A clear trend in BAV 2025 is the clearly positive development of digital brands. Last year, "comfort brands" made gains - brands that convey a sense of security and safety to consumers. A clear reaction to the emotional stress that the coronavirus crisis is causing us. This year, on the other hand, digital brands such as Twint, Apple and Samsung are among the winners - as they were before the crisis. This suggests that Swiss consumers have become accustomed to the coronavirus crisis and are returning to old patterns.

In addition to digital brands, the main winners are those that embody a young, progressive brand image. Switzerland may be looking to the future with a little more optimism again. At the same time, the snack brand Zweifel is celebrating great success, climbing five places to second place. The focus on the "healthier" product varieties Vaya and Joy Snacks is clearly going down well with consumers and shows that health is also playing an increasingly important role in the snack sector.

Euro 2024 as a success factor for Coca-Cola and SBB

Coca-Cola and SBB are also rising in consumers' favor and have made significant gains in the rankings. Coca-Cola's sponsorship commitment to Uefa Euro 2024 and the high reliability of SBB, particularly in comparison to Deutsche Bahn during the tournament, are likely to have contributed to this success. Both brands were evidently able to capitalize on the positive mood surrounding the major football event. "As WEuro2025 is taking place here in Switzerland this year, there are once again great opportunities for local brands to stand out positively," says Ingo CEO Swen Morath.

Swissness and "Love Brands"

Swiss brands continue to dominate the list of "Love Brands", which underlines the strong emotional attachment of Swiss consumers to local products. In addition to the global brands WhatsApp and Google, the list includes local icons such as Twint, Rega and Migros. 31 of the top 50 "Love Brands" are domestic brands, with even more over-50-year-old consumers. This strong presence of Swissness shows that tradition and trust are important purchasing criteria even in times of crisis.

What's more, it seems that in Switzerland, the way to the heart is through the stomach: a total of 22 of the top 50 come from the "Food" category. Zweifel, Le Gruyère and Lindt landed on the podium in this category.

Gen Z loves Twint, Nike - and the post office

Among the under-30s, on the other hand, Twint and Nike lead the "Love Brands" ranking. What is surprising here is the success of Swiss Post, which has improved significantly among Gen Z and is in 10th place. Swiss Post's success in this segment probably has to do with the change in shopping habits in this segment. Another study by Ingo, the Media Use Index, shows that Gen Z as a whole orders online much more frequently than a few years ago, but with smaller shopping baskets - due to providers such as Temu and Shein. Presumably, the small feeling of happiness when receiving the goods is also transferred to the deliverer, which is usually Die Post.

Brands with "creative impact" determine the cultural discourse

"Creative impact" is another dimension that is surveyed in the BAV. "Creative impact" refers to a brand's ability to have a lasting influence on cultural discourse - through innovation, inspiration or simply through its advertising. The creative impact of a brand is an important indicator of its future success and the BAV shows which factors have the greatest influence on this.

The current evaluation shows that "enabler" brands such as Lego, Apple, Samsung and Ikea in particular have a high "creative impact". These brands are not only particularly inspiring in terms of communication, but also enable consumers to become creative themselves. This is why universities that promote the creative potential of their students, such as ETH and ZHAW, are also at the top of the rankings.

Responsible at Ogilvy: Matthias Müller (CSO), Martin Keller (CEO). Responsible at Ingo Zürich: Peter Petermann (Executive Strategy Director), Swen Morath (CEO). Responsible at Scholz & Friends Switzerland: Elena Mokulys (Strategy Director), Mathias Rösch (CEO).

The exclusive interview on the Brand Asset Valuator with Swen Morath and Martin Keller was conducted as a video and in written form.

Werbewoche.ch: Swen Morath, the Brand Asset Valuator (BAV), how are the rankings determined?

Every year, we survey almost 10,000 Swiss people on around 600 brands. In addition to more than 60 image attributes, the dimensions of relevance, differentiation, esteem and familiarity are also surveyed. These four core values are used to calculate the brand strength and thus the rankings.

