Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA General Secretariat GS-FDFA Presence Switzerland

Nation Brands Index 2011: Switzerlands image abroad

Switzerland once again occupies a place in the Top Ten in the overall ranking. It has, however, slipped one position, with Australia pushing it down into ninth place. This is despite the fact that Switzerland has fared slightly better than in 2010 in the categories of culture, tourism and people and has remained at the same level in the other dimensions. Taking the longer-term view, the overall picture confirms a gradual downward trend. Once again, Switzerlands best ranking is in the dimension of governance (second place) and therein it is top scored for the aspect of environmental protection and also (for the first time) for competent and honest government. Moreover, it continues to be in first place for the aspect of quality of life (within the dimension of immigration and investments). 1. Methodology and contents The Nation Brands Index (NBI) rates the strength and attractiveness of countries every year. It was developed in 2005 by Simon Anholt, a British expert in national images. The index is based on a survey (performed solely online) by the American market-research institute, GfK. It evaluates 50 countries in six dimensions: Exports, Governance, Tourism, Investments and Immigration, Culture and Heritage and People. The survey contains between three and five closed questions on central aspects of each of these dimensions. The questions are put to approximately 1000 individuals from 20 core panel countries, and each one of these has 25 countries (of the 50 countries) assigned to it at random. In this way, each of the 50 countries receives roughly 500 appraisals per core panel country (exception: Egypt with 250 appraisals per country). 2. Results 2.1 Country images according to NBI 2011 Considering the results table as a whole, there are only marginal changes down as far as 25th place. The USA has further consolidated its lead at the top. France and the United Kingdom have swapped places, while Australia has pushed Switzerland down from eighth to ninth place, despite the fact that Switzerland has maintained or even improved its ranking in individual dimensions (culture, tourism and people). Taking the longer-term view, Switzerlands slight downward trend (cf. Fig. 1) has been confirmed. Whereas Switzerland was consistently in fifth place in the quarterly rankings between 2005 and 2007, it first of all slipped by three places from 2007 to 2008 and has now, from 2010 to 2011, lost one further place in the ranking, being overtaken for the first time ever by Australia.

Fig. 1: Ranking of countries over time according to the NBI (2007-2011)

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011
1. United States 2. Germany 3. United Kingdom 4. France 5. Japan 6. Canada 7. Italy 8. Australia 9. Switzerland 10. Sweden

2.2 General image of Switzerland according to the NBI 2011 Switzerland continues to enjoy a very good image in the world, despite the fact of slipping down one place for the first time again after three years of stability. In comparing the countries from which panel participants express their views, Switzerland still secures the best marks of all from Germany (second place). Both the Chinese and Russian panellists put Switzerland in fifth place, which is an improvement of one place in the view from Russia since 2009, whereas the perception of Switzerland in China has deteriorated by one place per year. It is worth picking out a positive development in the evaluation from the USA, with a steady improvement from tenth place in 2009 to seventh place this year, which is due especially to positive judgments in the dimensions of immigration and investment and culture. The perception of Switzerland in Turkey has improved again compared with 2010 and is back at the 2009 level (sixth position). There has thus been no continuation of the image loss recorded in 2010 in the aftermath of the prohibition on building minarets. The situation looks different in the case of Egypt, where Switzerland has lost one place compared with 2010 (twelfth place). Switzerland was awarded lower marks from all the countries of Latin America, which is particularly striking in the case of Argentina, where it has lost five places (down to tenth place). The lowest perceptions of Switzerland are from Italy (twelfth position) and Egypt. Switzerlands popularity remains at the same high level (third place for favourability). Switzerland is the most popular country in the eyes of the Russian, Italian and Chinese panellists, the second most popular for the Japanese, and the third for the French and Germans. Switzerland is least popular in the views expressed from Egypt, followed by Sweden and the UK. Familiarity with Switzerland has fallen slightly (down to 13th place). As would be expected, familiarity with Switzerland is greatest in its neighbouring countries (which put it between places 5 and 7), whereas the lowest familiarity with Switzerland is in the countries of South America (places 22 to 23). 2.3 Switzerlands image in the individual dimensions according to the NBI 2011 Switzerland receives very stable rankings over the six image dimensions included in the NBI (cf. Fig. 2). It scores best in the dimensions of governance, immigration and investments and people, followed by the dimensions of exports and tourism. The perception of Switzerland remained no less stable but at a low level in the dimension of culture and sport.

