Country Brand Yearbook 2015
Harmony. Spirit. Quality of Life.
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www.fsc.org
MIXTO Papel procedente de bosques bien manejados
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Country Brand
365 days of collective construction
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Table of contents
News Legislation Health, Science and Technology Economy Society Culture Sports Uruguayans around the world Interviews Arnaldo Nardone Hugo Soca Enrique Aguerre Estela de Frutos Ignacio Mattos
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Partners Cluster branding
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Expo Milano
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Made in Uruguay Branding Actions
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Ambassadors Country Brand
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Country Brand Friends
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Country Brand
Publisher 6 Mr. Antonio Carรกmbula Sagasti Executive Director of Uruguay XXI
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“We have a country brand that is rolling out and bodes well for the future” When we reach the end of a year and get a glimpse of a new period, we generally evaluate the goals we have achieved and we set objectives we intend to accomplish. Our country brand “Uruguay Natural” has reaped rewards in the domestic market and has acquired greater international standing, the result of ongoing work that seeks to achieve greater universalization of its use.
Country Brand
Since 2015, the management of the country brand has been under the responsibility of Uruguay XXI, after being under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism for many years. Since its inception, the brand had been closely linked to tourism and has now been opened to the business sector, which has joined in and undertaken its use. Both public and private stakeholders participate in the country brand building strategy, and feel proud of using the logo on their products, on their websites; because they recognize the added value imparted by the brand. This
publisher
year more than 150 companies have executed an agreement for the use of the Uruguay Natural brand and this represents a great success.
“This year more than 150 companies have executed an agreement for the use of the Uruguay Natural brand” Several activities were carried out this year to further boost the country brand; such as workshops with friends of the brand and State communicators, a rich exchange with country brand managers from neighboring countries like Chile and Argentina; and the Red Ibero exchange was kept in place. Abroad, supporting actions in London during the Rugby World Cup, the ReachingU annual gala organized by Uruguayans in New York; the performance of the Uruguayan football team in the Copa América and, of course, the country’s participation during six months in
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the Expo Milano were notorious in this process.
and trust that it bodes well for the future.
The Uruguayan Pavilion, under the theme “Life grows in Uruguay ”, received over 450,000 visitors, and was a great “window” to display the virtues of the country as a producer of reliable food, a leader in renewable energies, a model of political and social stability, and of quality of life.
The goal is to continue the universalization of the country brand among Uruguayan companies attending the challenge of quality. We are on this path.
“Both public and private stakeholders participate in the country brand building strategy, and feel proud of using the logo on their products, on their web sites; because they recognize the added value imparted by the brand.”
“Uruguay Natural” has been a process which has taken a long time in terms of learning, awareness, “evangelization”, and we are convinced that the results are highly visible. Today we have a country brand that is rolling out
Mr. Antonio Carámbula Sagasti CEO of Uruguay XXI
Country Brand
Our challenge as the country brand managing team is to clearly convey that our “product quality” does exist, but that it also required a consistent attitude in pursuit of excellence.
2015
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News
we were thrilled to share
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Free access to assisted reproduction is a reality
National Care System: a new right for all
The right to free or low cost assisted reproduction treatments for those who wish to have children and face fertility problems is a reality in Uruguay, after the new Law of Human Assisted Reproduction was unanimously passed in Parliament. Low-complexity procedures have been carried out since October and high-complexity procedures will begin to be implemented as from the end of this year. “This law represents impressive progress in terms of human, sexual and reproductive rights”, the Public Health Undersecretary, Leonel Briozzo, stated. “With this new law, Uruguay, concludes the maximum benefit package that the State can offer in this respect,” he added.
2015 was a year of planning with regard to the gradual implementation of the Care System that will be run by Mides. Authorities have focused on regulating the existing services and unifying the training policies of caregivers. Among other guidelines the National Care System plans to extend its coverage in the Caif centers for two-year-old children as well as the frequency of the health care provided to oneyear-old children. “The Care System is not only a service package but a right for people in Uruguay,” Bango, coordinator of the National Care System, indicated. Country Brand
Legislation
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Legislation
Country Brand
Uruguay at the forefront in America of sexual and reproductive rights The Ministry of Public Health presented in mid-2015 a publication that outlined the main policies that have been implemented and the outcomes achieved in sexual and reproductive health in the past 10 years, with particular emphasis on the 2010-2015 period, and which have placed Uruguay at the forefront in this respect. Measured in the Latin American setting, our country stands out for achievements such as: low maternal mortality; 99% of births are institutionalized and in 2013 no maternal deaths for illegal abortions were reported. Infant mortality declined from 12.2 in 2014 to 8.8 in 2013, every 1,000 live births.
