Strong Swiss brands remain unshaken despite Corona
High product benefits and sustainability are reliable points of orientation for consumers, even in years of crisis. The Reader's Digest market research study "Trusted Brands 2021" has clarified which Swiss brands have the most solid basis of trust.
In the pandemic year 2021, consumer behavior in Switzerland has changed: Almost half of the 2300 respondents (48 percent) say they feel less inclined to store than before the pandemic. And 42 percent of survey participants say they are less likely to shop spontaneously in the supermarket and plan their purchases more in advance. However, the strength of top brands remained the same. Almost one in five (23 percent) of the 2,300 people surveyed said he or she had reached for well-known and familiar brands more often than before the pandemic.
Performance is recognized
Brands that reliably fulfill their value proposition over the years maintain their position even in exceptional times. In the Reader's Digest study, the same brands as in the previous year are at the top in 13 product categories: Raiffeisen (banks/financial service providers), Coop Bau+Hobby (construction and hobby markets), Ricola (sweets), Nivea (shower gel as well as cosmetics), Miele (household/kitchen appliances), Helsana (health insurance), Emmi (dairy products), Ikea (furniture/furnishing stores), Similasan (natural remedies), Fielmann (optician/eyewear brands), Die Mobiliar (insurance) and Burgerstein (vitamin products).
In addition, there are the winners of the four new categories. Ricola (cough and cold remedies), Voltaren (muscle and joint complaints), Qualipet (pet supplies/pet food) and Migros (vegan/vegetarian products) received the most entries. Two brands will be at the top of the podium in two categories in 2021: Nivea (shower gel and cosmetics) and Ricola (candies and cough and cold remedies).
Only in three categories did challengers displace the former winning brand: In cars, Audi is now in first place, followed by VW. Amplifon was able to challenge Phonak for the top spot among hearing aid manufacturers, and Graubünden relegated Valais to third place among Swiss vacation regions and resorts.
The criteria for the purchase decision are clear. For 65 percent of respondents, quality ranks first or second. The price-performance ratio follows with 47 percent, and needs-basedness with 40 percent.
It is striking that top brands such as Emmi or Nivea, which place great emphasis on environmentally friendly processes, each received more than twice as many mentions as the next-placed supplier.
The top performers in 2021 at a glance
| Automobiles | Audi |
| Banks/financial service providers | Raiffeisen |
| Building and hobby markets | Coop Construction+Hobby |
| Candies | Ricola |
| Shower gel | Nivea |
| Household/kitchen appliances | Miele |
| Hearing aids (manufacturer) | Amplifon |
| Cough and cold remedies | Ricola |
| Cosmetics | Nivea |
| Health insurance companies | Helsana |
| Dairy products | Emmi |
| Furniture stores/furnishing stores | Ikea |
| Muscle and joint complaints | Voltaren |
| Natural remedies/homeopathy | Similasan |
| Optician / Eyewear brands | Fielmann |
| Swiss vacation regions/resorts | Grisons |
| Pet supplies | Qualipet |
| Vegan/vegetarian products | Migros |
| Insurances | The furniture |
| Vitamin products | Burgerstein |
The independent market investigation "Trusted Brands" is used by Reader's Digest has been conducted since 2001 and is one of the largest and best-established consumer studies in Europe. Reader's Digest, together with the Dialego Institute, Aachen, surveyed 2300 consumers in Switzerland. A unique feature of the survey is that all questions about brands are asked unprompted, i.e. without any predefined designations. In 20 product categories, participants spontaneously named the brand they personally trust most and would recommend to family or friends. A total of 2197 brand terms represent strong competition and consumer favoritism. Information on purchasing decisions and other aspects was also collected.
