There is no doubt that Spain's image in this Pandemic has been severely damaged; I do not want to describe it as a Spain Brand, simply because essential elements of a brand, such as Commitment or Responsibility, are not given. The origins of this situation of the image of our country are multiple, from a bad and in several cases contradictory management of communication abroad, the "lack" of defense of a key sector such as tourism, among others. Country brand management is not advertising or communication campaigns, but a comprehensive and consistent brand strategy, just like any of the major Spanish brands, which behave in accordance with their brand vision, To put it another way, they "lead by example" in most of their actions, activities and corporate policies.

1. Covid & Brand Spain, a Reflection. Fernando Barrenechea
1
Covid & Brand Spain, a Reflection.
In these times of uncertainty, tragic, convulsive, fake news, mourning,
confinement, the economic debacle for thousands of companies and
people, hundreds of questions arise for all of us that we try to face with a
certain optimism despite the few reasons for them that They have given
us our political class for months; once again, citizens, businessmen and
entrepreneurs have been much more at the level of those who manage
them. Without going into personal appraisals or debates, it is evident that
beyond useless partisan struggles that the focus of the national, regional
and local governments is to manage the crisis in the best possible way,
saving as many lives as possible and minimizing the economic impact of
this terrible pandemic. In this regard, everyone will have their own opinion.
There is no doubt that Spain's image in this Pandemic has been severely
damaged; I do not want to describe it as a Spain Brand, simply because
essential elements of a brand, such as Commitment or Responsibility, are
not given. The origins of this situation of the image of our country are
multiple, from a bad and in several cases contradictory management of
communication abroad, the "lack" of defense of a key sector such as
tourism, among others; not to mention “the icing on the cake” of the
situation that the so-called Ambassador of Spain and the greatest Active
in our country for 40 years, King Emeritus, is going through.
The reality is that the Great Asset of, this time if, Marca España during the
last decades have been the companies - small and large - that have
gone abroad, that have invested, have known how to transmit our values
and have been the best image of a modern, creative, vital, serious and
committed country. I seldom talk about this, in fact even in recent times
entrepreneurs are demonized, perhaps it is time to reclaim that role and
give them the leading role and tools to continue being it.
This reflection leads me directly to a criticism regarding what has been
done with the Spain Brand in recent years. In my opinion, the lack of
imagination, creativity and even innovation has been masked in many
cases, behind great prescribers (Nadal, Gasol, Adria, Almodóvar, ...) - in
any case, thanks to all of them -, evolved topics and a "chimera" of an
innovative country supported by the construction of large infrastructures.
Where were the small companies that travel the world selling their
products? The entrepreneurs who have been in Silicon Valley for years? ...
I think that in times of storm, perhaps a great reflection on how to build in
the future would be worthwhile.
Emphasizing the previous point, country brand management is not
advertising or communication campaigns, but a comprehensive and
consistent brand strategy, just like any of the major Spanish brands, which
behave in accordance with their brand vision, To put it another way, they
"lead by example" in most of their actions, activities and corporate
policies.

2. Covid & Brand Spain, a Reflection. Fernando Barrenechea
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In this sense, I will leave the regret that is also so Spanish and I will try to bet
on visualizing some strategic options to consider in order to build a strong
Spain Brand. The first of them, as I have already made clear, is to remove
the development of the image of Spain from politicians and leave it in the
hands of professionals, academics, businessmen and, the citizens
themselves - each Spaniard is an ambassador of our brand abroad, just
like the English hooligans are for their country.
The second essential element is undoubtedly to leave ourselves complex
for being Spanish. Although it may seem incredible, there is still a barrier
that prevents us from being more reactive, self-confident,… and we feel
“less” compared to other countries. When the reality is that our small or
large companies are leaders and in many cases it is Spanish managers
who are leading the companies in those countries. I regret to return to a
question closer to politics than to the brand, but a debate has been built
so absurd, biased, partisan, that even if you state that you are Spanish and
you carry it with pride, regardless of your ideology, you are from a side.
Does anyone imagine that the Americans, the Dutch or the French, made
their companies "neutral" for a similar reason? For them, their country is a
source of pride, a sales driver, among other things.
A third, more academic element is that the Spain Brand needs an “Idea”
/ “Concept” - let's forget from the communication point of view - we need
a brand proposition that ensures that all activities, including policies, are
aligned. This undoubtedly requires a Great Pact - an idealist - of the main
interest groups: companies, associations, citizens, to strengthen the
internal image - if I speak of pride that you are from where you are, be
clear that we are talking about a common project - and external
obviously.
A fourth element, which is obviously not very attractive to expose. It is the
"lack" of a digital identity in Spain. According to research, the "know it all",
Google surpasses traditional media and social media channels as the
most trusted source of information. Which implies, that the final decision
about investing, doing business, visiting or moving to a certain place is
greatly influenced by what people find online. Are we doing the right thing
in this regard?
A fifth element, optimistic, a country no longer needs ten years, or an
Olympics, to change its image or reputation as a country. Today, it is
possible to build and manage a reputation in three years; it is also true that
some political actions can destroy it in a month. reputation can be built or
destroyed faster and easier than before.
As a last note of reality, we live faced with a reality that many times
exceeds us, we have spent months confined where some have changed
and others have not; The reality is that to think that the Pandemic has
made us better people is at least an exercise in good spirit that I think
corresponds little to reality.

3. Covid & Brand Spain, a Reflection. Fernando Barrenechea
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What if it is true that from the point of view of learning we have drawn
some conclusions that we must consider in the process of building the
country image, because they are already part of our reality, and we must
apply to our country strategy.
Confinement and social distancing restrictions have shown that
digitization, or whatever we call it, is a huge asset of Spain. Many countries
are in the process of transition. Thanks to the extension of our networks and
the strong commitment of telcos, we have a huge competitive
advantage. We are a great destination, for example, for telecommuting.
The closure of colleges and universities has promoted online training,
although there is much to be done, a seed has been generated to build
a new educational reality perhaps more efficient. The reality is that,
worldwide, Spain is one of the best positioned countries in this regard,
although it is hard to believe it, digitization, technology and innovation are
among the most relevant drivers of our economy.
Finally, I will reiterate something obvious. Why do we need a Great Spain
Brand? It is a Key Asset of our cultural, social and economic development.
Obviously, it is a reputable asset, which activates trade, investment, talent
and, of course, attracting tourists. Above all, it is essential as a unifying
element of the reality of a country, Spain, which belongs to all of us - no
matter how you think - for which we must all work because a large part of
our future lies in its success.