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Fig. 2: Switzerlands ranking in the six image dimensions (2008-2011; scale: places 1 to 25)

Exports
1 6

Immigration/Investm ent

11 16 21

Governance 2008 2009 2010 2011

Tourism

Culture/Sports

People Switzerland continues to be highly rated in the dimension of people. Overall, it is now one place better than in 2010, although there has been no change as regards the individual aspects. Switzerland has received appreciably better scores than in the past in this dimension from Turkey, the UK and Russia, but worse from Canada and Japan. The biggest shifts are to be seen in how the panellists from the individual countries have reacted to the aspects of welcoming and friendship. The Chinese, in particular, are now much less keen on having a Swiss friend than they used to be. On employment (i.e. employing someone from Switzerland), the perception in the USA has improved markedly but has deteriorated in Canada. In this dimension, Switzerland is associated with the characteristics of hard-working (32%) and skilful (30%) as well as honest and rich (28% each). The long-term comparison shows slight deteriorations in all aspects compared with 2008 and/or 2009 (cf. Fig. 3).

Fig. 3: Switzerlands ranking in the three aspects of the people dimension (2008-2011 scale: places 1 to 25)

Welcoming 1 6 11 16 21 2008 2009 2010 2011 Employment Friendship

The exports dimension also displays stability at a high level. The view expressed on contributes to science and technology has climbed one place compared with 2010 (+1, now eighth place), while feeling good about buying products from Switzerland has deteriorated somewhat (-2, now sixth place). Switzerland is still very clearly associated first with banking (56%) and leads this ranking. The exports dimension too has also remained relatively stable over time (cf. Fig. 4).

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Fig. 4: Switzerlands ranking in the three aspects of the exports dimension (2008-2011; scale: places 1 to 25)

Science & technology 1 6 11 16 21 2008 2009 2010 2011 Creativity Products

Once again in 2011, Switzerland has its best results in the governance dimension and has maintained its excellent second place in the international comparison, with South Korea giving it a top score in this dimension for the first time. As regards fairness and honesty, Switzerland is in first place this year, and the only country from which it has received poorer marks than in the past is South Africa. South Korea has also rated Switzerland as the best country for respecting civil rights in 2011. Furthermore, Switzerland ranks in top position for its commitment to environmental protection, with Italy, Japan and South Korea concurring with that appraisal this time round and that trend continues even with Egypt. In the combat against worldwide poverty, the rating for Switzerland expressed from the USA has improved considerably. The characteristic most frequently mentioned in this dimension is reliable, and Switzerland is at the top of this ranking with 29%. The long-term tendency is stable here as well, although there were deteriorations, in particular between 2008 and 2009 as regards Switzerlands contribution to reducing poverty, but the values have remained stable since then (cf. Fig. 5).

Fig. 5: Switzerlands ranking in the five aspects of the governance dimension (2008-2011; scale: places 1 to 25)

Fairness & honesty 1 6 11 Reduce Poverty 16 21 Civil rights 2008 2009 2010 2011

Protect environment

Intl. Peace and security

In the immigration and investment dimension, Switzerland has remained in the good fifth place it occupied in 2010. Compared with last year, it has been awarded appreciably better scores from Brazil, Turkey and South Korea, but poorer scores from Poland. Switzerland has again received the top mark for quality of life, but there has been some erosion of the popularity of

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living and working in Switzerland (-2, seventh place). The term most frequently associated with Switzerland is modern (28%). The most noticeable longer-term trend is a continuous decline in the aspect of living and working in Switzerland (cf. Fig. 6).
Fig. 6: Switzerlands ranking in the five aspects of the immigration and investments dimension (20082011; scale: places 1 to 25)