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Health, Science and Technology
“Uruguay aims to become a world leader in wind energy supply in 2015, surpassing countries such as Germany, Spain and Denmark.” This is how a press report by the Argentine journalist Andrés Repetto begins, who in the Environment section of his Internet channel, ARSemanal, tells about the process undergone by Uruguay in the past years in order to become a wind energy supplier.
“Uruguay continues to be a leader in America exhibiting the best maximum Internet access speed average, and it holds the seventh place worldwide,” ANTEL reported in the framework of the World Telecommunications Day. It also ranks third worldwide in terms of the proportion of access on fiber optic to households in overall broadband connections, with values above 60%.” Our country displays a performance that stands out at a regional level and competes with the best countries in the world in Internet access quality, for example, with speeds similar to those of the US. Moreover, according to a study conducted by the Inter-American Development Bank (BID) Uruguay is one of the countries with the highest Internet penetration in Latin America.”
Country Brand
Uruguay is a world leader in wind energy supply in 2015
Uruguay has the maximum Internet access speed average in America and ranks 7th worldwide
Google, the new strategic partner of the Plan Ceibal
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Health, Science and Technology Uruguay ranks sixth worldwide in LTE coverage and twenty-ninth in download speed
Country Brand
OpenSignal, an international firm that is continuously analyzing the quantity and quality of wireless networks worldwide, published its report for the month of September in which Uruguay ranks sixth in LTE coverage, reaching 84% nationwide. In terms of speed, our country ranks 29th worldwide with 15 MB/s. In America, only Canada, Dominican Republic and Brazil rank higher.
Google has partnered with the Plan Ceibal so that students and teachers from private and public education centers can use its application package known as Apps for Education. It consists in a set of tools similar to those that are available to any user who creates a user account in the search engine but with an additional benefit: unlimited space and no advertising.
The Uruguayan app, GPSGAY, is among the best in the world
As soon as it was launched in Latin America, the GPSGAY app celebrated its second international recognition in the scope of the 9th edition of the Mobile Premier Awards, the world’s leading competition in the mobile app industry. The Uruguayan app received the most votes by the public.
Leaders in technology
An anti bullying project carried out by a Uruguayan teenager won Microsoft’s YouthSpark Challenge for Change
The World Economic Forum has placed Uruguay in the 46th position among the world’s 50 leading countries in technology, based on the assessment of political and institutional factors that enable a country to maximize the promotion of its ICTs. Its position has been set out in the Global Information Technology Report 2015.
Marcos Rostán was selected by Microsoft as the winner of the YouthSpark Challenge for Change, a competition that encourages projects that promote social change through technology. The platform “Acción: ayuda” (Action: helps) intends to provide teachers with information on how to deal with the problem of bullying and was chosen by the public from 30 finalist initiatives from 14 countries.
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JP Morgan points out Uruguay’s differentiation with regard to its neighbors
Uruguay obtained USD 1,200 million at a lower cost in a new global issue
The differentiation achieved by Uruguay with regard to its neighboring countries is key to ensuring that the influx of Foreign Direct Investment remains high and that access to international funding is constant and in favorable terms. JP Morgan economist, Morgan Franco Ucelli, said in Montevideo that the concerns that may exist with regard to the impact caused by the political and economic uncertainty in Brazil and Argentina is a factor that “does not affect the way Uruguay is currently perceived in terms of risk.”
The confidence of global investors in Uruguayan debt was confirmed when the Ministry of Economy opened the 2050 global bond in US dollars and made USD 1,000 million available, resulting in a request for over US$ 2,100 million. Finally, USD 1,200 million were awarded, with an annual interest rate of 5.014%. “It’s a score,” “a success,” were some of the expressions used by the financial analysts when referring to the new issuance due to its extension and the “low cost” of the amount obtained. The rate at which the tender was cutoff is even lower than that of the first tranche of the bond in June 2014 for USD 2,000 million (5.121%).
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Economy
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Economy The meat sector has positioned the Uruguay brand around the world with natural and reliable products “We pack nature, we sell reliability” was the concept that helped INAC to position meat, to break into new markets and achieve a sustained growth in the past five years. The incorporation of new technologies in the processes is noted. Among the objectives that are pending completion is the entry into the Japanese market.
Country Brand
Trust: two of the leading credit rating agencies raised the investment grade for Uruguay First Moody’s and then Standard & Poor’s increased Uruguay’s investment grade rating. According to the minister of Economy, it represents a recognition of the economic policy. “The rating was further improved, upgrading it. This is a very important recognition of the path and focus we have chosen for Uruguay’s economic policy over the last ten years,” Astori stressed.
