Client Snapshot

Reach Separations is a specialist provider of chromatography services for the analysis and purification of small molecules. Based in BioCity, Nottingham, the company supports pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and fine chemical clients across the UK and Europe, with particular expertise in chiral separation and rapid sample turnaround to accelerate discovery programmes.

The Challenge

Despite a strong technical offering and loyal client base, Reach Separations’ marketing communications were overly focused on service features rather than the broader value delivered to clients. There was a growing recognition that the company was underselling itself in the early stages of the buyer journey — particularly to senior scientific and procurement audiences who value outcomes over capabilities.

The Solution

Paul Mills was hired to facilitate a full-day, in-person strategic workshop with Reach’s senior leadership team to interrogate and reframe the company’s value proposition. Through structured exercises and strategic provocations, the team explored both functional and emotional value drivers, clarified positioning statements, and re-evaluated how buyers perceive their services.

A second half of the workshop focused on identifying Reach’s Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) across several key dimensions:

• Business context and operational environment
• Pain points, buying triggers, and objections
• Commercial, scientific, and reputational benefits of working with Reach
• The risk and cost of inaction from the client’s perspective

The workshop outputs were consolidated into a strategic summary report, including a newly defined ICP profile and a curated content library of ideas aligned to buyer needs, goals, and questions across the customer journey.

The Outcome

The session resulted in immediate strategic clarity and alignment across the team. It provided Reach with:

• A sharper articulation of its commercial and scientific value
• A refined ICP that could be shared with marketing and BD teams
• A roadmap for developing more resonant, audience-led content
• A foundation for evolving its content strategy and brand messaging

Client Testimonial

"Paul helped us think beyond our capabilities and reframe how we communicate the true value of what we do. His workshop unlocked fresh ideas resulting in a more strategic approach to our content plan and go-to-market materials. The quality of the output and power of the messaging is really impressive."

Peter Ridgway
Business Development Director, Reach Separations

‍About VCMO

VCMO is a UK-based provider of fractional marketing services, supporting B2B SMEs—ranging from funded scale-ups to mid-tier and private equity-backed businesses—through key moments of growth and transformation. Its Chartered Fractional CMOs and SOSTAC® certified planners embed strategic marketing leadership into organisations navigating product launches, new market entry, acquisitions, and leadership gaps.