Martin Keller, what does the FOT cover?

The BAV includes dedicated statements on brand strength and brand momentum, an extremely granular analysis of a brand's image factors - as mentioned, more than 60 attributes - as well as an examination of the brand funnel, both in terms of usage and emotional proximity to a brand.

Your biggest surprise in the FOT 2024?

Swen Morath: A number of food brands performed strongly in this year's survey. The fact that some household brands such as Kärcher and Dyson were also able to improve suggests that there is currently a trend towards cocooning in Switzerland.

Now we have the main ranking "The strongest brands in Switzerland" With Google, Rega, Lego, Migros, Lindt, Ricola, Zweifel at the top. Your comment?

Martin Keller: Google, Rega and Migros have always been very strong in the FOT. The fact that Lindt, Ricola and Zweifel are three brands that are all about community and belonging confirms the trend towards cocooning.

"The most trusted brands in Switzerland" mit Zweifel, Ovo, Lindt, Lego, Migros, Google, Ricola, Migros, Google and Victorinox at the top. The development of Ricola is remarkable. What have they done better to climb 22 ranks?

Martin Keller: This ranking provides information about brand stature, i.e. the combination of esteem and familiarity. Especially in times of crisis, people look for support from brands that can give them a feeling of security. The brands in this ranking, including Ricola, have managed to build up a very strong store of emotional capital over the years and this is now having a positive effect.

What characterizes a trustworthy Swiss brand?

Swen Morath: As I said, trust is not created overnight. The top brands in this ranking have consistently cultivated their brand essence over the years and, above all, have earned a firm place in the hearts and minds of consumers in the long term. They are proof that consistent brand work pays off in the long term.

What value does trust still have in a world that is changing so rapidly?

Swen Morath: Studies have shown that nowadays, a single media contact can be enough to switch from one brand to another. We see an incredible number of new brands, for example from celebrities and influencers, that can secure market share very quickly. However, these effects are often not sustainable. On the other hand, there are brands that have been at the far right of our power grid for many years, i.e. have a high brand stature. This capital has a high influence on overall brand strength - and if these brands manage to stay "fresh", then they are among the absolute power brands.

Now there's a new "Love Brands" category? With the brands Lindt, Twint, Ragusa, Gruyere, WhatsApp, Migros, Cumulus, Coop, Ovo and Raclette at the top - your comment?

Martin Keller: Swissness, Swissness and more Swissness. We already noticed last year how important Swissness is for Brand Love in this country - unlike in other countries such as Germany or France. This year, there are now even more local brands among the Love Brands than last year. This could also be evidence of the trend towards cocooning - just a kind of national one

It is interesting to note that Coop only appears in the top ten for the Love Brands. So Coop has gained five places, Migros has lost five. Your explanation?

Swen Morath: Of course, it is always desirable to be able to provide a simple and clear explanation for such movements in the ranking. But of course it's not quite that simple. Especially when it comes to individual factors such as brand love, there is often not THE ONE explanation. However, we do know that there is a high correlation between brand love and the authenticity of a brand. Perhaps MIGROS is currently not perceived as being quite as authentic as Coop.

Ogilvy and Wunder Thompson are creative agencies in their DNA. What role does creativity play on the way to the top of the BAV rankings?

Swen Morath: The creativity of a brand plays a very important role in brand strength. Firstly, creative power has a strong influence on the differentiation of a brand: the more creative, the greater the chance of clearly differentiating itself. Secondly, we know that creativity and innovative power have a strong influence on a dimension that we call "influence", i.e. the ability to provide positive impetus in the cultural discourse and thus strengthen the brand in the long term. We are currently preparing a white paper on this topic, which we will present at the Swiss Brand Congress in June.

Welche Hauptergebnisse liefert die Studie zum BrandAsset Valuator (BAV) 2024 bezüglich der Markenlandschaft in der Schweiz?