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Society
The so-called “Fray Bentos cultural landscape” has been placed on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites, ranking as Uruguay’s second material asset to hold such distinction which until this year had only been given to the city of Colonia del Sacramento. The “historic quarter” as the locals call it, was originally a salting house, founded in 1859, where beef from the cattle that was raised in the surrounding area was processed. Illustrative of all the stages of the meat processing chain (supply, processing, canning, packing and shipping), the site comprises the buildings and equipment of the British Liebig Extract of Meat Company that in 1865 began to export to Europe its canned and concentrate meat production called Corned Beef, invented in 1840 by German chemist Justus von Liebig.
“The best grilled meat is Uruguayan” Christophe Krywonis, the French chef, jury of the Masterchef reality show, said that the best grilled meat is Uruguayan, during an interview on an Argentine radio program. In response to the indignation of the hosts, the chef explained his preference. “I’m sorry that is what I think. I love Uruguayan grilled meat. It has the choto [intestine] and other things. I love the way Uruguayans grill their meat.” Krywonis also said that his teacher, Luis Acuña, Uruguayan expert in Argentina who runs the El pobre Luis grill house, taught him his best cooking tips.
The world champion amongst Hereford males is ours Kamikaze, the Polled Hereford bull bred by Las Anitas breeding farm from Durazno, was voted the world’s best Hereford male in a competition held by the specialized portal Hereford Breeder. Earlier, Kamikaze had been the Grand Champion of the Expo Prado and named the best in South America.
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The Anglo meat packing plant has been named a UNESCO world heritage site
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Uruguay at the UN Security Council
Uruguay the “most unexpected champion of capitalism”
With the support of the Latin American countries, as from this year Uruguay holds a seat at the UN Security Council, the body responsible for analyzing and taking actions on international security. A total of 33 countries expressed their support for Uruguay to occupy one of the 15 seats of the Security Council for the 2015-2016 period. That group represents 17% of all UN members.
US Fortune magazine noted: “As José Mujica’s five-year presidential term comes to a close, Uruguay has become a bastion of pragmatic economic policies that favor business and foreign investment.” The article also added: “Not what you would have imagined from a former guerrilla with socialist leanings,” while highlighting Uruguay’s economic growth, investments such as Montes del Plata and the reduction of poverty by USD 2,000 (5.121%).
Montevideo, the city with the best quality of life in Latin America
Two Uruguayan restaurants among the best in Latin America
Montevideo is the Latin American city that boasts the best quality of life, according to a survey conducted by Mercer consultancy firm which compares 230 locations around the world. Our capital city ranks 78th worldwide. The survey evaluates factors such as traffic and public transport, health, economy, education, housing and the cultural agenda. This year Montevideo stood above Buenos Aires (91), Santiago de Chile (93) and Brasilia (107).
The third edition of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, held at the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City, has awarded the restaurants La Huella in José Ignacio the 11th rank and La Bourgogne, also in José Ignacio, the 40th rank. This is the third consecutive time that both restaurants are included in this ranking.
Society Foreign companies and professionals interested in producing marijuana in the country. Companies and people, including some Uruguayans who live abroad, are from Spain, the Netherlands, England, Canada, United States or Israel. Stakeholders also want to produce marijuana for therapeutic use, a possibility that has been provided for by Uruguayan law.
Second in resilience to climate change in America Because of its natural conditions Uruguay is better positioned to withstand disasters and climate change, according to the University of Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (Indiana, USA). Our country ranks 52nd on the global list of countries who are less vulnerable to climate challenges and 55th on the list of countries who are best prepared to deal with such circumstances.
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Lonely Planet names Uruguay as one of the top travel destinations in 2016 This is the second consecutive year that our country has been chosen by the prestigious travel guide to rank among the top 10 travel destinations. It is the only country in South America recommended by the guide, stating that Uruguay is much more than a “buffer” between the “titans” Argentina and Brazil and what it lacks in size, Uruguay makes up for in “peacefulness, hospitality and personality.” “While its two boisterous neighbors lurch from one crisis to the next, Uruguay stands out as a haven of political stability, good governance and prosperity – it’s not dubbed ‘the Switzerland of America’ for nothing,” Lonely Planet explains.
The magazine has defined Uruguay as an “oasis of stability” and said it is one of the top 20 destinations to visit in the world in 2016. Punta del Este, the wetlands that stretch along the Atlantic coast towards Brazil, the historic Colonia del Sacramento and Montevideo are some of the recommended attractions.
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Uruguay among the 20 best destinations on National Geographic
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Award granted to Uruguayan cinema: El apóstata [The apostate] obtains a special mention at San Sebastián
Culture The work of Torres García touches the heart of people in New York and Sao Paulo
Country Brand
The Joaquín Torres García exhibition: The Arcadian Modern, which opened in mid-October at the Museum of Modern Art of New York, is among the most important, complete and media covered exhibitions of the great Uruguayan artist, and has fascinated the New York art world who has claimed that it is necessary to know Torres García’s production in order to understand the evolution of modern art. The exhibition runs until February 2016 and has been a great success with regard to audience and criticism. 2015 was a great year for the work of Torres, since the exhibition at the MOMA takes place simultaneously with another exhibition in Sao Paulo, which runs until mid-December and is more focused on the pedagogical vision of the master of constructivism, displaying a selection of toys, sketches, drawings and for example, characters and decorations of a small theatre, with its shapes and lines.
