National Brand: Interesting stories on Vietnam

Jul 16th, 2010

At a round table discussing on “Development of National Brand” sponsored by Tri Viet Education Research and Development Centre and Saigon Media in Ho Chi Minh City, experts and entrepreneurs, local and foreign, focused on relationship between economy-businesses, culture-history-human being, the role of mass media and public awareness, the State and concern parties.
Interesting stories
Mr. Luong Van Ly, Director General of DNL Company (HCMC) believed that like a person, a Nation has its own soul and characteristics to be respected and in relations with other nations. Development of national brand likes establishment of personality and the stories to be recounted. The problem is who will recount the stories.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Nam, Director of FPT group recalled a story: FPT tried to sign a contract with a Japanese partner. The Japanese entrepreneur was a very difficult person. Mr. Nam invited the Japanese partner to Vietnam and brought him to Ha Long Bay. The Japanese guest was deeply impressed by natural landscapes, the images of buffalo and rice field. The hard-to-please businessman was fully convinced and signed the contract in place. He later decided to live and work in Vietnam.
According to Ms Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Vice Chair of Foreign Relations Committee of the National Assembly, if a nation has a high sense of its value, it has made a big step in developing national brand. However, there must be also the recognition by the world. When the two things are assured, national brand of Vietnam can be lasting and developing.
National brand is the asset of the whole people and country, to develop national brand, the government must mobilize all social strata, businesses of famous brands, to contribute their parts to national brand. The State has a key role but not unique role, cannot control everything but needs the cooperation of the people, organizations and associations, with the consensus of the whole society. Development of national brand does not depend only on enterprises but also specific persons in the society such as a friendly pedicab driver, a charming boy selling tourist gifts, a hospitable shop keeper, all of them contributing the national brand.
Historian Duong Trung Quoc said that Vietnam itself is already a brand. How to maintain and develop the brand, it needs the role of the State, the government. National brand is not a natural product. It requires fuller research on how Vietnamese brand was established.
On his part, Mr. Phan Chanh Duong, lecturer of Fulbright program, said that national brand should be built on the pride of the people regarding their homeland. In other countries, national brands are founded on ordinary consumers’ goods, closed to daily life such as leathered shoes, briefcases, watches, garment.. of high quality recognized world-wide and images of businesses are closely connected with the national brand.
Misunderstanding on Vietnam be dismissed
The world lacks information on Vietnam. There are difficulties in calling for investments in Vietnam. Misunderstanding on Vietnam still exists. It is difficult to introduce Vietnam at round table talks. By visiting Vietnam, foreign partners can be convinced. Therefore, Vietnam must recount success stories to the world, the fight for national independence, the peaceful construction and the development into a modern industrialized economy.can be convinced. Therefore, Vietnam must recount success stories to the world, the fight for national independence, the peaceful construction and the development into a modern industrialized economy.
Mr. David Keen, Director of Keen Media Company, a successful consultant for Bhutan brand, said that outsiders could not understand Vietnam. It could be due to incorrect approach. Misunderstanding must be dismissed otherwise Vietnam would miss the opportunity.
Ms. Morvarid Kaykka, Design Bridge Company, said that the stories must be recounted correctly, if they are recounted differently with what tourists witness in place, it would be a disaster. She told a story of Mozambique, it was described to outside world as a country of poverty, diseases and unsafe country. Consequently, it failed to attract tourists, depriving the country of big profit from tourism, while Mozambique has wonderful beaches. She reminded that each country should promote its own values. For instances, Vietnam should promote its national slogan: Independence, Freedom, Happiness.