•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
On the morning of April 16 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) held the opening ceremony of the Vietnam National Brand Week 2026 and the National Brand Forum, themed “Vietnam’s National Brand in the New Era.” Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan, Vice Chairman of the National Brand Council of Vietnam, attended the event.
The forum took place as 2026 is identified as a pivotal year for implementing the 2026–2030 socioeconomic development plan, with an increasing need to shift to a growth model driven by productivity, quality, and self-reliance.
Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan said national branding should no longer be viewed only as an image-promotion or traditional trade-promotion effort. Instead, it should be treated as a strategic asset that reflects overall competitiveness and Vietnam’s credibility within global value chains.
He emphasized that building a national brand in the new era is not only about strengthening the “Made in Vietnam” image of products, but also about enhancing national prestige and soft power internationally.
Deputy Director of MOIT’s Trade Promotion Agency, Mr. Hoang Minh Chien, said that after more than 20 years of implementation, the National Brand Program has produced results in both scale and stature.
He noted that in 2003, the program had 30 participating enterprises, while by 2026 the number of enterprises recognized reached 190—reflecting the maturation of Vietnam’s business community.
Mr. Chien also pointed to Vietnam’s growing presence on the global brand map, citing examples including banks such as Vietcombank, BIDV, and VietinBank in the Top 500 most valuable bank brands globally; Vinamilk among the Top 50 dairy brands; and Viettel as a leading telecom enterprise in Southeast Asia.
While acknowledging positive outcomes, Deputy Minister Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan said new stringent standards are being applied for the green economy, digital economy, and social responsibility. He stressed the need for Vietnam to move beyond a low value-added outsourcing position toward mastering technology and branding.
He said the national brand going forward should be built on quality, innovation, sustainable development, and Vietnam’s cultural identity, aligned with the new criteria recently issued by MOIT for the Program.
To make national branding a key driver of national competitiveness, the Deputy Minister proposed several priority directions:
MOIT, he said, will continue to accompany enterprises in building, developing, and elevating Vietnam’s brand.
The event also highlighted the next phase of international expansion. Under the Go Global program for 2026–2030, issued by Decision 626/QD-TTg, targets include training 10,000 enterprise participants, assisting 1,000 enterprises to internationalize, supporting 100 enterprises to invest abroad, and integrating more deeply into global value chains.
Based on the context and new requirements, Mr. Hoang Minh Chien proposed a National Brand Strategy for Vietnam through 2035 with a vision for 2045, structured in three stages.
This phase is described as the “foundation—fundamental transformation” period, focusing on refining National Brand criteria toward greater substance. Targets include aiming for 1,000 products to earn National Brand status, expanding digital storefronts on global platforms, and organizing large-scale online promotional activities.
The 2030–2035 phase will focus on building a cadre of strong-branded enterprises at regional and international levels, targeting 5–10 Vietnamese brands in the Global Top 500 and raising National Brand value to the Global Top 25.
Looking toward 2045, Vietnam’s National Brand is expected to reflect a modern, innovative, and responsible economy, with Vietnamese products exporting not only trade flows but also value, design thinking, and sustainable development standards, alongside governance models.
He added that from 2027–2030, emphasis will be placed on sector-specific branding and promoting high value-added products, with intensified digitalization of promotional activities. After 2030, the focus will shift to elevating and affirming Vietnam’s brand on the international stage.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
