Euro Shock" survey: Rudolf Rodenburg

We all know that no product or brand can stand out on price alone. The Swiss economy must focus more than ever on Swissness and the values associated with it. Price must play a secondary role. The focus must be on the customer, their needs and motivations. The customer defines the value of a service, the added value, which also fuels the willingness to pay a higher Swiss franc price. People must have the feeling that there is no other alternative than this Swiss product. This is easier with luxury products and services, but also applies to all other Swiss quality products in the mid-price segment. As a branding agency, we have so far been spared the effects of the strong Swiss franc, and I am convinced that this will remain the case. I was living and working in London when the recession hit in 2008. Advertising budgets were immediately slashed. Companies no longer had money for expensive, short-term advertising campaigns and realized that the only way they could maintain long-term relationships with their customers was through their brands. To do this, they had to be more relevant, more unique, more appealing, more indispensable than the competition. Branding agencies have benefited from this development. Savings were also made on employees. Workforces in large companies were drastically reduced. Those who remained needed strong motivation and values that they could represent. They had to realize that they played an important role and could directly influence the survival of the entire organization. This was the time when employee engagement really took off. So when we talk about a counter-cyclical approach, we are talking about investing in the brand and the employees, even in difficult times. It's about setting a "pull" movement in motion, creating a desire, a longing, and less of a "push" movement, setting off widespread communication.