Brand Change: why did we choose a new name for our global presence?
The former Osec has been calling itself “Switzerland Global Enterprise” since May 2014 – what does it mean?
“Switzerland” stands for the added value location and workplace of Switzerland. We are rooted in Switzerland and champion the country within the framework of our three mandates of export promotion, import promotion and location promotion, both at home and abroad.
“Global” stands for the challenges of internationalisation: we support Swiss companies worldwide with their new businesses. However, “Global” also stands for our mission to position and distinguish Switzerland as a business location worldwide.
“Enterprise” stands for our commitment to international companies. Therefore, Switzerland, internationalisation and entrepreneurship make up both our core business and our future business.
We deliberately chose our name, because it stands for our missions and our values as Switzerland’s official foreign trade promotion agency. We know that this name will make the Swiss economy even more visible abroad.
This is demonstrated, for example, by the fact that Swiss companies are now earning more than half their income abroad. Or the fact that internationalisation is a reality and a necessity for Swiss companies, because our domestic market is small. By penetrating new markets, they are maintaining prosperity in our country. To do this, Swiss companies have to be innovative and courageous, but also visible.
Internationalisation is more than just exporting
It’s not just about exporting anymore. Trade and Investment Promotion agencies have to support national business actors in many ways. On the one hand, there is the traditional task of supporting and inspiring local SMEs to start business abroad, because exporting companies are often more successful than companies which only operate locally.
However, it is also of vital interest to Switzerland to attract the best companies to do business in Switzerland, because this generates new jobs in our country as well. And we in Switzerland also support imports from dedicated companies in over 17 states such as Vietnam or Ghana in Africa. This import business for Switzerland and Europe is the third key pillar of our company activities. So it’s more than just exporting: it’s about Exporting, Importing and Investment.
Strong corporate values as key success factor
Our new values are INSPIRING, GO-GETTING and ENGAGING. All our employees act in accordance with these values and are trained to adopt this cultural behaviour worldwide. INSPIRING means that we want to deliver more than our clients expect. They should go out of the door with new ideas, new insights and new opportunities to facilitate new business abroad. GO-GETTING underlines the fact that we support our clients during the whole internationalisation process and that, together, we try to achieve the best results for the SME. We do not just deliver concepts; we also want to prove that our services have an impact. And ENGAGING means that we have a very strong business network in most of the relevant markets all over the world. We have forged the relationships and can open doors, thanks to our official remit, with the Swiss embassies and our experts around the world.
Trade promotion agencies therefore have to reinvent themselves and be prepared for new tasks and a changing environment. As Switzerland Global Enterprise, we try to be as innovative as possible, so that we will be able to support our clients and members in the future even better than today. And this mission gives us a fantastic opportunity to prove our service performance every day and support the Swiss economy in the best way possible.