Editor's note:

Fifty years after the country’s reunification, Ho Chi Minh City has transformed itself into the most dynamic economic center in the country. Here, the flow of innovation is constantly penetrating every field - from infrastructure, technology to the way people live, work and connect with the world.

However, rapid development also brings with it difficult-to-solve problems: population pressure, overloaded infrastructure, climate change, development gap between inner cities and suburbs...

In the context that the Party and State are implementing many major policies to create new positions and strengths for the country, Ho Chi Minh City - as a locomotive - also needs to quickly "solve" its own problems with a long-term, comprehensive and practical vision.

VietNamNet introduces the series of articles “HCMC: Removing bottlenecks to reach out in the future” . This is a collection of proposals and strategic advice from experts who have worked for many years in developed countries, have a global perspective but are always concerned about the future of the city. All share the same desire: HCMC will become a smart, livable city, in harmony with nature, with its own identity in the flow of globalization.

With over 25 years of experience in marketing and branding at multinational corporations, Ms. Tran Tue Tri is a seasoned expert in consumer and retail brand management. She has run global brands covering more than 40 countries.

She has lived and worked in the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore for 15 years. Her extensive international experience has given her a comprehensive view of the role of branding in promoting national economic development, especially the story of brand positioning for Ho Chi Minh City.

Ms. Tran Tue Tri believes that building the Ho Chi Minh City brand has a profound impact on the Vietnamese brand in the international arena, and vice versa. Photo: Hoang Ha

Need a harmonious 'music' for national and urban branding

According to Ms. Tran Tue Tri, a national brand or a city brand is not only a symbolic concept but also an essential tool in a country’s long-term development strategy. She believes that building a Ho Chi Minh City brand has a profound impact on Vietnam’s brand in the international arena, and vice versa.

Currently, both Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh City have brands to a certain extent. However, the important question is "What is that brand positioning?" The answer is not clear.

Ms. Tri gave an example: When mentioning the US, people will think of New York, Washington or Silicon Valley - where the "American dream" originated. Singapore is associated with the slogan "Where passion makes possible" - where passion becomes reality. Korea is famous for K-Pop.

"When talking about Vietnam or Ho Chi Minh City, what do people remember?" - Ms. Tri asked.

“We have pho, ao dai, beautiful beaches, rapid growth, and Resolution 57 orienting the country towards breakthroughs in science, technology, and digital transformation. All of these factors need to be distilled and crystallized into a clear, pervasive message to position the national and urban brand.”

Ms. Tran Tue Tri said that Ho Chi Minh City needs to clearly position its brand. Photo: NVCC

She emphasized: “Currently, we are doing branding scattered in many places, each ministry and sector has a part and a lot of quantity but there is no overall strategy for branding and focus on quality. It is time to have a strategy and an organization responsible for commanding so that the ‘brand music’ can be blended and resonate strongly.”

Lessons from Singapore and Thailand

Ms. Tri shared two examples of how neighboring countries successfully built their brands.

In Thailand, the Government initiated the “Every Family is a Soft Power” strategy, providing training for 20 million people - corresponding to 20 million households - to nurture creative capacity in the fields of entertainment, engineering and technology.

Singapore is another great example. When it set out to become a “smart city,” the government didn’t just let technology agencies do the work, it also made the knowledge available to the entire population. The SingPass story is a testament to this: senior citizens are taught how to use smartphones to access public services, ensuring that no one is left behind.

“We have VNeID, they have had SingPass for a long time,” said Ms. Tri. “And for a country to truly develop, it needs to focus on its people. This is similar to marketing, the principle of ‘customer-centricity’ is the foundation.”

Positioning 'HCMC - City of Breakthrough Opportunities'

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is using the slogan “Vibrant Ho Chi Minh City” in its tourism marketing programs. However, according to Ms. Tri, this is only a positioning in the tourism sector and not a comprehensive positioning for the city.

The Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts Global (AVSE Global), of which Ms. Tri is a member, proposed a new positioning: “HCMC - City of Breakthrough Opportunities”.

She explained: “This city, 300 years ago, was a place where immigrants came to reclaim land and find new opportunities. About 80% of the population of Ho Chi Minh City are immigrants. That shows that this place has long been a promised land.”

Ho Chi Minh City is a destination for people who "dare to think and dare to do". Photo: Nguyen Hue

“HCMC is a place that always tries out the newest things. As a latecomer, the city can learn, gain experience and ‘leap forward’,” Ms. Tri affirmed. “Like Singapore, which has a more modern subway system because it is behind cities like New York, Tokyo, and London.”

And once the brand positioning is in place, all policies and strategies - from economics, culture, tourism to technology - must revolve around that positioning, creating a harmonious and unified whole.

Need a compelling story to tell the world

According to the 2024 Global City Brands Index, both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are in the top 100 based on the criteria of awareness, prestige and influence. Hanoi ranked 82nd, while Ho Chi Minh City ranked 90th.

Ms. Tri said that this ranking reflects the low level of brand recognition of Ho Chi Minh City globally. Therefore, the city needs to proactively communicate to the outside world and “tell new stories, not just war stories.”

“HCMC was once known as Saigon. A city with two names is already a story. But we need more stories about creativity, innovation, and growth to portray a dynamic and developing HCMC.”

In addition, Ms. Tri emphasized the importance of cultural industry in building urban brand identity.

“Just like Korea has K-Pop, America has Hollywood, Japan has anime. Ho Chi Minh City can completely create its own mark if it knows how to promote creative culture.”

From successful examples such as Singapore (brand development based on tourism and economy, with a national brand strategy coordination agency) to Korea's "I Seoul You" campaign, Ms. Tri believes that Ho Chi Minh City needs to learn to have a methodical brand building strategy and a brand song that has global reach.

'Megacities' of the future and opportunities from expanding boundaries

Currently, Vietnam is promoting the streamlining of the administrative apparatus and merging provinces and cities. According to Ms. Tri, this is a great opportunity to create a Ho Chi Minh City - a "megacity" with more comprehensive economic potential and development.

The merger of provinces and cities opens up a great opportunity for Ho Chi Minh City to become a "megacity" that can compete with the region and the world. Photo: Hoang Ha

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City still has to bear relatively high transportation and supply costs in the region. The expansion will create conditions for the development of seaport infrastructure - a key factor in helping the city become a large-scale logistics center.

In addition, when expanding, Ho Chi Minh City can develop more types of sea tourism and resorts in addition to traditional activities such as dining, shopping, and experiencing. If expanding to neighboring industrial provinces, the city will have more strength to compete in the region.

“An expanded Ho Chi Minh City will not only be the economic center of the country but also a stronger brand in the region and the world,” Ms. Tran Tue Tri affirmed.

Ms. Tran Tue Tri is currently the co-founder and senior advisor of Vietnam Brand Purpose, and a member of the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts Global (AVSE Global).

She has held senior leadership positions in many large companies and multinational companies such as Unilever, Samsung, P&G, Pharmacity, etc. She is also the author of the book "Vietnamese Brand - Golden Moment".

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/chuyen-gia-marketing-tap-doan-da-quoc-gia-hien-ke-dinh-vi-thuong-hieu-cho-tphcm-2390244.html