In today’s globalised space, the larger a country’s product brand dominates the international market, the more powerful that country is. As Vietnam participates more deeply in new generation free trade agreements, branding becomes more meaningful and important, being a soft power to promote economic development.

In that context, the Vietnam National Brand Programme was established in 2003 to build and develop national brands through supporting businesses to establish and develop strong brands to promote the image of Vietnam - a country with quality goods and services, creating reputation and enhancing competitiveness for Vietnamese businesses in domestic and international markets.

The Vietnam National Brand Programme was established in 2003 to build and develop national brands through supporting businesses to establish and develop strong brands to promote the image of Vietnam - a country with quality goods and services, creating reputation and enhancing

With the support of the Vietnam National Brand Programme, many Vietnamese corporations and businesses have gradually built, developed and promoted their brands more professionally, contributing to improving competitiveness and affirming its position in domestic and foreign markets.

It can mention names like Viettel - Vietnam's largest Telecommunications and Technology Group - The top 15 biggest telecoms companies in the world in terms of subscriber numbers and top 40 in terms of revenue; Truong Hai Auto Joint Stock Company (Thaco) is gradually rising to the top position in the ASEAN region; TH Milk Joint Stock Company became the first Vietnamese dairy company to be granted a "passport" to enter the Chinese market, the market with the second largest milk consumption in the world.

If in the early 2000s, the brands of Vietnamese businesses did not appear in the rankings of international organisations, then by 2020, according to Forbes Vietnam's rankings, the total value of the top 50 brands reached more than 12.6 billion USD, of which 50% of businesses have products achieving National Brand, such as Viettel, Vinamilk, Thaco, Hoa Phat, Habeco, Vietcombank, PNJ, Vietnam Airlines, Nutifood, Cadivi, Viglacera and Saigontourist.

According to Brand Finance, Vietnam’s national brand value rose 11% from 388 billion USD in 2021 to 431 billion USD in 2022, and at the same time, Vietnam continues to be considered a bright spot in the picture of building and developing global national brands and is the national brand with the fastest value growth rate in the world (up 74% in the period 2019-2022).

According to Brand Finance, Vietnam’s national brand value rose 11% from 388 billion USD in 2021 to 431 billion USD in 2022, and at the same time, Vietnam continues to be considered a bright spot in the picture of building and developing global national brands and is the national brand with the fastest value growth rate in the world (up 74% in the period 2019-2022). This means that Vietnam is increasingly being recognised as a safe and stable investment destination, leading to a series of international manufacturers turning to Vietnam.

According to the 2021 Global Soft Power Index Report conducted by Brand Finance, Vietnam was the only country in ASEAN to be upgraded in the global soft power rankings.

Specifically, Vietnam's position is continuously improving, increasing by 2.5 points, increasing by 3 levels, from 50/60 to 47/105 ranked countries in 2021 and increasing to position 32 in 2022. 

Vietnam has now become a potential and attractive destination for many world technology and industrial giants such as Apple, Google, Samsung, Foxconn and Luxshare Precision... At the same time, many Vietnamese corporations such as Viettel, Vinamilk, Hoa Phat... or many domestic products such as Trung Nguyen coffee, ST24, ST25 rice... have reached the world market and been welcomed by international consumers. 

It can be said that Vietnam is increasingly asserting itself on the world brand map and this is a support and a source of soft power to promote the development of the Vietnamese economy, thereby affirming Vietnam's position in the international arena.

Honoured to be among the 172 enterprises recognised as National Brands in 2022, DNP simultaneously has 3 products in the pillar fields including water industry supplies (Dong Nai Plastic), construction bricks and tiles (CMC), and convenient household products (Inochi/of Tan Phu Vietnam).

According to General Director of DNP Holding Joint Stock Company Nguyen Van Hieu, in order to obtain the above achievements, from the beginning, DNP has set out a long-term brand building and development strategy, covering from awareness to goals, directions, methods,... 

He said that his business is always aware of the importance of branding for businesses in particular and the economy in general. Brand value accounts for an increasingly high proportion in the value chain, especially in the context of globalisation and expanding international business trade.

With the mission of enhancing the position of Vietnamese brands, DNP focuses on producing essential products in three key areas: clean water, construction materials, and household products. DNP has made many practical contributions to society.

• CMC produces around 25 million m2 of ceramic tiles and glazed tiles annually.
• Inochi produces more than 600 SKUs of high-end home appliance products, which are on sale in over 20 showrooms, and a system of more than 50 affiliated stores and supermarkets nationwide.
• Dong Nai Plastic provides water supply and drainage pipe solutions at key national water supply and drainage infrastructure projects, contributing to solving the increasing challenges with water resources, as well as Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) system for buildings.
• DNP Water produces 1 million m3 of clean water/day. Especially in disadvantaged areas seriously affected by climate change and sea level rise, as well as mountainous and remote areas such as the Mekong Delta, Sa Pa, and Quang Binh.

The General Director of DNP Holding said that with the aspiration to enhance the position of Vietnamese brands in the domestic and international markets and to uphold its achievements, DNP has promoted innovations through practical actions and gained many encouraging results.

A prime example is CMC, which has developed soluble salt and diamond microcrystalline technologies in Vietnam for the first time and was granted patents by the National Technology Innovation Fund. Pioneering in green production and green consumption, DNP is the first Vietnamese accessory pipe producer to receive the Green Building certification from the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC). Furthermore, Inochi consumer products designed and manufactured in Vietnam are also accepted by international markets such as the US and Australia.

In an interview with Nhan Dan on the topic of protecting and promoting the national brand, Nguyen Van Hieu said DNP is committed to the mission of enhancing the national brand value with a sustainable strategy and a bold action programme. That means the company must master technologies to increase the proportion of domestic products and reduce imports, including diversifying the materials of consumer goods (ceramics, porcelain and glass) and developing enamelled roof tiles. By placing customers at the centre, the company is committed to focusing resources on addressing challenges in water sourcing, a growing demand for building materials and increasing household consumption amid rising urbanisation.

The DNP General Director stated that building the national brand is an effective tool to enhance a country’s competitiveness. With effective use, the national brand will create opportunities for Vietnam to rise strongly amid globalisation and become a necessary condition for sectors, enterprises and products to achieve sustainable development.

At the ceremony to announce Vietnam National Brands 2022, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh highly appreciated the Vietnamese business and entrepreneur community for their bravery, intelligence, creative thinking, spirit of innovation and responsibility, along with workers and employees for their unity, attachment, and sharings. They have been always steadfast and strong to make efforts to overcome all difficulties, maintain and promote production, develop both domestic and export markets, significantly contributing to the overall achievements of the country. 

According to the Prime Minister, Vietnamese businesses in general and enterprises winning National Brands in particular have not only demonstrated excellence in production and business tasks, economic development and creating jobs for millions of workers, but also upheld the spirit of social responsibility as joining hands with the whole country to prevent and fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and support people to overcome the consequences of storms and floods and many other noble activities and gestures, among many other noble activities and gestures. These activities have shown humanistic values, corporate culture and ethics, contributing to enhancing the image and reputation of Vietnam in the international arena. 

DNP and each enterprise achieving National Brands need to be aware that they are important factors participating in promoting the country’s economic development, and are "ambassadors" bringing the image of the country with prestigious and high-quality products and services reaching out to the world, thereby contributing to firmly consolidating the country's position and reputation in the international arena.

Published: December 31, 2023
Production manager: NGOC THANH – VIET ANH
Content: LE TRAN LONG – KHANH GIANG
Translation: NDO
Design: SONG THU