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Although the value of Vietnam’s national brand has advanced rapidly in global rankings, gaps remain inside enterprises in areas such as mindset, governance capabilities, and sustainable linkages.
According to Brand Finance, the period 2020–2025 saw a strong rise in the value of Vietnam’s national brand. By 2025, the value had reached nearly $520 billion, placing Vietnam at 32nd among 193 countries, with 63% growth.
Despite the overall improvement, the latest figures show vulnerabilities. In 2025, the value of the Top 10 brands declined by about 14%, equivalent to $38.4 billion. The drop is being viewed as a warning that the domestic “backbone” of Vietnam’s business community is not uniform, and that “giant trees” capable of competing globally remain limited.
At the panel “Brand Value: From corporate capacity to national strength,” Ms. Ta Hoang Lan, Deputy Head of the Department for Developing Capabilities to Promote Trade at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said Vietnam is increasing in quantity but not truly strengthening in “quality.”
Brand expert Le Tien Manh highlighted that Vietnamese enterprises often lag in the fundamentals needed to compete globally, including professional human resources, ideas, and comprehensive brand governance. He noted that for multi-sector enterprises with many product lines or sub-brands, brand governance becomes even more complex.
“The major limitation of Vietnamese enterprises is the shortage of professional human resources, lack of ideas and creative capacity, while these are core elements to build sustainable brands,” Mr. Manh emphasized.
To help Vietnamese brands move further, Ms. Ta Hoang Lan said the Ministry of Industry and Trade aims to shift from simply identifying origin to telling a “Vietnamese story” embedded in every product. Each item should not only be a material good, but also carry cultural refinement, regional identity, and high levels of innovation.
In the digital era, the development strategy will focus on comprehensive digitization, expanding presence on digital platforms, and optimizing brand identity online. It also includes promoting e-commerce, pushing Vietnamese goods deeper into cross-border e-commerce platforms, standardizing green values, and supporting enterprises in meeting stringent sustainability standards in international markets.
From the business perspective, Mr. Phan Van Tam, Deputy General Director of Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company, said the national brand title functions as a seal of credibility and quality, creating a distinct competitive advantage.
Mr. Tam urged authorities to strengthen communication so consumers—especially in rural areas—understand and trust the value of the title.
Mr. Tran Dinh Tai, Deputy General Director of Hoa Sen Group, emphasized the importance of a “state-backed ecosystem.” He said maximizing strength requires close linkage among three pillars: Enterprise, State, and Promotion Organization.
“When enterprises go on the same path together, leveraging the power of synergy, the Vietnamese brand will have a clearer and more pronounced position on the global map of the economy,” Tai affirmed.
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