Strategic Insights into the Decision-Making Path of Swiss Residential Electricians

In a competitive residential market shaped by habit, speed, and trust, standing out as a brand requires more than product quality. For manufacturers serving Switzerland’s electricians, the challenge wasn’t visibility — it was relevance. Traditional communication and fragmented digital touchpoints were missing the mark.

To reposition with purpose, our client partnered with USP to map the full customer journey of Swiss electricians — and uncover where real differentiation could be made.

Understanding the Challenge

The objective was clear: understand how small and micro electrical businesses in Switzerland make their purchasing decisions — from discovery through to post-installation support. The focus was on electricians working primarily in the residential sector across German-, French-, and Italian-speaking regions.

The client needed insight into:

• What drives electricians’ choices at key decision moments
• Where they face friction across digital and offline channels
• How brand perceptions are formed — and challenged

USP’s Approach

We applied a mixed-method approach:

• 10 in-depth interviews to explore behaviors, frustrations, and context
• 100 structured interviews across regions to validate and quantify key patterns

We followed the entire journey: how electricians find, choose, buy, install, and maintain electrical products — both online and offline.

Key Insights

1. Trust Is Built Through Use, Not Claims

Electricians tend to rely on a familiar shortlist of brands — shaped by product reliability and ease of installation, not just marketing. Promotions and innovations only shift preference when tied to hands-on experience or support.

2. Digital Is Present — But Not Yet Seamless

While digital tools (webshops, product apps, YouTube) are increasingly used, electricians still face search challenges, unclear specs, and delivery inconsistencies — especially when working under pressure.

Impact & Outcome

The insights informed clear priorities:

• Strengthen brand relevance at the electrician level — not just through architects or planners
• Simplify key digital touchpoints and reduce purchase friction
• Refocus training and support efforts where they matter most: on-site, in-context, and direct

By focusing on electricians’ real workflows and expectations, the client was able to rethink their go-to-market and service approach in one of the most hands-on, time-sensitive customer groups.

What We Learned

Loyalty in the trades isn’t won through features — it’s earned through fluency in the way professionals actually work. When a brand shows up with clarity, consistency, and backup, it earns its place on the shortlist.