Addressing the week opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai, who is also Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National Brand Council, cited a Brand Finance report as saying that the country’s nation brand value last year grew 21.6 percent from 2020 to 388 billion USD, sustaining the 33rd position in the global rankings.

Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai

This is a considerable stepping stone for Vietnamese businesses to improve their competitiveness in the world, he said, noting that with support from the Vietnam national brand programme, many enterprises have become aware of the importance of brands so as to increase products and businesses’ value.

The official pointed out the need to pay due attention to advertise Vietnamese goods and brands via trade centres owned by OVs so as to improve their competitiveness in international markets.

Echoing the view, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, Chairman of the State Committee for OV Affairs, highlighted the contributions by the 5.3 million Vietnamese people living abroad, especially the entrepreneurs working in over 100 countries and territories, to the promotion of trade, products, and brands of Vietnam.

He said with their knowledge, experience, and love for the homeland, OV entrepreneurs have surmounted numerous challenges to bring Vietnamese goods to their host countries. They have also helped domestic agencies and businesses to learn about laws and consumers’ taste in other countries.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu

In the time ahead, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will push ahead with economic diplomacy and coordinate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, localities, and agencies to boost the export of Vietnamese goods to the strongly recovering markets so as to capitalise on the growth trend in the global economy, according to Hieu.

At the national brand forum, participants discussed issues that attracted many companies’ attention, including the nation brand in relation to product and enterprise brands, international experience in nation brand building, how to raise the stature of Vietnamese brands amid the integration trend, and measures for helping firms overcome challenges.