Switzerland needs to promote itself as an “open, cooperative” country in light of a growing negativity in the foreign media, a government agency says.
Presence Switzerland, the government agency in charge of marketing Switzerland abroad, made the recommendation in light of a ranking of the top 50 most attractive countries in the world, as viewed by other nations.
Released earlier this year, the Nation Brands Index 2011 ranked countries according to topics ranging from exports to immigration to heritage. Around 1,000 people from 20 panels of countries voted in the survey.
Switzerland figured inside the top ten, in ninth place, but Presence Switzerland admitted that its perceived “lack of solidarity” could become problematic in future.
Over the long-term Switzerland’s image has been getting worse, not better, if the survey is to be believed. In 2011, Australia pushed it down one place to ninth. It had stayed at fifth place in the 2005-2007 rankings, but fell to eighth in 2008.
In the index, Switzerland received its highest scores from voters in Germany, China and Russia, while the lowest scores came from Italy and Egypt. Younger voters were more critical of Switzerland.
Switzerland continues to have a good image among the general public abroad,” said Nicolas Bideau, head of Presence Switzerland. “But this image has to be cultivated so that it is not tarnished in its portrayal in the foreign media.”
“Crisis profiteer”
In 2011, various press articles were critical of Switzerland, with tax issues and Swiss banks often making headlines.
Presence Switzerland noted that should the economic crisis worsen, Switzerland’s image was likely to be perceived negatively as a “crisis profiteer standing on the sidelines and lacking in solidarity”.
The agency said this was a “trend in perceptions hinted at in various ways in the media”.
To counter this, Presence Switzerland said its public relations 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,” it noted.
In a word
According to the index, if there was one word that was seen as associated with Switzerland, it was “banking”.
Its best subject ranking was for governance, where it came second overall. Contributing to that position was its protection of the environment and honesty in government – which were ranked first. In investments and immigration it came fifth and in tourism it was ranked tenth.
Its worst rating was in the field of culture, where it was rated 19th. The country was no longer affected by the 2010 ban on building minarets in Switzerland, which had had a negative impact on the country’s image last year.
1. United States
2. Germany
3. Britain
4. France
5. Japan
6. Canada
7. Italy
8. Australia
9. Switzerland
10. Sweden