Work & live 1 6 11 Equality 16 21 Quality of life 2008 2009 2010 2011

Investing

Education

Switzerland has climbed one rank in the tourism dimension (+1, tenth place), in particular thanks to the improved values given to it from France and Turkey, while the values from China and Italy, on the other hand, were slightly poorer. Whereas Switzerland scores well as a country for natural beauty and travel, it receives significantly lower values for vibrant city life and historic buildings. Comparing the marks awarded from the various countries, it is striking that the best results are still to be found in the Asian region. Natural beauty (unchanged in fourth place) has been rated better from France and Turkey but significantly poorer, on the other hand, from Poland and Italy. Switzerland has, however, received much better values from France and Egypt for its historic buildings (unchanged in 17th place). Vibrant city life (unchanged in twelfth place) has now been given an improved rating especially from France, but a poorer one from Egypt. Characteristics that are linked most with Switzerland as a country for tourism are fascinating and relaxing, and Switzerland heads the field for the second of these. Figure 7 illustrates image losses over time for the aspect of would like to visit the country if money were no object (cf. travel).

Fig. 7: Switzerlands ranking in the four aspects of the tourism dimension (2008-2011; scale: places 1 to 25)

Travel 1 6 11 16 21 Vibrant city life Natural beauty 2008 2009 2010 2011

Historic buildings

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In the culture dimension, in which Switzerland has traditionally fared worst in all aspects, there has been a minor improvement compared with 2010 (+1, 19th place). Appreciably better values in this dimension have been awarded from Turkey and South Korea, but poorer ones, on the other hand, from Italy. Whereas Switzerland has lost some ground in sports (-2), it has gained in cultural heritage (+2) and contemporary culture (+1). Switzerlands cultural heritage has been awarded noticeably higher scores from Turkey and France, but lower ones from Australia. Switzerland is associated most with museums (30%, seventh place) and modern design (25% seventh place).

Fig. 8: Switzerlands ranking in the three aspects of the culture dimension (2008-2011; scale: places 1 to 25)

Excels in sports 1 6 11 16 21 2008 2009 2010 2011 Contemporary culture Cultural heritage

3. Conclusions The Nation Brands Index remains the only survey to produce a comprehensive picture of Switzerlands image in numerous countries. There is food for thought, in particular, in the changes in Switzerlands image over time and in comparing the way Switzerland is perceived in various countries. The bottom line of the 2011 survey is the confirmation of a generally good, predominantly positive image of Switzerland abroad. This is borne out by the fact that, apart from Sweden, Switzerland is the only small country to make it into the Top Ten once again this year. Despite that, a slight downward trend is evident over the years and this has been confirmed in 2011 as well. Switzerland is continuing to be awarded top-grade marks from all countries in the aspects of quality of life and environmental commitment and also in the dimension of governance. Traditionally, Switzerland fares less well in the dimensions of culture and tourism. Negative impacts on Switzerlands image that were observed in 2010, in the aftermath of the prohibition on building minarets, for instance in Turkey, have not been confirmed in 2011. Finally, there are interesting conclusions to be drawn from the data published for the first time showing differences between the generations in the views they express about countries images. This data shows that younger generations, in particular, are more critical in their views of Switzerland than are older generations. In contemplating the scenario of an economic crisis getting worse, the challenges for Switzerlands image are likely to reside primarily in the negative perception of a crisis profiteer standing on the sidelines and lacking in solidarity a trend in perceptions hinted at in various ways in the media. Switzerlands communication abroad ought to focus more on presenting the country with a positive profile in the practice of solidarity, one that puts a committed effort into international cooperation in many different fields (from fiscal issues through to research and innovation) and one which makes its contribution to the international community. Switzerland must be given a higher profile as an open, cooperative country believing in solidarity, particularly when addressing the younger generation.

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