Top 3 New Ways Brands Can Connect With Vietnam This Tết 2022

We looked at how brands in Vietnam responded to the unexpected changes in customer behavior when COVID-19 hit last year. When Vietnam celebrated its first digital TT this year, we discovered new insights about consumer behavior on Search and YouTube. With the Year of the Tiger expected to be celebrated online in 2022, we look at how brands may better prepare themselves by using new ways to engage with people as Vietnam celebrates the Year of the Tiger together.

TT 2021 didn't have the same rowdy atmosphere as prior years. COVID-19 restrictions kept most people from home during one of Vietnam's most severe outbreak waves, resulting in a 39 percent decline in traffic to retail and leisure areas this year compared to Tết 2020.1

People in Vietnam were resilient and positive in the face of adversity. According to a recent survey performed in May 2021, 70% of individuals went online for innovative ways to celebrate the Christmas season at home. Search interest for "xem g hôme, nay" (what to watch today) climbed by 200 percent year over year2, and search interest for "countdown" (New Year's Eve) increased by 38 percent. 3 People began doing more holiday shopping online, resulting in a 20 to 25% rise in online sales revenue just before TT,2021 compared to the same period in 2020.

Despite the very fact that TT, 2022 may have equivalent or stricter limits than TT 2021, 64 percent of people say TT would still be fun4, and 95 percent of these polled want to ring within the New Year using one or more digital solutions. 5

How can brands rethink TT to interact with consumers as this treasured holiday turns into a more online experience? Let's check out how you'll change your marketing strategy in Vietnam to satisfy the stress of the digital age.

Make contact with folks while they are sitting on their couch.

Historically, broadcast variety shows have dominated TV screens during TT, leading to the perception that television is the best way to reach people during this time.

However, broadcast television is no longer the only source of entertainment in Vietnam. Connected TVs are becoming more popular, allowing consumers to stream YouTube in their living rooms.

By 2020, 92 percent of Connected TV owners were using their gadgets to view YouTube videos.

6 By May 2021, approximately 25 million Vietnamese people were watching YouTube on their televisions in their living rooms. 7 Notably, in Tt 2021, 48 percent of consumers spent more time with their families in front of connected TVs than in prior years. or by themselves.8

People listened to music, watched comedies, and watched Tt shows on YouTube during last year's Tet. When compared to non-TT periods, YouTube searches for live shows syndicated from televisions increased 12X,9, and music material reached a 54 percent peak watching level. 10 Plan your TT campaign to reach them on their Connected TV, with so many people watching YouTube.

Brands can capitalize on these shifts in customer behavior by distributing material that is popular during TT to viewers. Collaborate with content creators to gain a competitive share of voice and establish an exclusive relationship with people. YouTube creators to create engaging content that reaches millions of new viewers

Highlands Coffee, a Vietnamese coffee company, collaborated with Hunh Lp Official, a top YouTube channel with 3.2 million members, in TT 2020. Hunh, Lp created engaging TT variety show content, as well as exhibiting Highlands' coffee and tea products.

Brands can use YouTube on Connected TVs to reach millions of people in Vietnam during TT by covering the essentials. Include Connected TV in your marketing mix so that customers can see your brand while watching YouTube. Create dedicated campaigns that can track brand awareness, purchase intent, and lift online. Experiment with the results to improve performance.

Localize your content to appeal to a broad range of regional audiences.

During TT, the cultural and linguistic contrasts across regions of Vietnam appear in the search box.

Searches for "TT flowers" climbed by 25% year over year last year. 11 However, in the north, these searches were referred to as "Hoa ào," whereas in the south, they were referred to as "Hoa Mai." 12 People in different parts of Vietnam search for traditional folk music that is specific to their location, while search interest for "dân ca" (traditional music) generally increases during TT. For example, "dân ca Quan h" is used in the Red River Delta, whereas "dân ca x Ngh" is used on the north-central coast.

Here's what brands can take away from these search trends: for a culturally and linguistically varied market like Vietnam, there's no one-size-fits-all approach. As a result, in order to engage with audiences previously,  Use regional insights to localize creatives and messages for scale during and after Tt. Brands may distribute information that is relevant to viewers in certain geographies using tools like Reach Planner's Sub-location feature.

P&G's eight-week TV and YouTube campaign for its Pantene shampoo brand is a nice example. The company used the Sub-location function in Reach Planner to deliver its ads particularly to people living in these areas to boost brand growth in the rugged northern midland region. P&G was able to evaluate the added reach and lift in metrics for its target market by adding a Sub-location campaign to its national effort.

"For all global firms, winning in rural areas is critical. "YouTube boosted quality incremental reach and will continue to play a key part in P&G's branding initiatives in the future," said Tommy Nguyen, senior media manager at P&G Vietnam.

To increase online sales, use YouTube's Video Action Campaign.

E-commerce is also being used by Vietnamese consumers to satisfy TT customs of rejuvenating themselves, their houses, and gift-giving.

Tiki, an online shopping platform, reported a 50 percent increase in transaction volume year over year in January 2021. And, according to our research, 39% of individuals plan to make more online purchases in TT 2022. 13

YouTube, along with Search, is a significant touchpoint for product research, with 80 percent of customers transferring between the two platforms. 14 Brands may contact people who are looking for something to watch on YouTube and direct them to online retailers by employing Video Action Campaign (VAC) on YouTube.

This was L'Oréal's approach for increasing traffic to its Shopee shop, which the company utilizes to reach out to customers online. The cosmetics firm collaborated with Google to showcase its skincare products on YouTube, in addition to Shopee.

While watching videos on YouTube on skincare, customers saw VAC advertising from L'Oréal, Google, and Shopee. People observed promotional films and product listings mixed among other organic content on the YouTube Home feed. Consumers were driven to L'Oréal's Shopee store when they clicked on a product in the video action campaign.

At the same time, L'Oréal operated a Smart Shopping Campaign, which allowed it to re-target customers on Search, YouTube, and Display and bring them back to its online store. L'Oréal achieved a 2X return on ad investment with its two-pronged approach to engaging consumers.

YouTube Home feed ad for L'Oréal's Video Action Campaign

With TT 2022 going to be yet another digital event, brands may leverage the most up-to-date consumer analytics for this holiday season to plan ahead and reach out to people all around Vietnam as they ring in the new year. And here are three things you can do to make sure your marketing plan is ready for TT 2022: Include Connected TV in your media mix, employ Reach Planner's Sub-location tool, and have Shoppable YouTube formats.