Chocolate and coffee nourish Switzerland with Nestlé ahead of Rolex and UBS in brand value

Switzerland’s top 5 brands see little dynamism, with Nestlé holding on to number one spot for brand value at CHF21.3 billion

The top five brands grew by 10% in value but with little movement, with no newcomers or dropouts amongst Switzerland’s top five brands. Behind dominant leader Nestlé (brand value up 11% to CHF21.3 billion), Rolex (brand value up 32% to CHF10.2 billion) now ranks second, surpassing UBS (brand value up 6% to CHF9.28 billion) and Roche (brand value down 3% to CHF8.05 billion) in ranking.

Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance puts 5,000 of the biggest brands to the test, and publishes over 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The world’s top 50 most valuable and strongest Swiss brands are included in the annual Brand Finance Switzerland 50 2023 ranking.

Rolex becomes runner-up for both brand value and brand strength

In addition to calculating brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. Compliant with ISO 20671, Brand Finance’s assessment of stakeholder equity incorporates original market research data from over 100,000 respondents in 38 countries and across 31 sectors.

Rolex demonstrates the resilience of luxury brands in the post-COVID era, following an increase in demand in key markets such as the USA and UK. In addition to brand value, Rolex’s brand strength also improved, taking it to a BSI of 88 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA rating. Rolex boasts a large and resilient customer base, whose demand Rolex can count on despite market turbulence. Its subsidiary brands, like the ultra-exclusive Patek Philippe, also enjoyed new success in the past year. This growth phenomenon is not limited to Rolex and luxury watch manufacturers. According to Bain and Co., the luxury brand market has grown by 21%. With key domestic brands like TAG Heuer (brand value CHF2.51 billion), Omega (brand value CHF4.29 billion), and Jaeger-LeCoultre (CHF1.42 billion), this is good news for the Swiss brand landscape.

Nespresso is fastest-growing Swiss brand, up 217% with Alpiq behind, up 87%

Nespresso (brand value up 217% to CHF2.72 billion) is this year’s fastest-growing Swiss brand, attributed to parent brand Nestlé’s financial disclosures. Behind Nespresso, Alpiq (brand value up 87% to CHF993 million). The power generator was greatly assisted by high energy prices, nearly doubling the brand’s revenue in the last year. In the Swiss market, Alpiq avoided high gas prices through hydroelectric infrastructure, while consumers in other markets bore the brunt of the high prices.

Nestlé retains title but lacks sustainability perceptions with moderate Sustainability Perceptions Score

As part of its analysis, Brand Finance assesses the role that specific brand attributes play in driving overall brand value. One such attribute, growing rapidly in its significance, is sustainability. Brand Finance assesses how sustainable specific brands are perceived to be, represented by a ‘Sustainability Perceptions Score’. The value that is linked to sustainability perceptions, the ‘Sustainability Perceptions Value’, is then calculated for each brand.

Despite an increase in brand value and a good business year, Nestlé still faces a moderate image in terms of sustainability. In the new Brand Finance Sustainability Perceptions Index, Nestlé received a Sustainability Perceptions Score (SPS) of 4.1 out of 10. Nestlé’s image is still shaped by its position as a producer of disposable packaging, as well as controversies surrounding unethical advertising and forced labour. In response, initiatives like paper-made, recyclable Nespresso capsules and the expansion of plant-based product ranges responds to consumer demand for greater sustainability and in turn, reflects in brand awareness.

View the full Brand Finance Switzerland 50 2023 report here

Brand Finance is the world’s leading brand valuation consultancy. Bridging the gap between marketing and finance for more than 25 years, Brand Finance evaluates the strength of brands and quantifies their financial value to help organizations of all kinds make strategic decisions.

Headquartered in London, Brand Finance has offices in over 20 countries, offering services on all continents. Every year, Brand Finance conducts more than 5,000 brand valuations, supported by original market research, and publishes over 100 reports which rank brands across all sectors and countries.

Brand Finance also operates the Global Brand Equity Monitor, conducting original market research annually on over 5,000 brands, surveying more than 150,000 respondents across 38 countries and 31 industry sectors. Combining perceptual data from the Global Brand Equity Monitor with data from its valuation database enables Brand Finance to arm brand leaders with the data and analytics they need to enhance brand and business value.

Brand Finance is a regulated accountancy firm, leading the standardization of the brand valuation industry. Brand Finance was the first to be certified by independent auditors as compliant with both ISO 10668 and ISO 20671 and has received the official endorsement of the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) in the United States.

Brand is defined as a marketing-related intangible asset including, but not limited to, names, terms, signs, symbols, logos, and designs, intended to identify goods, services, or entities, creating distinctive images and associations in the minds of stakeholders, thereby generating economic benefits.

Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors. Brand Finance evaluates brand strength in a process compliant with ISO 20671, looking at Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and the impact of those on Business Performance. The data used is derived from Brand Finance’s proprietary market research programme and from publicly available sources.

Each brand is assigned a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score out of 100, which feeds into the brand value calculation. Based on the score, each brand is assigned a corresponding Brand Rating up to AAA+ in a format similar to a credit rating.

Brand Finance calculates the values of brands in its rankings using the Royalty Relief approach – a brand valuation method compliant with the industry standards set in ISO 10668. It involves estimating the likely future revenues that are attributable to a brand by calculating a royalty rate that would be charged for its use, to arrive at a ‘brand value’ understood as a net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market.

The steps in this process are as follows:

1 Calculate brand strength using a balanced scorecard of metrics assessing Marketing Investment, Stakeholder Equity, and Business Performance. Brand strength is expressed as a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score on a scale of 0 to 100.

2 Determine royalty range for each industry, reflecting the importance of brand to purchasing decisions. In luxury, the maximum percentage is high, while in extractive industry, where goods are often commoditised, it is lower. This is done by reviewing comparable licensing agreements sourced from Brand Finance’s extensive database.

3 Calculate royalty rate. The BSI score is applied to the royalty range to arrive at a royalty rate. For example, if the royalty range in a sector is 0-5% and a brand has a BSI score of 80 out of 100, then an appropriate royalty rate for the use of this brand in the given sector will be 4%.

4 Determine brand-specific revenues by estimating a proportion of parent company revenues attributable to a brand.

5 Determine forecast revenues using a function of historic revenues, equity analyst forecasts, and economic growth rates.

6 Apply the royalty rate to the forecast revenues to derive brand revenues.

7 Discount post-tax brand revenues to a net present value which equals the brand value.

Brand Finance has produced this study with an independent and unbiased analysis. The values derived and opinions presented in this study are based on publicly available information and certain assumptions that Brand Finance used where such data was deficient or unclear. Brand Finance accepts no responsibility and will not be liable in the event that the publicly available information relied upon is subsequently found to be inaccurate. The opinions and financial analysis expressed in the study are not to be construed as providing investment or business advice. Brand Finance does not intend the study to be relied upon for any reason and excludes all liability to any body, government, or organisation.

The data presented in this study form part of Brand Finance’s proprietary database, are provided for the benefit of the media, and are not to be used in part or in full for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.