El apóstata, the film by the Uruguayan director, Federico Veiroj, obtained a special mention from the jury at the San Sebastián Festival. The award was received by its director, Federico Veiroj, who previously directed the films Acné and La vida útil [The useful life]. El apóstata competed in the main categories, including the Golden Shell, the highest recognition of the festival. El apóstata was also shown at the Cannes Film Festival which was made possible because of the support of the Uruguay Film Commission, the Uruguayan Film Institute, Uruguay XXI and the Office of filming of the City Government of Montevideo.
“Nuestras Recetas de Siempre” [Our usual recipes] by Hugo Soca, has once again been nominated for the Gourmand CookBook Awards Every year the Gourmand Cookbook Awards reward the best cookbook and wine books in the world. In 2012 Uruguay won for the first time the Best Latin American Cuisine Book with the book “Nuestras Recetas de Siempre” by chef Hugo Soca, published by Aguaclara Editorial. 2015 was the 20th anniversary of the Gourmand Cookbook Awards and it was celebrated at the Frankfurt Book Fair, awarding the “Best of the Best” of the last 20 years. “Nuestras Recetas de Siempre” was a front-runner in the category of Latin cuisine.
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Los Teros’ great achievement
Undisputed success of the campaign that accompanied Los Teros to England 2015
Intensive professionalization, committed business approach and a boost to the Teros brand underpinned the preparation of the Uruguayan rugby team for the World Cup finals in London, where it was the only amateur team. It is a critical stage for the Teros that stems from the process that began just over two years ago together with the Unión Uruguaya de Rugby [Uruguayan Rugby Association]. Both institutions have worked hard in the process of professionalization at an organizational level in order to strengthen and expand the sport in the country.
The Uruguay Natural brand accompanied Los Teros national rugby team during its participation in the 2015 World Championship in England, through a campaign that in Uruguay was called “A Uruguay hay que seguirlo a todos lados” [We should follow Uruguay wherever it goes], and that was also replicated in England under the claim: Uruguay made it to the Rugby World Cup in England, now you have the chance to go to Uruguay and discover it.” The initiative conducted through the Facebook page of the brand was a huge achievement, since it managed to register more than 3,000 people interested in winning a ticket to London, or Montevideo, depending on the location from where they were participating. Country Brand
Sports
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Sports “Santiago Urrutia is a role model”
Uruguay Open reached its 15 editions with the support of the country brand
“When I crossed the finish line I thought in every effort I made to achieve it,” said the young Uruguayan driver when he received an award from the national authorities after being crowned champion of the 2015 Pro Mazda Championship in the United States. During the event, organized in President’s Office, Benjamin Liberoff, Acting Minister of Tourism and Sports, and Alberto Espasandín, National Sports Secretary, praised the pilot and said that “he is a role model for Uruguayans,” since he set himself a goal and achieved it. Meanwhile, Urrutia thanked his family and Miguelete, his hometown, located in the department of Colonia. “They were always there, even when no results were achieved. What surprised me the most was the amount of people that were at the airport when I arrived.”
The Uruguay Natural brand joined in to provide special support to the 15th edition of the Uruguay Open played at the Carrasco Lawn Tennis Club. Four former champions arrived at Carrasco to play this challenger, in addition to a finalist for Britain in the Davis Cup and many of the best tennis players in the region, with the anticipated return of Pablo Cuevas to the court, the Uruguayan champion in 2009 and 2014. Diego Pérez, director of the Uruguay Open celebrated the completion of this new tournament and stressed the importance of having the support of the Uruguay Natural brand for the first time: “The Uruguay Open is an event that bears the name of Uruguay on purpose because it is another way to promote the country across the globe and more precisely to place it on the map of the world tennis circuit,” he said.
Uruguayans around the world
The PAHO recognized the contributions aimed at reducing the toll of death and illnesses caused by the tobacco epidemic, and especially highlighted Uruguay’s input and the role of the president. In its substantiation, the PAHO pointed out that Uruguay was the second country in America to ratify the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.
The former Foreign Minister Luis Almagro, new Secretary General of the OAS As the new secretary general of the Organization of American States, former Foreign Minister, Luis Almagro, replaces Jose Miguel Insulza from Chile who served for a decade. “More rights for more people in the Americas will be my theme,” assured Almagro while emphasizing that he is eager to renew an OAS which has been questioned by the very countries that compose it.
