Swiss companies operating in Poland do not need to prove that they are reliable and that their services or products are of good quality. Polish business partners or clients take it for granted. This is reflected in the results of the latest research ‘Swissness in Poland’ which we present on below.
The positive image of Switzerland in Poland bears a great potential. What is interesting, Polish managers running Swiss companies in Poland are usually more aware of this fact than managers at their head offices in Switzerland. It is Polish CEOs who often have to convince their superiors that it is worth underlying to a greater extent the Swiss origin of the company, products or services in marketing or corporate communication.
In order to support them with reliable data, in 2011 the Chamber commissioned for the first time a survey on the image of Switzerland in Poland. It is worth mentioning that ‘Swissness’, i.e. the perception of a country as a brand was at that time a new discipline in Switzerland launched by the University of St. Gallen. The first survey was carried out in 2006. Since then the research on the image of Switzerland and Swiss products and services has been conducted every few years. The survey is carried out in 15 countries – neighbouring countries and biggest export markets.
Poland is not (yet) on the list, that is why in Poland the research is commissioned by the Polish-Swiss Chamber of Commerce together with a number of Swiss member companies. In 2014, following a request of the Chamber additional questions concerning the image of Swiss companies in Poland where added to the survey. The reason was that there are many member companies which position themselves on the Polish market by indicating their Swiss origin and not necessarily by selling products ‘Made in Switzerland’.
The image of Switzerland is an asset from which all Swiss companies can benefit. As an example, it affects the attractiveness of companies as employers („employer branding”). Moreover, the research may provide answers to more specific questions:
– Brand recognition of a company in Poland and associations with the brand,
– Does the industry benefit from the so called ‘Swissness effect’? Is it worth underlying the Swiss origin of the company?
– How high is the ‘Swissness Premium’, i.e. how much more are clients willing to pay for a Swiss product compared to a similar product without the indication of origin?
We wish you a pleasant reading.