YouGov bought LINK Marketing Services AG for around £21.7m in December 2021. Through the acquisition, YouGov gained access to LINK’s Swiss online panel of 115,000 members.

The business has now dropped its LINK brand name and visual identity and will operate under the corporate YouGov branding.

Founded in 1981 in Lucerne, LINK was the first Swiss market research company to internally develop and use software for CATI surveys, in 1984. It employs around 100 staff at three offices in Zurich, Lausanne and Lucerne.

Switzerland is a key market for several of YouGov’s European clients. Existing clients will continue to work with the same team, and projects will continue to be managed by researchers on the ground in Switzerland, YouGov said.

Steve Hatch, chief executive at YouGov (pictured), said: "The transition from LINK to YouGov Switzerland represents not just a name change but a step change in the value we can create for Swiss businesses through accurate and insightful data."

Hatch added that YouGov Switzerland "combines local research excellence with global reach, insight and data" for Swiss and global clients. 

YouGov’s Julien Chevignon takes on the interim role of general manager YouGov Switzerland. Chevignon said: "This transition opens the doors to a greater range of high-quality research services and data products for our clients.

"We would like to thank our Swiss clients and partners for their continued co-operation and look forward to entering the next phase of the venture alongside them."