A Uruguayan invented Kokko, a “mate” [silicon cup] that economizes Yerba Mate Bruno Pereira, a young Uruguayan bartender created the mate that facilitates consumption, helps to better administer the use of Yerba and works as a Yerba Mate container. The invention is called Kokko and it took a year and a half to develop because it involved thorough research on the performance of the Yerba Mate. The development process was conducted under the guidance of Emprenur, the entrepreneurship network of the University of the Republic. The mate is a silicon container lined with a manual ceramic system, divided into four sectors, and with a silicone lid. The idea consists in placing Yerba Mate in each of the partitions and rotating the container by 90o. The design allows the liquid to go directly to the “bombilla” [“metal straw”] rather than to the mound.
Uruguayan wine has won 14 medals in Paris Uruguay obtained 14 medals, 4 gold and 10 silver in the world reference Vinalies Internationales 2015 contest held in Paris. 3503 wines from 41 countries participated in the contest of which 1578 were French and 1925 foreign. The high participation of wines from around the world speaks about the global interest for measuring forces in France, since this is the only OIV international contest developed in a producing country where the presence of foreign wines is stronger than the presence of local wines.
Country Brand
President Vázquez received recognition from the PAHO for Uruguay’s fight against tobacco
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Country Brand
Interviews
Hugo Soca
Arnaldo Nardone
Enrique Aguerre
Estela de Frutos
Ignacio Mattos
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ENRIQUE AGUERRE DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF VISUAL ARTS
“A building like the PUNTA DEL ESTE CONVENTION AND EXHIBITION CENTER is a benefit for the entire society”
“We look for uniqueness in proposals and with ‘Pintar es soñar’ [To paint is to dream] Ignacio Iturria’s exhibition, we have achieved it”
Located at the former El Jaguel airport runway, on Avenue Pedragosa Sierra, the works of a place built with the objective of changing the seasonal nature of tourism in the area and that will begin to operate in 2016 makes progress. This is an excerpt from an interview with one of its main promoters, Arnaldo Nardone.
What do you consider to be the cause of the preference of Uruguayans for the work of Iturria?
“We should think about the Convention Center as a tool to sell out hotels, fill restaurants, to sell transfer services, crafts, etc. Every operator in Maldonado and in the entire country should think about its application, using it as a tool for the benefit of all. The Convention Center is also important at the time of building together, as the Country Brand says, everything for the country: to provide guarantees to other countries that regardless of governments, these investments are longterm State policies, since the donation of land was approved by the Maldonado Departmental Council with votes from all the parties.”
Surely, there are many reasons, but one is his generosity. In June he invited Fine Arts teachers from different schools and organized workshops with them in Casablanca, his Foundation in Carrasco. This is an act of generosity on his behalf, normally, access to creators is not easily obtained, despite being necessary because although culture is a symbolic production it sometimes seems to be weak. However, it is from where values are transmitted, where the best of traditions can be found, our history. It is no less from the moment we know we have to mend this situation, be more inclusive. From my standpoint, culture is one of the ideal tools for this type of achievements because in the cultural field whatever is different is an asset. We seek this uniqueness in the proposals we make from the National Museum of Visual Arts.
Country Brand
ARNALDO NARDONE MANAGER OF PUNTA DEL ESTE CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTER
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HUGO SOCA FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF “TONA,” MONTEVIDEO’S NEW CULINARY GEM
How do you define Tona’s cuisine? Tona is a restaurant that offers a homemade choice, home-cooked meals, stews, made with flavors which are typical of Uruguay’s hinterland. These flavors are in casseroles, in stews, but are mainly obtained from the use of local produce, because we seek to highlight the essence of Uruguayan cuisine and classic local recipes, but reinterpreted with a contemporary touch. It is a very interesting concept for tourists and for locals, from the good acceptance we have experienced, it is like a return to dishes we had always enjoyed but have stopped eating.
Country Brand
Is Tona the logical consequence of “Nuestras recetas de siempre”, your recipe book published last year? I think so, because together they are creating an identity and become part of our culture. Everything has a continuity and goes in the same direction. Moreover, 90% of what
“I am honored and proud to be the ambassador of the Uruguay Natural brand in the world”
there is in Tona is made by Uruguayan artisans. Everything, the crockery, the tables, the decoration. It was a detail sought to motivate and prove that here we can do almost everything. What does it mean for Tona to be a member of the country brand? Recognition and support in bringing the classic cuisine from the home to the restaurant. Do you like the idea of representing Uruguay and its cuisine around the world? I love the idea. It would be the realization of a dream. For me it is an honor because I know the source of almost all local produce. I speak about the source because I know the field, the land, the livestock. That knowledge provides me with a solid foundation. I know the interior of the country and also the cities, and that is what I try to position through the book and through Tona.
