The Diplomat
Yesterday, the King presided over the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Renowned Brands Forum Foundation, during which he highlighted the work of the “Honorary Ambassadors of the Spain Brand” in the international projection of Spain, especially in the current context of the pandemic.
Philip VI presided over the meeting of the Foundation at the Royal Palace of El Pardo in Madrid, following his recent acceptance of the Honorary Presidency of this organization. “This fact represents an important institutional endorsement and marks the beginning of a new stage that will strengthen the work carried out by the Forum in favor of the competitiveness of the Spanish economy and the international reputation of Spain and its companies,” said the FMRE in a press release.
During the ceremony, the King was accompanied by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism and honorary member of the FMRE Foundation, Reyes Maroto; the president of the Renowned Brands of Spain Forum (FMRE), Ignacio Osborne; and the president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and honorary president of the Renowned Brands of Spain Forum, José Luis Bonet.
In his speech, the King stressed that “all of you, with the valuable support of our Honorary Ambassadors of the Spain Brand, work together to raise the international reputation of our country and thus project its best image to the world.” “The pandemic continues to show us that collaboration is key to face any challenge and this Forum is a perfect example of the always necessary spirit of collaboration,” she added.
For her part, Reyes Maroto thanked the FMRE for its important contribution to the image of Spain and the competitiveness of the Spanish economy and recalled, in this regard, the different campaigns on country image, such as Spain for Sure and Think Again, Think Spain, which have projected an image abroad of confidence after the coronoravirus crisis. Likewise, she assured that exports registered, between January and November 2021, a growth of 21% with respect to the same period of the previous year, which has allowed to recover levels before the pandemic and to be placed in historical maximums. In this recovery, he said, “contribute in a special way brands that play an important role and are largely responsible for the concept made in Spain“.
The Forum, founded in 1999, has more than a hundred of the main Spanish companies, with leading brands in their sectors. The combined turnover of these companies is equivalent to more than 45% of Spain’s GDP and they provide employment for 1.4 million people. The main mission of the FMRE is “to promote internationalization as a lever to improve the competitiveness of the Spanish economy and enhance the image of Spain and its companies as a whole, through the joint efforts of leading companies and public administrations”, all this “based on the reference and success stories of the leading Spanish brands that are the spearhead of the Spanish foreign sector and the best ambassadors of the image of our products and services”, said the Forum.
The meeting was also attended by the “Protective Members of the FMRE Foundation“: Acciona, Barceló, Hijos de Rivera, Inditex, Mapfre, Osborne, Repsol, and Tendam. “They are the first companies to acquire this status, thus redoubling their commitment and support to the Forum’s project since the beginning of this new stage of boosting and strengthening its activity,” added FMRE.
In addition, the FMRE has recognized throughout its history “67 Honorary Ambassadors of the Spain Brand, people, companies and institutions that contribute significantly to strengthening a positive image of our country abroad”. In its last edition in 2021, Belén Garijo, Jose María Álvarez-Pallete, Ayuda en Acción, Tamara Rojo, Iberia, Jon Rahm, Juan Luis Arsuaga and the Museo Nacional del Prado were accredited.
Likewise, the Forum has accredited more than 125 Friends of the Spain Brand, among Spanish brands, companies or personalities who have stood out for their links with and support for our country or their companies. To date, twelve editions of this award have already been held, the last of which took place on February 2 in the United Arab Emirates, on the occasion of Spain Day at the Dubai 2020 Expo, which was attended by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.
