View the full Brand Finance Switzerland 50 2020 report here
Top Swiss brands could lose over CHF 15 billion from COVID-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc on the global and national economy, Switzerland’s top 50 most valuable brands could lose up to 11% of brand value cumulatively, a drop of over CHF 15 billion compared to the original valuation date of 1st January 2020, according to the latest Brand Finance Switzerland 50 2020 report.
Looking beyond Switzerland, the value of the 500 most valuable brands in the world, ranked in the Brand Finance Global 500 2020 league table, could fall by an estimated CHF 1 trillion as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Brand Finance has assessed the impact of COVID-19 based on the effect of the outbreak on enterprise value, compared to what it was on 1st January 2020. Based on this impact on enterprise value, Brand Finance estimated the likely impact on brand value for each sector. The industries have been classified into three categories – limited impact (minimal brand value loss or potential brand value growth), moderate impact (up to 10% brand value loss), and heavy impact (up to 20% brand value loss) – based on the level of brand value loss observed for each sector in the first quarter of 2020.
Nestlé retains top spot
Nestlé has retained the title of Switzerland’s most valuable brand following a 6% brand value increase to CHF 20.2 billion. The global food giant is by far the most valuable brand in the nation, with second-placed UBS valued at CHF 9.1 billion.
For another year, Nestlé has celebrated strong organic growth, following a solid performance in its key US market. The brand prides itself on its market-leading, high-speed innovation and has recently successfully rolled out its premium Starbucks products. Furthermore, Nestlé has capitalised on the ever-growing vegan and vegetarian movement through the development of its plant-based offering.
Hungry for growth, Nestlé has got a pipeline of expansion projects in its sights, including its Purina Australia arm, further investment in Purina US, as well as in its Romont production centre in Switzerland.
Alex Haigh, Valuation Director, Brand Finance commented:
“Nestlé’s response and resilience to the COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated why the brand is truly a leader both on home soil and globally. Posting solid growth in a time of turmoil is testament to the agility and strength of the brand. With Brand Finance calculating that the food industry is one of the few sectors that should see limited impact from the pandemic, Nestlé certainly seems to be in a strong position to weather the storm.”
Sika up 64%
Sika is the fastest growing brand in the Brand Finance Switzerland 50 2020 ranking, following an impressive 64% brand value increase to CHF 1.4 billion, simultaneously jumping 10 places from 39th to 29th.
Celebrating an impressive performance last year, Sika posted a new sales record, bolstered by the completion of the Parax acquisition - further solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading construction chemical brands. With further acquisitions completed over the previous few months, more in the pipeline, and plants being opened across several nations globally, Sika shows no signs of slowing down its expansion programme.
The brand has defied the predominantly gloomy outlook amid the coronavirus pandemic, recording a continued growth trajectory. The future is looking even more bright as lockdown measures are beginning to be lifted in Sika’s key markets, business activities have started to return to normal and thus the industry has begun to pick up again.
Timeless quality: Rolex is nation’s strongest
In addition to measuring overall brand value, Brand Finance also evaluates the relative strength of brands, based on factors such as marketing investment, customer familiarity, staff satisfaction, and corporate reputation. According to these criteria, Rolex (brand value CHF 7.8 billion) is the strongest brand in Switzerland with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 89.8 out of 100 and a corresponding elite AAA+ brand strength rating.
Synonymous with true luxury and reliability, Rolex has performed strongly across key metrics in Brand Finance’s global brand monitor study, including familiarity and recommendation. The brand continues to place itself at the forefront of consumers’ minds through high profile sponsorships of sportspeople and global sporting events watched by millions, including Wimbledon and Formula 1.
Rolex was forced to shut its factories for 60 days amid the pandemic, which resulted in the loss of approximately 160,000 of its watches in the market this year.
View the full Brand Finance Switzerland 50 2020 report here
Note to Editors
Every year, Brand Finance values 5,000 of the world’s biggest brands. The 50 most valuable Swiss brands are included in the Brand Finance Switzerland 50 2020 report.
Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand’s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors.
Additional insights, charts, and more information about the methodology, as well as definitions of key terms are available in the Brand Finance Switzerland 50 2020 report.
Data compiled for the Brand Finance rankings and reports are provided for the benefit of the media and are not to be used for any commercial or technical purpose without written permission from Brand Finance.
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.
