FELCO · Professional tools · Switzerland
Three brands, three customers, one identity
How does a global leader expand into new markets without confusing its customers?
FELCO's portfolio had grown to three brands aimed at three very different people. Storybuilding gave each one its own customer, its own story, and a reason to exist beside the others.
Before
Three brands described by what FELCO makes — a core line, a premium line, a motorised line.
After
Three brands described by who they are for — the professional, the prosumer, the adventurer.
The situation
For over 80 years FELCO has been synonymous with high-quality, durable tools built for professionals — Swiss precision, and repairable rather than disposable. That reputation was earned among horticulturists, landscapers, arborists and agricultural workers.
Then the portfolio grew. FELCO Prosumer arrived for discerning buyers who wanted professional-grade tools with a refined design. Alpen arrived as a separate brand for rugged, motorised tools built for adventurers and extreme conditions.
The risk was immediate and obvious: without a clear difference between them, the three brands would either compete with each other or simply confuse the people they were built for.
What shifted
Storybuilding moved the starting point from what FELCO makes to who FELCO serves — and then ran each brand through the same three questions a customer asks.
Recognition — is this for me?
- FELCO: trusted by professionals. Precision and longevity, for people whose living depends on the tool.
- FELCO Prosumer: luxury meets performance. Professional-grade quality, personal style, ergonomic comfort.
- Alpen: master the wild. Power tools for adventurers taking on extreme environments.
Perception — what do I compare this to? Each brand claimed different ground: FELCO on performance, ergonomics and durability; Prosumer on pleasure, comfort and eco-responsibility — style without sacrificing performance; Alpen on overcoming physical limitations with tools that are light and powerful at once.
Projection — can I see myself here? Each brand ends in a picture the customer can stand inside: the pride of tools that outlast a career; tools that read as an extension of who you are; the confidence to take on nature’s hardest work.
The outcome
Each brand came out with a clear, distinct voice, so a customer could tell at a glance which FELCO product was theirs. Marketing and sales got simpler, because the differences no longer had to be explained — they were built into how each brand spoke.
The stories also settled questions that had nothing to do with copy. Sponsorships and partnerships became obvious once each brand knew who it was for: FELCO alongside great gardens, major vineyards and professional horticultural competitions; Prosumer alongside passionate gardeners, tutorials and training; Alpen alongside national parks, environmental organisations and reforestation projects.
What other companies can take from this
Customers do not buy products. They buy stories that match their own aspirations and obstacles.
A branding problem that looked like a dilemma — three brands crowding each other — turned into an advantage, because each brand was given a different customer to be useful to. For any company carrying multiple brands or sub-brands, the sequence is the lesson: start from the customer’s perspective, define what matters to them, and build a story they want to be part of.
What changed
- Distinct positioning for FELCO, FELCO Prosumer and Alpen, with no brand competing against another
- Distributors and retailers able to explain the differences without being trained on them
- Messaging that connects on both functional and emotional levels, not features alone
- Sponsorship and partnership choices that follow from the stories rather than being decided ad hoc
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