itself: identify high-value audiences, shift from mass to premium without losing brand equity, and deliver a customer experience worthy of its ambition.
Audience Insights
We segmented knife buyers using behavioral and attitudinal data, identifying two high-potential segments. These consumers showed high buying frequency and low price sensitivity. In fact, 80% of CRKT buyers said they’d pay a premium—$145 more per knife, on average. Together, these groups represented more than $100M in untapped revenue opportunity.
Repositioning the Brand
We built a bold new brand platform grounded in CRKT’s legacy of quality and its design collaborations with world-class makers. The new identity leaned into the evolving outdoor lifestyle—elevating CRKT from a utility-first label to a purposeful lifestyle brand with staying power.
Reimagining Customer Experience
We brought the repositioning to life across the customer journey. Guided by a new brand ethos, we developed personas, a maturity model (from casual user to collector), and a CX vision rooted in “inclusive experimentation.” The team prototyped and tested critical moments across the journey, delivering a CX blueprint and activation roadmap tied directly to business priorities.
The Impact
CRKT’s transformation laid the foundation for sustainable growth:
- A focused product and pricing strategy to expand margins
- A reimagined customer experience to drive long-term value
- A brand platform and expression that commands premium price points
- A workplace culture aligned with brand purpose
The result: a stronger CRKT, built to lead the next wave of premium knife buyers.
