Gap in bank brand health scores narrows as leading banks lose ground to peers

The gap in brand health scores among Vietnamese banks narrowed significantly in the latest rankings, highlighting intensifying competition to maintain and improve brand health across the financial sector.

The 2025 Vietnam Bank Brand Health Rankings, released by Mibrand Vietnam, indicate that the distance between the leading banks and the chasing brands has tightened, reflecting growing competitive pressure to sustain brand performance.

Cause: scale advantages remain, but service depth is gaining points

According to Mr. Lai Tien Manh, a representative of Mibrand Vietnam, state-owned banking groups such as Vietcombank and BIDV continue to hold an absolute scale advantage. However, private commercial banks are earning points through deeper service delivery.

Across all banks, the key factor shaping customer trust remains the ability to ensure security and safety in transactions.

Development: shifts in the top group and return to the Top 10

In the 2025 rankings, the state-owned banking bloc continues to show brand strength, while private banks demonstrate faster improvements in customer experience and brand image.

Vietcombank remains at the top of the Top 10 banks with the strongest brand health, recording a Brand Beat Score (BBS) of 35 points for four consecutive years.

In the top group, MB and Techcombank swapped positions. MB rose from 4th in 2024 to 2nd in 2025, while Techcombank fell from 2nd to 4th.

The change reflects stronger competition among leading banks and the impact of MB’s push into digitalization and improved customer experience.

Agribank also returned to the Top 10 after a two-year absence, signaling efforts to restore its brand image in a fast-evolving, digitized banking landscape.

Data and component indices: volatility in brand association and image

On the component indices, the 2025 Brand Association & Image index showed notable volatility, consistent with banks increasing investment in brand experience and emotional connections with customers.

From outside the Top 10 in 2024, VIB surged in 2025 to become the industry leader in the Brand Association & Image index, climbing 10 places (+32 points).

Growth drivers cited include a strategy that blends financial services with entertainment. VIB served as Diamond Sponsor for the Anh Trai Say Hi program, helping broaden brand exposure. In parallel, integrating the digital ecosystem—such as offering concert tickets for customers opening Digi accounts via the MyVIB app—helped reinforce the message “Leading the card trend,” positioning the bank as modern and creative and targeting youth.

VPBank also posted strong growth, rising from 10th place in 2024 to 4th in 2025, up 6 places (+17 points). The turning point was linked to investments in the Flagship Branch model, described as an integrated financial experience space combining technology and art, first launched in Vietnam.

HDBank, absent in 2024, climbed into the Top 7, up 4 places in 2025. The result was attributed to the effectiveness of sustainable development strategies and refreshed brand communications, including recognition as a national brand “Bank of the Year for Green Banking” and “Bank with outstanding Marketing & Branding activities in 2025” by Asian Banking & Finance.

Impact: willingness to pay shifts amid faster competition

On the Willingness to Pay index, Sacombank fell for the first time from 1st in 2024 to 8th in 2025. The decline was attributed primarily to intensified competition, as rivals accelerate experience and innovation, rather than solely to service quality.

TPBank moved up from 12th to 7th, supported by a strategy centered on the digital banking ecosystem.

Agribank also rose 4 places to Top 9 on the Willingness to Pay index, signaling a shift from a more traditional image toward a digitized banking positioning.

Analysis: brand affinity depends on emotional connection and distinct experiences

On the Brand Affinity index, the results show clear differentiation across banks, with the report indicating that emotional connections and distinctive experiences are essential for winning customer loyalty.

TPBank surged to the Top 5, up 9 places in Brand Affinity, driven by a consistent strategy focusing on lifestyle banking and high-net-worth segments. The bank elevated Premier Banking with high personalization to create a sense of exclusivity for affluent and mass affluent customers.

Methodology: survey period, sample, and measurement framework

The 2025 Brand Health report was conducted from 10 November to 15 December 2025. Feedback was collected from consumers aged 18 and above, with an even distribution across the North, Central, and South regions. The survey focused on major cities including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and comprised 50 questions.

The report is based on the Brand Beat Score (BBS), an exclusive Brand Health measurement tool developed by Mibrand. The tool is described as clarifying the close relationship between brand health and brand value.