Stoke

Background
FEI Company makes the world’s highest-powered microscopes. At nearly (US) $700 million in annual revenues, it is the world leader in electron optics and focused ion beam technologies. A true pioneer, FEI develops imaging and analysis tools to address today’s most demanding scientific and commercial challenges. The company is a global community of industry-leading technical and applications specialists, collaborating with advanced research institutes, academic centers, and industrial enterprises – all of whom share a passion for discovery.

Challenge
In the high-growth field of nanotechnology, FEI was well positioned to serve customers demanding the highest levels of precision, image resolution and characterization technologies. As nanotechnology proliferated, the market opportunity moved from early-adoption customers, demanding bleeding-edge performance, to pragmatic customers requiring solutions and support. The maturing market required a reassessment of organizational values, the product portfolio and the brand image of the company.

Outcome
Stoke's partners initiated an assessment of FEI’s organizational identity, including executive interviews in five countries, and an online study among 1,000 employees worldwide. Customer and market research was conducted in six global markets to understand customer needs, product and service utilization, purchase dynamics and competitive perceptions.

Stoke’s "Brand Opportunity Model" generated seven unique strategic positioning alternatives for FEI’s senior leadership. Each alternative was presented in a visual array so that each strategy could be assessed in relation to customer needs and market competitors. Selected positions were further developed to understand the implications for:

• Culture & Values – The character and nature of the organization;
• Core Competencies – The ‘hot shot’ capabilities that would define the brand, and;
• Challenges & Changes – The operational and managerial changes that would be evidence of the company’s delivery against the brand.

The results were used to facilitate a leadership summit in Amsterdam. A final positioning recommendation was approved, initiating a projected two-year Strategic Leadership and Resource Planning process.