Martin Keller: As just mentioned, there currently seems to be a trend towards cocooning. We also see this in our recently published Future 100 Report: there is currently a strong need for more "mental health" and more emotional security. Brands that satisfy this need certainly have great potential at the moment. We have also noticed that digital brands such as Apple, Microsoft and Samsung, which were among the clear winners last year, have surprisingly lost brand strength this year. It is not yet clear whether this means a fundamental recommendation for less digitality - for example in media selection. However, we also see an increased need for experiences "in real life" - i.e. IRL instead of URL.

What are the implications of the dominance of local brands in the "Most Loved Brands" list for international brands in Switzerland?

Martin Keller: It is obvious that brands that do not have any inherent Swiss DNA should think about how they can at least create associations with "Swissness". This could be achieved through collaborations with local influencers, but also through active involvement in local communities.

How can companies use the findings from the study to adapt their future brand strategy and strengthen their competitiveness?

Swen Morath: We have a whole range of clients - including those that we do not support as an agency - for whom we regularly survey the BAV. We discuss the results very intensively with these clients and provide so-called "strategic starters" as impulses for brand management. Many of these clients track certain attributes over time to check whether, for example, the brand personality is moving in the right direction. One of the great strengths of the BAV is that we have been collecting it in this country since 1995. We can therefore make very valid statements about the development of individual brands over time. In our view, this makes much more sense than a single "temperature check". 

Google is at the top of the list of the strongest brands for the third time in a row, despite waves of redundancies and discussions about data protection. However, there is a lot going on in the ranks behind it: several food brands are able to move up strongly in the rankings. Ricola (+17 ranks), Zweifel (+12 ranks) and Lindt (+4). Nespresso also rose by 21 places and the cheese icons Appenzeller and Le Gruyère by as much as +67 and +14 places respectively. It could be that the increased trend towards cocooning in times of crisis is helping "comfort brands" from the food sector in particular to achieve success.

The toy brand Lego also made strong gains (+11), as did Kärcher, Mastercard and Dyson, which are new to the top 20. These are also brands that are increasingly used at home or for online shopping from home. Digital brands such as Microsoft (-5), Apple
(-10) and Samsung (-19), which were among the winners in the previous year, are clearly slipping this year. The reason for this is unclear.

Published for the first time: The brands that Switzerland trusts

The strength of a brand in the BAV is determined by two dimensions: brand vitality and brand stature. While brand vitality primarily indicates how strongly a brand differentiates itself in the market, brand stature provides insights into the trust placed in a brand. It is well known that the trust placed in a brand can contribute significantly to its preferred use - especially in times of crisis and uncertainty. For this reason, the authors of the 2024 study are also publishing the top 10 brands with the highest brand stature for the first time.

The findings from this list confirm the mega-trend towards cocooning. It is even clearer here than in the overall ranking that brands that stand for personal well-being and a family-like sense of community are particularly highly regarded. The brands with the highest stature, above all Zweifel, Ovomaltine and Lindt, are classic "feel-good" brands that promise a sense of security and satisfaction. However, the origin of a brand also creates trust: in the current evaluation, the authors see that "Swissness" appears to be an important factor for brand stature. Seven of the top 10 brands with the highest stature come from Switzerland.

Swiss brands dominate the "Most Loved Brands" again

Local brands also dominate the ranking of Switzerland's "Most Loved Brands". With the exception of WhatsApp, the top 10 consists exclusively of local brands, including five pure food brands. This is in line with the findings from the previous year, when Swiss brands also performed very well. Lindt is currently up five places, securing the top position, followed by Twint, Ragusa, Le Gruyère and WhatsApp. While Migros took first place last year, this year the retailer dropped to sixth place, followed by the Cumulus Card and Coop. Ovomaltine and Raclette Suisse complete the top 10 of the Love Ranking. Once again, the way into the hearts of the Swiss is through their stomachs: with the exception of WhatApp, all the brands represented here have something to do with food in the broadest sense.

