Alonso an ambassador for “Marca España”

[Rob]

Madrid, 12 February – Fernando Alonso is a symbol of Spain all over the world and today there was tangible proof of that, when he was nominated as an Honorary Ambassador for “Marca España,” by the association of famous Spanish brands (FMRE, Foro de Marcas Renombradas Espanolas.) The association is made up of around a hundred companies and various Public Administration bodies. The induction ceremony was carried out by the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Felipe and Letizia of Spain, this morning at the headquarters of Santander Bank in Madrid, in the presence of its President, Emilio Botin and various Spanish authorities. Alonso, who has just returned from an intensive training camp in the heat of Dubai, is now ready to return to the race track. The Ferrari man will make his debut at the wheel of the new F138 at the next test session, which gets underway on 19 February at the Catalunya Circuit, on the outskirts of Barcelona.

http://www.ferrari.com/english/formu...ca-espana.aspx

[fratelliferrari]

Congratulations to Fernando ! It's an honour for him I guess!

[DIEK]

I hope we begin to improve with him...

[Alessandra]

Don't know if that makes up for past F1 disappointments but it's an indication of the esteem he's held in by his own country which must make you feel pretty good. Congratulations Fernando

[Kingdom Hearts]

That's something to be proud, if he wins a title with Ferrari he can have the "marca Italia" too as far as I'm concerned.

[Massimo]

That's something to be proud, if he wins a title with Ferrari he can have the "marca Italia" too as far as I'm concerned.

I see it the other way around, Ferrari is the "marca Italia", Alonso is the ambassador promoting it.

[wisepie]

Just returned from Italy and there is so much following for Fernando, even in the Ferrari stores the clothing always has Alonso logos and never Felipe, it gets a bit depressing that he's ignored in favour of Fernando. Let's hear it for Felipe, then, to get back to his winning ways and becoming the 'marca brasiliana' !!

[fratelliferrari]

I totally agree with you wisepie! Even in 2008 when Felipe did fantastic there was also very little merchandise of him. I don't get the reason for that. My feeling is that there a a lot Felipe fans but you can't always see that because there is nothing for sale from Felipe. Hopefully with his driving from the second part of 2012 he will get the attention he deserves!

[wisepie]

Appreciate your support, fratelli, but suppose we should congratulate Fernando on raising the profile of the Prancing Horse worldwide, but any Latin country would have held him in high esteem anyway, this honour just reinforces that sentiment. Maybe Felipe can follow his example.......!

[ferrari1.8t]

I totally agree with you wisepie! Even in 2008 when Felipe did fantastic there was also very little merchandise of him. I don't get the reason for that. My feeling is that there a a lot Felipe fans but you can't always see that because there is nothing for sale from Felipe. Hopefully with his driving from the second part of 2012 he will get the attention he deserves!

I just did some quick research and your are correct, you can not find anything related to Felipe on the Official Ferrari Store website for the 2013 collection. Pretty strange that Ferrari wouldn't offer official merchandise for both of their drivers. He's not even listed under the Scuderia section.

[sagi58]

I just did some quick research and your are correct, you can not find anything related to Felipe on the Official Ferrari Store website for the 2013 collection. Pretty strange that Ferrari wouldn't offer official merchandise for both of their drivers. He's not even listed under the Scuderia section.

At the risk of offending his fans, might this not be an indication that Ferrari hadn't decided Massa's future
at the time when all this Alonso merchandise was probably being designed / ordered / made?

[fratelliferrari]

Sagi58 even in the beginning of 2010 there was almost nothing of Felipe to buy! It's not for myself because I only buy official teamwear but it's for the other Felipe fans who can't wear Felipe Massa clothing because it just isn't available. If I walk at the circuit every year I also watch for Felipe fans but in a whole weekend I see not more then 3 caps with his name. Iam sure there are a lot more Massa fans, but because of the lack of merchandise they can't show that to the world.

[sagi58]

Thank you for the insight!!

[fratelliferrari]

You mean that sarcastic sagi58?

[sagi58]

You mean that sarcastic sagi58?

NOT at all!! It's always interesting to hear from people who have first hand knowledge!!

[fratelliferrari]

Oh sorry then sagi if i have offended you. It's sometimes difficult to judge if something is said serious or not. But it's just my feeling about the Felipe Massa merchandise and maybe someone has an other opinion. Do you see a lot of Felipe caps/shirts at the circuit?

[sagi58]

Oh sorry then sagi if i have offended you. It's sometimes difficult to judge if something is said serious or not. But it's just my feeling about the Felipe Massa merchandise and maybe someone has an other opinion. Do you see a lot of Felipe caps/shirts at the circuit?

No problem!! I just hope you aren't offended, as it wasn't my intention!!
To be honest, all I "see" is Ferrari red!! Not very observant of me, eh?

[fratelliferrari]

Indeed you are right on that sagi! I was in 2007 at Spa and there were very much Ferrari fans! I was there in 2011 as well and it looked like Ferrari fans were third after Red Fools and Maccas! This means there are a lot of glory hunters in F1 which was seen very clearly with the huge amount of Brawn GP merchandise in 2009! These guys can't be called fans! Sorry for getting a bit off topic moderators.

