Switzerland in 2nd place in terms of brand image

The global survey on the image of 35 nations gives Switzerland high marks: it is in second place behind Great Britain. The study, which was conducted for the fourth time and surveyed 25,907 people internationally between November 8 and 19, 2005, was carried out by the market research company Global Market Insite GMI according to the concept of brand expert Simon Anholt. The global opinion barometer surveys the culture, politics, economy, population, investment potential and tourist appeal of countries. Switzerland even took first place in terms of competence and fairness in government affairs, contribution to world peace, respect for human rights and treatment of fellow countrymen. Switzerland also scored well in the areas of education and technology. The top ten places in the Nation Brands Index were taken by: Great Britain, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Japan, France, Australia and the USA. In addition to the ranking, the financial brand value was also calculated for the first time. In this calculation, Switzerland is in 14th place with a value of 558 billion dollars. By comparison, the US brand is in first place with a brand value of 18 trillion dollars. The publishers of the study write in their communiqué that the brand image of countries is becoming increasingly important in the age of globalization. Nations are also competing for attention, investors, tourists, consumers and the media. A strong and positive image is therefore a competitive advantage. GMI has been tracking how the image of various countries is developing for a year with the Nation Brand Index. GMI has the capacity to reach a total of 5.5 million panel participants in over 200 countries.