9 February 2012. About 1,000 consumers in Poland indicated that they regarded Switzerland as particularly reliable. This is shown by the current study by the Institute of Marketing (IfM-HSG) and by htp St.Gallen Managementberatung AG, which was conducted on behalf of the Polish-Swiss Chamber of Commerce.

Reliable quality is appreciated

Switzerland succeeds in being internationally respected and being perceived as likeable at the same time. Swiss products and services profit from this excellent reputation. In Poland, they are considered to be reliable, of high quality and luxurious. According to the survey, interviewees are also willing to pay a higher price for this quality. Innovation, however, is not perceived as Switzerland’s strongest point in Poland – as indeed in many other countries.

Despite their good reputation, Swiss products face tough international competition. The image of German and Japanese products is not substantially worse than that of Swiss ones. In comparison with Japan, Swiss products are basically perceived as being more efficient, but primarily as less innovative.

Switzerland’s conservative image
Since only a minority of the Polish population have ever visited Switzerland, this country’s image in Poland is largely conditioned by second-hand information, the media and word of mouth. Switzerland is perceived as more traditional in Poland than in countries with closer personal relationships and higher travel frequencies. Thus in Poland, Switzerland is synonymous with many traditional attributes and more than in other countries stands for industries such as watchmaking, chocolate and cheese.

“This positive result must still be understood as a call to further reinforce existing strengths”, says HSG marketing expert Sven Reinecke. Emerging economies such as those of China and India are characterised by a high degree of self-confidence and a very positive attitude towards domestic products. According to the authors of the study, Switzerland will only be able to defend its position if it protects the beauty of its nature and landscapes, on the one hand, and continues to focus on quality awareness, innovation and research, on the other hand.

Photo: Photocase / Emanoo