Responsible at Wunderman Thompson: Peter Petermann (Head of Strategy), Giselle Vaugne (Chief Operating Officer and Co-CEO, overall responsibility), Swen Morath (Chief Creative Officer and Co-CEO, overall responsibility). Responsible at Ogilvy: Matthias Müller (Head of Strategy), Martin Keller (CEO). Responsible at Scholz & Friends Zurich: Susi Miller (Strategy Director), Mathias Rösch (CEO).

The BAV is the largest and most comprehensive brand study worldwide. The study has been conducted in Switzerland since 1995. Since 2022, the study has been conducted in annual waves by the WPP agencies Wunderman Thompson, Ogilvy and Scholz & Friends Zurich. In the current wave, 9,600 Swiss people aged 18-74 were asked about their brand preferences. The number of brands surveyed this year is 600. The study is representative of the Internet population in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland according to Switzerland's official structural data. The survey period was from 31.08. - 14.10.2023.

The BrandAsset ValuatorTM is the largest and most comprehensive brand study in Switzerland, surveying 8,000 Swiss people on more than 800 brands. The FOT has been surveyed since 1995, in annual waves since 2022. In addition to a number of image attributes, the survey primarily measures brand strength and, most recently, "brand love.

With its placement as the "most loved brand" in the automotive sector, Audi is continuing the trend of recent years. The dedicated harmonization of TV, print, digital and social media enables the emotionalization of Swiss customers, the company says.

Katharina Momani Head of Marketing Audi Switzerland explains: "We convey an attitude to life and appeal to our customers on an emotional, meaningful level. The goal is to create a strong brand identity. In addition to classic advertising and concept studies, we focus on brand experiences. For example, we create product proximity with the popular Audi Driving Experiences, whether on the race track or on ice, and arouse strong emotions with the "money can't buy" experiences."

At the brand congress on June 14, interested parties can learn more about Audi's brand strategy and its implementation. To register go to here.

Tech brands push forward

The biggest winners in the top 10 this year are the technology brands Microsoft, Apple and Samsung. They have made massive gains and are in the top 10 for the first time. Microsoft moves up 17 places to land in third place; Apple is close behind in fourth place (+26 ranks); and Samsung makes up an impressive 35 ranks to land in sixth place in the overall ranking. With Google still unchallenged in first place, as well as WhatsApp and YouTube, this means that 7 of the top 10 brands are from the digital sector.

On the one hand, this may have to do with the fact that technology and digital platforms have become an integral part of everyday life. Especially in the post-Corona era, which is characterized by remote work, zoom or team meetings, and digital interaction, these brands are becoming increasingly important for everyday life. This strengthens the familiarity but also relevance of these brands. On the other hand, brands like Apple or Samsung have a high pace of innovation. And since innovativeness is one of the main drivers behind brand vitality, these brands can put themselves at the top of the winners.

Another brand that made it into the top 10 for the first time is Victorinox. The Swiss original is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year and is therefore probably particularly present in the minds of the Swiss. Beyond that, however, the brand has also done quite a bit in recent years to stay fresh and up-to-date. Not for nothing was Victorinox honored with the Swiss Marketing Award by the Gfm in October (Werbewoche.ch reported). No longer in the top 10 is the company Coop, which loses 8 ranks and "only" lands in 15th place.

Four pillars of brand strength

In the most differentiated brands, Tesla and Apple are the clear winners in the first two places. Lego and IKEA also score here and, as in the previous year, land in the top 5. Dyson was included in the list of 800 brands surveyed for the first time this year and promptly lands in 4th place, just like the Swiss vitamin drink Focus Water in 9th place. The Swiss sneaker brand On can improve by 166 ranks and moves up to 6th place. However, "Swissness" no longer seems to be a driver in the differentiation: the Swiss originals Rega, Toblerone, Ovomaltine, Rivella and Ricola all slip out of the top 10.

