Forum highlights need to increase competitiveness of national brands

A forum on Vietnamese national branding was held by the Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency (VTPA) under the Ministry of Industry and Trade in Hanoi on April 20.

At the forum (Photo: VNA)
At the forum (Photo: VNA)

Themed “Branding with Integration and Sustainable Development of Export” it aims to discuss the branding trend and benefits of brand development in foreign markets, as well as ways to promote exports in a sustainable manner before the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) come into force.

According to VTPA Director Vu Ba Phu, it is also an opportunity for businesses to propose measures to the state agencies to develop their brand in association with import and export activities.

At present, the competitive brand strategy is being undertaken forcefully and extensively, not only at the enterprise level but also at the local and national levels, he said, adding that more than 80 countries are implementing national branding programmes to develop their brands in foreign markets.

According to several experts at the forum, Vietnam has signed a number of free trade agreements, particularly the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which means that opportunities are coupled with challenges.

If there aren’t any specific measures to build and promote national brands, enterprises, over 90% of which are small and medium-sized, cannot take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by the trade agreements.

Businesses should immediately foster brand promotion, while the National Branding Programme should be expanded to not only big companies but also small and medium-sized enterprises in order to help them intensify their exports.