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Does the designation of Uruguay as host of the World Congress constitute a recognition on behalf of the World Organization of Vine and Wine of the work of all these years? It does, and the joy is even greater if we consider that the host of the International Congresses is chosen by the member states. In this case, the proposal was made by the Ministry of Livestock and was very well received; in fact, Uruguay was unanimously elected. In 1995, we hosted the World Congress, and at that time we were in the process of positioning the Tannat. In this opportunity, although the Tannat has been globally positioned, the event will be ideal to strengthen Uruguay’s image as the place of origin of this varietal.
“Uruguay, the producer of the best Tannat will host the World Congress of Vine and Wine in 2018”
Is a good wine one of the best brand ambassadors that a country can have? To us each wine label, each wine bottle is the country image because it bears the name of Uruguay and the country brand and it really represents the country. Our wines do not lose their identity when they reach a table or a kitchen in another part of the world. That is the great value of wine. The same happens when we receive tourists, because a good wine, just like a good meal, makes you leave the table content, it contributes to better appreciate the landscape and the surroundings. Wine is quality of life and another attraction for tourism. Therefore, we understand that developing wine, culinary arts and tourism collectively is to work on the country image, from the inside and from the outside.
Country Brand
ESTELA DE FRUTOS EXPERT IN URUGUAYAN WINE, AND IN PARTICULAR TANNAT
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IGNACIO MATTOS CHEF
Estela, the restaurant founded by Mattos was selected by The New York Times among the “Top 10 New York Restaurants” opened in 2014 and for the Bon Appétit magazine it was the third best restaurant of that year. An excerpt of the interview is provided below.
Country Brand
What products among those produced in Uruguay do you find more interesting? Olive oils have a great quality and are very good value for money. Homemade breads as well. There are young people making very interesting breads and that is crucial because we should always focus on the basics. At La Huella, in José Ignacio they are holding a workshop with a young backer. They are still in the process, but it would be good if they definitely set off. Uruguay is at an advantage in this respect
“Uruguayan quality cuisine generates interest in the U.S.”
because it is paramount to have good raw materials, especially with regard to meats and oils. The sea salt produced in Maldonado is a great novelty. Is there a place in New York for a cuisine such as Uruguay’s? Uruguayan cuisine can position itself in the United States. The presence of Tabaré bar in Manhattan and La Huella and Trouville pizzeria and grill in Miami are good examples. People like these proposals, they are interested. Schnitzels, steak sandwiches and ravioli with stewed meat are positioning themselves. In New York, there is place for all things that are well done. If so, it is not questioned.”
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Expo Milano
Uruguay’s pavilion at Expo Milano received 31 over 450 thousand visitors
Throughout the semester the Uruguayan pavilion attracted more than 450 thousand people who came attracted by a comprehensive proposal among which the aroma of grilled meat emanating from the Uruguay Natural grill house played a central rol e. Named one of the best culinary experiences at the Expo by the Italian newspaper Corriere de la Sera, Uruguayan meats, oils and wines were the choice of thousands of visitors.
The advances of Uruguay in terms of smart agricultural production, traceability, renewable energies, human rights, technology applied to education through the Ceibal Plan, equity and respect for diversity were the focus of the “Life Grows in Uruguay” short film, produced by Uruguay XXI in conjunction with a multidisciplinary team led by local producing companies Transparente Film and Súbito. Shot in 4K, the film could be enjoyed as an immersive experience through robotic technology screens. The universal expo helped to consolidate Uruguay’s international reputation as a country that produces reliable foods, promotes sustainable development and progress without excluding quality of life. Uruguay’s participation generated over 1,100 articles in the international and national press positively assessing the presence of the country and its values.
Country Brand
Expo Milano 2015 ended on 31 October. During these six months, the Uruguayan pavilion attracted more than 450 thousand people. Under the theme “Life Grows in Uruguay” and the coordination of Uruguay XXI, Expo Milano helped to consolidate in the world the qualities of our country as a reliable food producer, a renewable energy leader, a model of political and social stability, and quality of life.
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Life after life In the garden of Uruguay’s pavilion -designed by a national artist and made out of a recycled steel and wood frame-, the “Life after life” sculpture, by Pablo Atchugarry stood out. The Uruguayan artist and sculptor, who is an international art icon known across the globe for his dynamic and international sculptures and the bond that his works of art create between Europe and America. The sculpture was made out of the wood of an 800-year old olive tree found by Atchugarry in an Italian nursery. It is 5 meters high and stands on a circular base which measures 200 cm in diameter made of steel and with its name engraved in five languages.
Country Brand
100% proven traceability About 80 thousand diners visited the Uruguay Natural gourmet grill. Over 30 thousand of them experienced Uruguayan beef traceability through a QR reader application code developed by INAC, with which consumers were able to trace meat from the sky to the actual location of the cattle farm that produced it and even to the producer himself.
