Brand survey: Swiss rely on tradition and ecology

In the "European Trusted Brands" brand survey conducted by Reader's Digest for the ninth time, traditional brands such as Migros, Raiffeisen, Similasan and Swatch remained at the top. Nevertheless, the brand landscape is changing; environmental protection is playing an increasingly important role in all product categories. For the first time, the study has therefore also identified those brands whose commitment to the environment enjoys the best reputation.
On the list of the most trusted brands, Volkswagen has regained the top spot in the automotive category from Toyota. Helsana replaces CSS at the top of the health insurance trust ranking after one year, while L'Oréal has to relinquish its long-standing top position in hair care products to Nivea as the most trusted brand. Aspirin wins out over Dafalgan in the painkiller category.
In terms of ecological commitment, Toyota scored highly for cars, Raiffeisen for banks, Swiss for airlines, Migros for retailers and household cleaners and V-Zug for household and kitchen appliances. In Switzerland, 1082 people were surveyed and around 1600 brands were named across all 35 product categories. In total, the survey was conducted in 16 European countries with 23,000 respondents.
Europeanized brands
Across Europe, Germany's classic brand Nivea - for the fifth time in a row - took first place in the skin care category and Finnish cell phone manufacturer Nokia once again took first place in the cell phone category in all 16 European countries. The Visa credit card came first in 14 countries. Canon achieved this position in the photographic equipment product category in 13 countries.
Kellogg's took first place in the breakfast cereals category in ten countries. The Swiss food group Nestlé achieved first place in five countries. Only in some categories, including automobiles, did strong brands from the home country such as Renault in France, Skoda in the Czech Republic and Volvo in Sweden come out on top. In addition to Switzerland, Volkswagen is also at the top in Germany, Austria and Poland.

Results Switzerland at a glance
Automobiles: Volkswagen
Banks: Raiffeisen
Clothing: Charles Vögele
Candies: Ricola
Decorative cosmetics: Nivea
Oil companies: Migrol
Cold products: NeoCitran
Photo devices: Canon
Fruit juices: Granini
Breakfast cereals: Kellogg's
Hair care: Nivea
Household/kitchen appliances: Miele
Household cleaner: Meister Proper
Skin care: Nivea
Homeopathic remedies: Similasan
Internet company: Bluewin
Health insurance companies: Helsana
Credit cards: Visa
Life insurance: SwissLife
Dairy products: Emmi
Furniture: Ikea
Cell phones: Nokia
Cell phone network provider: Swisscom
Personal Computer: Dell
Tour operator: Kuoni
Property insurance: The Mobiliar
Painkillers: Aspirin
Chocolate: Lindt & Sprüngli
Writing utensils: Caran d'Ache
Watches: Swatch
Consumer electronics: Sony
Vitamins: Burgerstein
Detergent: Total
Toothpaste/mouth care: Elmex

Confidence in companies' environmental protection activities
(Which brand do you think has the best reputation when it comes to environmental protection?)
Automobiles: Toyota
Banks: Raiffeisen
Batteries: Duracell
Gasoline: Shell
Fast food: McDonalds
Airlines: Swiss
Trading companies: Migros
Household/kitchen appliances: V-Zug
Household cleaners: Migros
Detergent: Persil