This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Banking 500 Journal 2026.
Interview with Alain Zimmermann, Global Chief Marketing & Branding Officer, EFG
Global Chief Marketing & Branding Officer
EFG
How does the EFG brand build trust among its stakeholders?
As a global private banking group, our business is founded on trust. When wealthy clients turn to EFG for personal advice or entrust us with their assets, they want to know that they are dealing with a solid, reliable and professional partner.
Over the years, we have built a strong and distinctive brand that captures the essence of EFG – one that is synonymous with excellence, expertise, innovation and a first-class client experience.
Delivering consistently high standards of service and advice across every touchpoint is therefore crucial; this shows our clients that EFG is a brand they can count on.
The fact that our company is both family owned and a listed global player is also a key advantage when positioning EFG as a trusted brand as this underscores our independence and our ability to deliver truly impartial advice. Our clients know that our Client Relationship Officers always put their interest first and are focused on delivering truly personalised solutions coupled with flawless execution.
Our clients also value our entrepreneurial mindset, which has shaped our culture from the very beginning. This is reflected in our Purpose “Empowering entrepreneurial minds to create value – today and for the future”, which captures our strengths as a bank and expresses what we stand for.
How does EFG build customer loyalty and stickiness across your products and services?
We believe that the close relationships we forge with our clients and the bond that develops between them and their advisors is the key to maintaining client loyalty.
Our clients are looking for a bank that does more than simply manage their wealth – they want a partner whom they can trust on a personal level. This is why we pursue a client-centric approach based on our unique CRO model, which enables us to deliver superior service and advice across investment solutions, global markets, wealth and credit solutions – all while considering the very specific needs of each individual to achieve the highest possible level of client satisfaction.
At the same time, we recognise that many of our clients, including the Next Generation, are not only seeking a high-touch but also a tech-enhanced experience. EFG is therefore committed to elevating the client experience to meet the wishes of those individuals seeking access to digital solutions.
We ultimately believe, however, that while technology will remain an important enabler in private banking, the talent and personal touch that define our offering will remain key differentiating factors for EFG.
What future plans and strategies does EFG have to further strengthen its brand and grow its brand value?
At the start of 2026, we began a new strategic cycle, and we have ambitious plans to further elevate the EFG brand based on our conviction that it is an important strategic driver of growth.
To achieve this, we are focusing on three key areas: Brand visibility, the client experience and digital marketing.
Our aim is to reinforce the EFG brand so that it is instantly recognisable as a hallmark of quality, exclusivity and personalised service. We want the EFG brand to be distinctive and to resonate with our clients around the globe on an emotional level. To support this ambition, we will continue to strengthen investments in our brand.
First, we will invest in enhancing our brand visibility and familiarity online as this will allow us to unlock our full potential in the area of client acqusition.
Second, we aim to make the end-to-end client journey even smoother and more efficient to reinforce satisfaction, loyalty and overall brand perception.
And third, we will seek to identify and engage future clients – in other words, the next generation of wealth owners – by investing in digital marketing and personalised content. These investments will be highly targeted and supported by consistent performance management.
Going forward, we will continue to build on the progress we have achieved to date as we work towards our ambition of creating one of the strongest and most valuable brands in the private banking industry.