National day with the presence of the Country Brand ambassador, Jorge Drexler
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On 25 August, Uruguay celebrated its National Day at the Expo Milano. The official delegation was led by the Minister of Tourism, Liliam Kechichian, the Commissioner General of Uruguay’s pavilion and Executive Director of Uruguay XXI, Antonio Carámbula, and the Ambassador and Deputy Commissioner, Gastón Lasarte, among other important authorities.
Country Brand
The event included a parade led by the “C” 1080 candombe drum group and the tasting of national products in addition to a tour around the pavilion. The celebration ended with a concert by the ambassador of the Uruguay Natural brand, Jorge Drexler, who together with Luciano Supervielle, performed before more than 600 Uruguayans living abroad who were invited by the organizers to enjoy the concert together with foreign visitors.
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Made in Uruguay
Branding
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Country Brand
2015 was a busy year for the Uruguay Natural brand. An institution was created in Uruguay XXI for the Management of the Country Brand and efforts were increased to seek new brand use agreements; there was a greater participation in events which benefited from its sponsorship and/or support; and the range of the so-called Brand Ambassadors was broadened, that is, Uruguayans that either in our country or in their actions around the world help to strengthen the image of our brand and as a consequence, Uruguay’s image is bolstered in the world.
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Exchange of experiences between Uruguay and Chile brands
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A rich exchange of information and management guidelines took place between the Fundación Imagen Chile and the Uruguay XXI managers of the Country Brand, following Jorge Cortés’ and Fabián Campos’ visit to Montevideo, Digital Strategy Assistant Manager and Management Coordinator of the Fundación Imagen from Chile, respectively. The meeting took place in early August, in the framework of the South-South cooperation activities between Uruguay and Chile, in which the International Cooperation Agency of Uruguay, the International Cooperation Agency of Chile, Uruguay XXI and the Fundación Imagen from Chile are involved. Chilean experts gave a presentation in Montevideo on the work performed with regard to their “Digital Communication Strategy for the Country Brand, Chile’s experience.” Chile’s began to manage its country brand in the early 2000s and, in 2011, it consolidated its institutional
framework when it joined the Fundación Imagen Chile. As explained by Cortés and Campos, the work is performed based on three strategic areas: the consolidation of the image of Chile as a State policy that is able to transcend governments and situations; the strengthening of the public and private relationship based on spotting specific sectors of interest such as the wine industry, the ICT or tourism; and the realization of specific actions to achieve an impact in the selected international
markets.
We have been part of the Endeavor Mega Experiencia and the Endeavor Gala
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Country Brand
The Endeavor MEGA Experiencia is one of the main annual events organized by Endeavor Uruguay intended for the entrepreneurial community, in which high impact entrepreneurs and company leaders in the region share their stories and experiences with future entrepreneurs. Uruguay Natural, supported this year’s edition of the Mega Experiencia, as well as the Endeavor Gala which celebrated its 15th anniversary and pushed the boat out to hold an event that has become the most significant occasion for socializing among private businessmen in the country.
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Uruguay Natural scarves used by the “celeste” [sky-blue] players at the Copa América in Chile 2015 The Uruguayan team that played the last Copa América, received before leaving for Chile, along with the national flag, the Uruguay Natural flag and sky-blue scarves especially woven by artisans from Manos del Uruguay. The scarves given as a gift to the players and the technical team featured two logos: the Uruguayan Football Association, partner of our brand and the Uruguay Natural logos.
Country Brand
We followed Los Teros to the Rugby World Cup in England After four years of hard work and a long journey, the Uruguayan rugby team, Los Teros, qualified to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England and the Uruguay Natural brand wanted to accompany the team who were the only amateurs playing in the World cup. Before leaving for London, Los Teros received national products bearing the country brand as gifts. During the tournament, a Facebook campaign was implemented in which participants could win two flights to London.
Gala 2015 NY, ReachingU Foundation
Fashion week took over Montevideo once again, MoWeek 2015, during which Uruguay XXI and the Chamber of Design organized various business roundtables related to the industry of apparel, footwear and accessories, three sectors that are gaining ground and are driven by young designers who have managed to standout both in the domestic and foreign markets. The Uruguay Natural brand was also present at MoWeek and exclusively interviewed Micaela del Prado, well known fashion blogger for E! Entertainment Television, whose blog is housed within the E! Online web site for Latin America and which can be accessed through micaeladelprado.com; to see how fascinated she was by some of the local creations.
The Annual Gala of the ReachingU Foundation in New York took place on Wednesday 11 November, which gathered about 300 people. The event, which raised USD 450 thousand intended to be used to reduce educational inequality in Uruguay, had as its special guest Dr. Arturo Porzecanski, economist who boasts a lengthy career in academics and in Wall Street. The Country Brand accompanied the Gala as one of the sponsors supporting the Foundation. Uruguay Natural and Reaching U gave out five VIP scholarships called “Uruguay in Manhattan” which include a brunch at the Estela exclusive restaurant in Manhattan run by Uruguayan national Ignacio Mattos. These scholarships also include a private guided tour of the Joaquín Torres García exhibition at the MoMa, also in the city of New York.
