Building a Premium Tradesmen Brand Through Innovation and Customer Feedback With David Kestner

David Kestner is the Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce of Diamondback Tool Belts, a company that designs and manufactures premium modular tool belts, vests, and work gear for tradespeople. He has held senior roles in digital marketing and e-commerce, including at ALPEN Storage and SpotTrot, before joining Diamondback. At Diamondback, he leads strategies to grow online sales and drive brand visibility. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Kentucky in sports administration and history.

Building a premium brand for hardworking tradespeople takes more than quality materials. It demands constant innovation, close attention to customer feedback, and smart marketing to reach the right audience. How does a niche tool belt company turn these principles into rapid growth and industry recognition?

According to David Kestner, a marketing and e-commerce leader, success comes from combining customer-driven product development with disciplined digital strategy. He highlights how Diamondback relies on input from real tradespeople to design ergonomic and modular belts and vests that outperform traditional leather gear. By focusing on authentic user-generated content and community engagement, the company built trust without paying influencers. Careful tracking of metrics such as marketing efficiency ratio allowed the team to scale ad spend intelligently, ensuring steady growth while maintaining profitability. Their commitment to continuous product launches and responding to feedback keeps customers engaged and returning.

In this episode of Truth About Social Ads, host Jason Smith sits down with David Kestner, Vice President of Marketing and E-commerce of Diamondback Tool Belts, to talk about building a premium tradesmen brand through innovation and customer feedback. They discuss how user generated content fuels marketing success, why focusing on marketing efficiency over return on ad spend drives growth, and the importance of constant product innovation.