- Bloom Consulting was founded in 2003
The company was established by three partners: Jose Filipe Torres, Patricia and Martin. - The name “Bloom” was suggested by one of the founders
Martin proposed the name because it represented enthusiasm, which remains one of Bloom Consulting’s core values. The entire Central Idea is built around it. The term traces back to the Greek “enthousiasmos,” meaning “inspiration or possession by a god”. - The early Madrid–Lisbon commute was not easy
Bloom Consulting started in Madrid, but its founder, Jose Filipe Torres, lived in Portugal. Like many young companies, Bloom Consulting started with limited financial resources, and every euro mattered. Flying wasn’t an option, so Jose took 11 hour bus rides between Lisbon and Madrid two or three times a month to build the business. Today, Bloom Consulting has offices in Madrid, London, Lisbon, Paris and Riyadh. - From an 11-hour bus to 50 flights a year
Bloom Consulting’s CEO, Jose Filipe Torres, takes about 50 flights a year to meet clients, speak at international events and lead projects across the world. Nation and City Branding is about understanding places, and often means being there in person. - The senior team has decades of combined experience
In 2026, Bloom Consulting reported that its senior consultants had almost 78 years of combined experience in Nation and City Branding. - Bloom Consulting is older than its youngest team member
The company is 23 years old. Its youngest team member is 22, which means they were born after Bloom Consulting started. Today they work side by side with people who have been part of Bloom’s story since the beginning. - The company’s first government client was Bulgaria
In 2005, Bloom Consulting developed a brand strategy for the Bulgarian Investment Promotion Agency during Bulgaria’s integration into the European Union. - Bloom Consulting has been ranking countries since 2011
Bloom Consulting published first edition of Bloom Consulting Country Brand Ranking© in 2011. Since then, it is published every two years in two separate publications, one for Tourism and one for Trade. Its main goal is to measure how international perception and reputation can affect each Country Brand over time. - Our client list is still actively growing
Over 23 years, Bloom Consulting has worked on more than 150 projects worldwide, supporting Nations, Cities and Regions with Nation and City Branding strategies, research and related initiatives. Our clients include Australia, Abu Dhabi, Costa Rica, European Travel Commission, Helsinki, Jamaica, London Bridge, OECD, Oman, Portugal, Riyadh, Soudah, South Africa, Sweden, Turkey and many more. - The team has a strong multilingual background
Bloomers collectively speak more than 15 languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, Arabic, Romanian, Polish, Latvian, Lithuanian and Russian. - Bloom Consulting has introduced new proprietary model for measuring perception
The Bloom Consulting Taxonomy Model© provides, for the first time, a standardized, comparable framework for evaluating how countries and cities are perceived, scored on a 5-level scale from “Extremely Negative” to “Extremely Positive.”
The model constitutes how countries and cities are perceived. This model can be used by Nation Branding and City Branding professionals to measure the impact of their efforts, track how perceptions change over time, and what other factors influence these changes (for example, how certain crises influence certain perceptions). - Bloom Consulting attracts interns from across the world
Bloom Consulting has attracted interns from 58 universities and higher education institutions across Europe and beyond. - Bloom Consulting rebranded for its 20th birthday
The original pink-and-black identity from 2003 was replaced in November 2023 with a new dark purple and vibrant green palette. The green was inspired by Post-it notes, the tool the team uses on every single project. - Bloom Consulting measures the impact of Nation and City Brands on the local and global economy
Per Bloom’s own research, perception accounts for roughly a quarter of the total transaction value in tourism, FDI inflows and talent attraction, i.e. for every $1,000 a country attracts, about $250 is down to brand perception alone. - Bloom Consulting is official data partner of WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Bloom Consulting has shared its intelligence with the World Economic Forum since 2015, contributing data through its proprietary research and D2 Digital Demand © software as well as Country Brand Strategy rating. - Bloom Consulting runs its own accredited training program
The Bloom Consulting Academy holds CPD accreditation. It is Bloom Consulting’s sister company which acts as a “Business School” for Nation and City Branders run by experienced practitioners and academic educators in the field. - From four weeks to a decade: Bloom Consulting projects come in every length
A Bloom Consulting project can take a few weeks or several years. The shortest data analytics projects take about four weeks, while full Country Branding projects can last up to three years. Some relationships go further still. Bloom Consulting has worked with some of its clients continuesly for ten years, helping their brands change and grow over time. One of them is Costa Rica.
Cite article: Bloom Consulting (2026): Inside Bloom Consulting: Interesting facts about the Nation and City Branding pioneers. Bloom Consulting Journal, 16 October. Available at: https://www.bloom-consulting.com/journal/inside-bloom-consulting
Published on 16.10.2026.