In terms of relevance, the well-known brands can defend their top positions. Migros, WhatsApp, Google, Coop and Microsoft are once again among the most relevant brands in Switzerland. Twint improves by 37 positions to rank 6. In 2022, supermarkets and digital brands will still be enormously important for Swiss consumers, not only among the top 10, but in the overall ranking.

There are also no surprises among the most trusted brands: Migros, WhatsApp, Coop, Google and Swisscom are all in the lead, similar to last year. These brands are firmly established in the everyday lives of the Swiss and are therefore very familiar. It is interesting to note that SBB has moved up seven places to 10th place. Perhaps this is an indication that the understanding of mobility is changing and people are increasingly relying on public transportation.

Major changes are visible in terms of appreciation: Migros, Victorinox and Rega are similarly far ahead as in 2021, but there is a lot going on behind them: Microsoft, Samsung, Google, Kärcher, Bosch and Zug can gain between 35 and 79 ranks and move ahead of Coop, which falls back to 10th place. There could be different explanations for this dynamic. As in the main ranking, Microsoft, Samsung and Google are very strong digital brands that are firmly established in everyday life. In the case of Kärcher, Bosch and Zug, we are talking about brands related to the household - and here the current crises certainly play a role. The term "cocooning" has previously been used to describe the phenomenon of people focusing more on their immediate surroundings in times of crisis. In addition, this year for the first time the image attributes "reliable," "high quality" and "leading brand" are included in the calculation of appreciation, and here traditional brands like this year's top 10 naturally have a clear advantage.

"Most loved brand" Migros

This year, the "Love Brands" of Switzerland are also determined for the first time. For this purpose, the survey explicitly determined per brand with a scaled question how much it is liked. Apart from WhatsApp and Google, the ranking includes a list of well-known Swiss brands. As expected, Migros lands right at the top, and the Cumulus Card is also very popular in this country. Twint, Rega, Victorinox and Caran D'Ache are also among the Love Brands. Lindt and Raclette Suisse are the only two food brands in the top 10, but there are already eight in the top 20 - including Ragusa, Ricola and Zweifel. While "Swissness" no longer seems to play a major role in brand strength, Swiss origin is apparently an absolute must if you want to be a Love Brand.

All in all, this year again shows that the brand landscape in Switzerland is constantly in flux. Some brands are moving forward in terms of perception, while others are losing ground in terms of reputation. Some of the changes certainly have to do with external circumstances such as the current crises. But it is precisely the dimensions of differentiation and familiarity that are driven by communication. Therefore, even in difficult times, an investment in advertising and marketing can be worthwhile in order to build and maintain a strong brand.

Responsible at Wunderman Thompson: Peter Petermann (Head of Strategy) Galina Helbling (Senior Strategist), Giselle Vaugne (Chief Operating Officer and Co-CEO, overall responsibility), Swen Morath (Chief Creative Officer and Co-CEO, overall responsibility). Responsible at Ogilvy: Matthias Müller (Strategy Director), Jonathan Schipper (CEO). Responsible at Scholz & Friends: Mathias Rösch (CEO).

The Brand Asset Valuator BAV is the largest and most comprehensive brand study worldwide. In Switzerland, the study has been conducted since 1995. Since this year, the study has been produced jointly in annual waves by the WPP agencies Wunderman Thompson, Ogilvy and Scholz & Friends. This has made it possible to massively expand the FOT. Now, 8,000 Swiss people aged 18-74 are surveyed annually about their brand preferences. The number of brands surveyed has more than doubled to over 800. The study is representative of the Internet population of German- and French-speaking Switzerland according to the official structural data of Switzerland. The survey period was from August 31 to October 18, 2022.

In addition to a contemporary understanding of brand communication, Migros' success goes hand in hand with a change in values among Swiss consumers toward more idealism. Status and materialism, on the other hand, are becoming less relevant, according to the survey. With the Club School, the Culture Percentage and nature parks, Migros assumes responsibility towards society and shows with the launch of Generation M that it also intends to do so in the future. Migros is thus bridging the gap between idealism and concrete action, and has been successful in doing so.