Swatch ticks and ticks and ticks

 
Watches Swatch celebrated its 25th birthday in March. It remains at the top thanks to good brand management. 
 
It has been a hit for 25 years: the Swatch watch. For 25 years it has stubbornly remained at the top of the world rankings, even though the demand for luxury watches and cheap products from the Far East is constantly increasing. The reason why the iconic Swiss watch continues to sell so well is easy to explain: In addition to strengths such as design and sales, the Swiss flagship relies on clever marketing. To this day, the message "Highest quality at the lowest price, provocation and fun in life" remains the focus of the watchmakers. Ever since the first Swatch watch was presented in Zurich in March 1983. Of course, its success can also be explained by the fact that anyone can afford these affordable timepieces. But the watch also stands for a unique attitude to life. The brand stands for youth, innovation, sportiness and originality. Thanks to its clear positioning and marketing, the Swatchgroup has sold 300 million watches to date. And "Mr. Swatch" Nicolas G. Hayek is convinced that Swatch will continue to be a bestseller: "Emotional consumer goods backed by a consistent brand with a clear message to consumers will remain in demand, regardless of the market segment."
Although the trendy piece of plastic has become a cult brand, the watch is no longer one of the 20 power brands in Switzerland that are determined annually by the advertising agency Advico Young and Rubicam. In 1995, Swatch was still in first place, but until 2007 it was in the top 20 without interruption, a feat only achieved by brands such as Migros, Toblerone, Ovomaltine, Gruyère, Zweifel, Coca-Cola and Lego. According to the latest brand study in June 2007, the watch has lost profile among younger consumers. M-Budget has pushed Swatch out of the rankings. "The brand lacks the rebellious appearance of the past, the former cult brand is now just mediocre," says Caspar Coppetti, author of the study. Nevertheless, in the "Most Trusted Brands 2007" report, the Swiss watch export hit is still top of the class in the watch category.
In addition to the watch, the advertising has always been an eye-catcher. Instead of advertising with celebrity actors like other brands or simply staging the watches in large format, Swatch tries to convince potential consumers with lifestyle advertising. Unconventional and with a wacky visual language. Swatch press officer Katy Jolidon: "Our advertising slogans are always Trendy, Joy of Life, Positive Provocation." New media is usually used to reach the young target group. Jolidon: "We mainly advertise on the Internet to reach young people. We try to position the Swatch brand in the art, fashion and sports environment."
This strategy is most clearly expressed in the area of sport. Swatch uses YouTube as an advertising channel, for example. The watch brand maintains its own channel on the video platform to document its involvement in the TTR World Snowboard Tour. Swatch is the official sponsor of the world's most important snowboarding competition, the Ticket To Ride (TTR) World Snowboard Tour.
Christian Lüscher