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Alongside fashion at MoWeek 2015
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Workshops with friends of the brand and State communicators
Country Brand
Among the already classic Country Brand workshops, the ones that stood out throughout this year were those held with the so-called “friends,” that is, people who are in many ways connected to the management of the country brand; and the workshop which involved the participation of the communication managers of various organizations and public entities. Both events were a success and resulted in a rich exchange of opinions and debate, a debate that is ever present and helps to enhance the brand. Furthermore, the brand’s Facebook group was also created this year, an ideal tool to build loyalty and share information with those to whom we are connected in the task of promoting Uruguay.
Ibirapitá Plan and care system position Uruguay After the strong international positioning achieved by the country brand during José Mujica’s term in office, the plans of the current government begin to be observed by the world. According to surveys conducted by Uruguay XXI Agency, the country is known for the Ibirapitá plan, the provision of tablets to pensioners; for joining the UN Council; the proposed National Care System, and the stand at the Expo Milano.
At the Academia
The city of Lima hosted the III International Nation Branding Forum in early November. Uruguay Natural brand participated together with the brands of Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Argentina and Chile, among others. The International Nation Branding Forum, whose first edition was held in Uruguay in 2013, is a convenient time to increase communication between institutions that manage the brands in Latin America and to share knowledge related to the management perspectives, such as marketing, publicity and legal aspects. Prior to the III Forum, a meeting was held for brand managers in June, in Argentina, and Uruguay Natural was also present.
For the first time ever, the country brand ventured in the academic field, offering courses to introduce this concept to university students. Initially the courses were run at the Catholic University of Uruguay and at the ORT University. Moreover, the country brand work team has scheduled courses during 2016 at the University of the Republic.
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III Third International Nation branding Forum
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Country Brand Ambassadors
Country Brand
Prominent figures, opinion makers, sports people, musicians, artists, creators, organizers who have made significant contributions in various fields. They are the ambassadors of the Uruguay Natural brand in the world, responsibles for keeping our image in high regard, wherever they go.
Pablo Cuevas - Is one of the best Uruguayan tennis players and is the one to have reached the best position in the ATP Rankings, ranking No. 21 worldwide. Cuevas is also the only tennis player to date to have won an ATP tournament in South America, and since late 2014 he has been the No. 1 Latin American tennis player in the ATP ranking. He reached the semifinals in the last Uruguay Open played last week.
Jorge Drexler - The Oscar-winning songwriter for Best Original Song was also one of the artists with the most nominations at the 15th Annual Latin Grammy Awards for his latest album “Bailar en la cueva.” In addition to musician and songwriter, Drexler is a doctor, and although he has been living abroad for a long time, he returns every year to perform live before a local audience. He has recorded and played with some of the greatest musicians in the world.
Hugo Soca - The founder of Tona, the last gem of local cuisine, also obtained the first prize in the “Best Latin American Cuisine Book” category, with his book “Nuestras recetas de siempre, cocina casera y tradicional uruguaya”, which features more than 120 recipes of dishes that compose the most authentic traditional Uruguayan cuisine.
Los Teros - The Uruguay rugby team played its first match in Buenos Aires in 1948 and since then represents our country in rugby union competitions. This year it was the only amateur team to participate in the Rugby World Cup played in England. On this occasion, it began its relationship with the country brand.
Asociación Uruguaya de Fútbol (AUF, Uruguayan Football Association) - Created in 1900, it is responsible for the promotion, dissemination and boost of the football culture in all its expressions. Since its participation in the Copa America in Chile this year, the AUF is the first organization to be an ambassador of the Uruguay brand.
Cuarteto de Nos - The legendary Uruguayan rock band, has been around for over 30 years and continues to obtain awards both locally and internationally. This year they won two Graffiti awards for the Best Pop Album and Best Album of the Year by popular vote, and obtained three Latin Grammy Award nominations.
Pablo Atchugarry - Uruguayan sculptor born in Montevideo in 1954. He has been living in Italy as well as in Maldonado for many years, where he has the Pablo Atchugarry Foundation, a non-profit organization he founded in 2007. In his work “El árbol de la vida” [The tree of life”] he embellished the entrance to the Uruguayan pavilion during the six months that the Expo Milano 2015 was open.
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Friends of the Country Brand
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Rinc贸n 518, Planta Baja, Montevideo, Uruguay CP 11000 - Tel: (598) 2915 3838 marcauruguay@uruguayxxi.gub.uy @marcauruguay www.marcapaisuruguay.gub.uy
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www.marcapaisuruguay.gub.uy
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