Switzerland trusts these brands

When a brand is recommended by friends, that's the biggest deciding factor for a purchase. This is the case throughout Europe, but especially in Switzerland, according to a statement. In addition to product quality, reliability, good service, and knowledgeable and friendly employees are becoming increasingly important in earning consumers' trust.

The study on consumer brand trust in Europe identified the most trusted brands in more than 30 product categories. In Switzerland alone, respondents named a total of 2153 different brands that they consider particularly trustworthy.

In Switzerland, many brands with tradition are at the top. These include Die Mobiliar, Elmex, HP, Kellogg's, Kuoni, Lindt, Nivea, Nokia, Ricola, Swisscom, Visa, Charles Vögele and Whiskas. For the first time in five years, Persil again achieved the top position in the laundry detergent category. Valser knocked market giant Coca-Cola out of first place in the non-alcoholic beverages category.

Customers want to be understood

The personal experiences of consumers are a decisive moment far ahead of the general image or awareness of a brand. Companies that give their customers the feeling that they know their needs and make intensive efforts to meet them are popular. Environmental awareness and a transparent corporate policy also play an above-average role for the Swiss. In a European comparison, it stands out that only for 47 percent of the Swiss does a low price contribute to building trust. On average in the other countries surveyed, this criterion is important for 62 percent of respondents.

"In these politically and economically difficult times, when consumers in Europe are repeatedly worried about future developments, brand trust continues to gain in importance," says Werner Neunzig, Managing Director of Reader's Digest Germany, Switzerland, Austria. "It is an outstanding achievement by companies if, despite increasingly intense competition, they succeed in gaining, maintaining or even further expanding consumer trust in a brand," says Neunzig. There is no doubt that extensive service transparency and honest efforts to ensure customer satisfaction also contribute to such a reliable relationship between brand and consumer.

Seals of quality also generate trust

When it comes to choosing a brand, 78 percent of the Swiss rely on recommendations from friends or relatives. But one in two also trusts awards from experts. 54 percent attribute a strong recommending power to a trust seal. The counterpoint to this: Only 21 percent of the Swiss would buy a brand they had never heard of before.

Swiss SMEs can convince

Another result of the study: Not only the big manufacturer brands, but also the medium-sized companies in Switzerland enjoy a high reputation and trust among the Swiss. 76 percent of respondents expressed their high to very high level of trust in the SME sector.

The Most Trusted Brands 2013: There is movement in the brands

While the study has always shown great stability for the most trusted brands in consumer favor in previous years, the 2013 study reveals some remarkable upheavals. In the cell phone category, the top brand Nokia, which had seemed almost uncatchable in all years, has lost its pre-eminence. The pressure on the once almost unassailable number one among cell phones in all countries is obviously increasing significantly due to the innovative forces in this market. Competitors such as Apple and Samsung are now gaining traction among the broader consumer base. Samsung is clearly outstripping Nokia in the Trusted Brands 2013 study, taking the top position in Germany and the Netherlands for the first time. In Switzerland, Nokia is still in first place, but here, too, it is losing considerable affection from year to year. In 2004, 74 percent of the Swiss still considered Nokia to be the most trusted cell phone brand; today, only 36 percent of the Swiss still regard the brand as trustworthy. Samsung, on the other hand, has been making significant headway in Switzerland since 2011 and, with a 21 percent share of the vote, is now hot on the heels of competitors Apple (26 percent) and Nokia. Even in its home country of Finland, Nokia lost ground - from 91 percent in 2004 to 79 percent of the trust votes today.

Nivea remains number 1 in all 12 countries

Nivea, on the other hand, remains number 1 in the skin care category in all countries surveyed, with a relatively stable share of the vote at a high level over the years. Nivea is also number 1 in the hair care and cosmetics category in three out of twelve countries - including Switzerland.

Category	Brand
Car
Kitchen
PC
Cell phone manufacturer
Mobile operator
Cameras
Vacation travel
Banks
Credit cards
Insurances
Internet Provider
Gasoline/Filling stations
Vitamin supplements
Painkiller
Remedy for cold
Hair care
Cosmetics
Skin care
Detergent
Breakfast cereals

The winners of all countries can be found at Rdtrustedbrands.com can be retrieved.