[sagi58]

... Sorry for getting a bit off topic moderators.

Not "really" off topic as we're discussing marketing and that's what team merchandise is!!
Advertising is aimed at the insecure who feel the need to associate themselves with success!
And, that's what it seems to me you were referring to!! Again, insightful!!

[fratelliferrari]

You are totally right about that sagi58! But you only need one sentence to tell it and I almost an entire book

[sagi58]

Actually, you did all the set-up work, I just went with what you gave me!!

[Massimo]

Sagi58 even in the beginning of 2010 there was almost nothing of Felipe to buy! It's not for myself because I only buy official teamwear but it's for the other Felipe fans who can't wear Felipe Massa clothing because it just isn't available. If I walk at the circuit every year I also watch for Felipe fans but in a whole weekend I see not more then 3 caps with his name. Iam sure there are a lot more Massa fans, but because of the lack of merchandise they can't show that to the world.

Don't mean to be rude Fratelli, but i think it's just a simple case of supply and demand, and not in a way that it dictates the price, but in a way that there is simply not much demand for Massa team wear.
Can't think of another reason why they shouldn't sell it.

[wisepie]

All it would need is for Felipe to show he's a front-runner again and consequently receive a lengthened contract with the Scuderia, then there would be both the demand and reason for Felipe merchandise to be made available. But it isn't fair that he seems to have been totally sidelined by the merchandisers when he is and has been such a major part of the team all these years. Apart from the fact that any official team merchandise is stupidly expensive (alright, maybe it's supposed to be exclusive), it's not just Ferrari but all other team merchandise is far too costly for the man in the street, however passionate, and it's not the sort of stuff you'd wear frequently. I'm sure I'm not alone but I think the only time I'd wear it would be at a race and I'd be proud to do so, even if we didn't win! Marca Espana for Fernando, by all means, but Felipe deserves some recognition too.

[fratelliferrari]

I get your point Massimo, but now Massa merchandise at all is not fair to him and for his fans (and Iam definitely one of them!)

[wisepie]

Don't mean to be rude Fratelli, but i think it's just a simple case of supply and demand, and not in a way that it dictates the price, but in a way that there is simply not much demand for Massa team wear.
Can't think of another reason why they shouldn't sell it.

I can't understand why you say there's no demand for Felipe gear, Massimo, it's just that Fernando has had all the attention focused on him since joining Ferrari and Felipe, for various reasons, has been ignored or criticised and therefore made out to be the fall guy, just there to fill the 2nd seat. If it turns out that Felipe is a real WDC contender this year, it would be nice to be able to show our support in the appropriate merchandise, however costly!! There are many Felipe fans out there who can't at the moment display their loyalty and it's not fair or acceptable.

[sagi58]

... it isn't fair that [Massa] seems to have been totally sidelined by the merchandisers when he is and has been such a major part of the team all these years...

Dumb question of the day: During the Schumi "golden years", how much Barrichello merchandise was available?
He was also a major part of the team, for many years, did the merchandisers "sideline" him, too?

[Massimo]

I can't understand why you say there's no demand for Felipe gear, Massimo, it's just that Fernando has had all the attention focused on him since joining Ferrari and Felipe, for various reasons, has been ignored or criticised and therefore made out to be the fall guy, just there to fill the 2nd seat. If it turns out that Felipe is a real WDC contender this year, it would be nice to be able to show our support in the appropriate merchandise, however costly!! There are many Felipe fans out there who can't at the moment display their loyalty and it's not fair or acceptable.

I said, that's what i expect to be the reason, didn't say it's fair. Ferrari has been very loyal to Felipe and he has managed to get himself back on track, i was very happy to see the Felipe that we saw halfway through the season last year.
But sales are all about cold and hard numbers, if you'd own a store, trying to sell brand A and Brand B, and brand A is flying of the shelves, which product would you concentrate on?

[wisepie]

I do understand what you're saying Massimo and I accept that you're probably right but couldn't there just be a smaller run of Felipe gear? Yes Fernando is the No1 driver, as was Schuey, but as this stuff is mainly available at Ferrari Stores and GPs or on-line, there should be a choice for the tifosi. I feel that both Rubens and Felipe have had a raw deal when it comes to tifosi showing who their preferred driver is and for that reason Felipe currently has a much lower profile. So I agree with Sagi too, and just hope that we will have two front-runners this year to balance the attention!

[sagi58]

...there should be a choice for the tifosi. I feel that both Rubens and Felipe have had a raw deal when it comes to tifosi showing who their preferred driver is...

Ah, but, that's the crunch, isn't it? Ferrari has a very clear No.1 driver.
The team is more important than the driver and we accept that as a fact!
Could it be that philosophy expands to encompass merchandise available?

[wisepie]

That may be the crunch, sagi, but I don't agree with it from any perspective, even when we ACCEPT that the team counts more than the driver. That doesn't alter the fact that it doesn't recognise Felipe's importance to the team, and that's not nice.