In Vietnam, many business leaders proudly declare: “we already know branding” about brand strategy. But often, what they really mean is “we have a logo and a Facebook page”. That is not branding. True brand strategy runs much deeper. It defines why you exist, how you are different, and how you consistently deliver that truth.

As Wally Olins noted, brands used to be “symbols of product consistency” on packaging. Today, they must represent “authenticity, relevance, and differentiation” across entire organizations. In Vietnam’s fast-moving market, reducing branding to a design exercise is not only misleading but dangerous.

>>> Read to know more about the Wally Olins’ statement!

Branding Strategy Today Is Disruptive by Nature

Modern brand identity and strategy is inherently disruptive. As Disruptive Branding highlights, “all points converge: digital into physical, consumer into producer, global into local.” Brands can no longer rely on old playbooks. They must adapt or risk irrelevance.

Take McDonald’s. Once the icon of standardization, today it adapts menus to local markets — vegetarian Maharaja Macs in India, avocado burgers in Chile — while staying unmistakably McDonald’s. Amazon follows a similar model, bringing global scale but tailoring services to local needs, like building offline kiosks in India for low-bandwidth users.

The lesson: successful brand launch strategies reconcile contradictions. They balance global consistency with local relevance, digital with physical, innovation with tradition. In Vietnam, where global rivals and savvy consumers collide, brands that do not embrace this mindset risk being left behind.

What Many Vietnamese Brands Get Wrong

Despite the opportunity, too many Vietnamese companies treat branding as a shortcut. Common mistakes include:

• Confusing branding with marketing. Flash sales or social posts are tactics, not strategy.
  
• Thinking short-term. Chasing quarterly sales erodes long-term reputation.
  
• Focusing only on surface-level design. A new logo without strategy creates a shallow impact.
  
• Skipping the “why.” Without a clear purpose, campaigns feel transactional.
  
• Ignoring internal culture. If employees do not live the brand, it feels fake externally.

The result? Brands with no strong narrative, generic campaigns, and low loyalty. Vietnamese businesses often invest in cosmetic updates instead of long-term brand relaunch strategies that could build lasting equity.

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[mg.limited]’s Approach: Going the Extra Mile

At [mg.limited], we reject the “quick fix” mindset. Our motto, Go the Extra Mile, means starting every project with a strategy-first approach to brand building.

• Ask the big questions. We run workshops to uncover the brand idea — the authentic, relevant, differentiating core of a business. This becomes the North Star for all branding.
  
• Define brand values and personality. We translate the strategy into values and tone, giving the brand a consistent character that customers recognize and trust.
  
• Bring strategy to life in design. Logos, colors, and communications are aligned to strategy, not generic templates. This ensures brand identity is unique and memorable.
  
• Think long-term. Branding does not stop after launch. We phase rollouts, measure impact, and adjust over time to ensure sustainable growth.
  
• Engage employees. Internal culture is branding too. We help align teams so the brand promise is lived daily, not just advertised.

This approach blends brand content strategy, identity design, and long-term execution. It is how brands achieve loyalty, not just likes.

Consistency and Local Relevance: The Winning Formula

Global leaders show that long-term branding succeeds when consistency meets cultural nuance.

• McDonald’s. Global brand symbols (arches, service) stay consistent, while products adapt to local tastes.
• Amazon. Leverages global infrastructure but builds local trust by tailoring services to market realities.

For Vietnamese businesses, the takeaway is simple: consistency builds recognition, while local adaptation builds relevance. Together, they form the foundation of resilient brand strategy.

Techcombank: Vietnam’s Strategic Branding Success

Among local brands, Techcombank is a standout. It topped NielsenIQ’s Brand Equity Index as the leading banking brand in Vietnam — proof of long-term strategy, not luck.

What did Techcombank do right? The bank launched its “My Own Greatness” (Be Greater) campaign, targeting the Vietnamese dream of success and financial independence. This was a multi-year effort, not a one-off ad, combining digital innovation, creative content, and real-world engagement. 

For example, Techcombank used Vietnam’s first AI-powered “song generator” to let customers create personalized theme songs celebrating their goals. More than 40,000 unique songs were made and shared on social media. The bank even partnered with V-pop star Soobin Hoàng Sơn to produce a hit song that resonated with local audiences.

But Techcombank did not stop online. Events like the “Run for a Greater Vietnam” marathon connected the brand with national pride and community spirit. This holistic brand launch and relaunch strategy shows how consistency, creativity, and cultural resonance build true loyalty.

Final Takeaway: Branding Is Leadership, Not Decoration

At the end of the day, branding is not a magic trick. It is about leadership and culture as much as marketing. A brand cannot thrive on slogans and logos alone. It must be lived by everyone in the organization. As Disruptive Branding notes, “everything brand-related begins inside your company.”

For Vietnamese companies, the path is clear:

• Stop saying “we already know branding.”
• Invest in brand strategy that defines your “why.”
• Commit to long-term growth, not quick campaigns.
• Partner with a branding agency that prioritizes brand identity and strategy, execution, and continuous evolution.

Because strong brands are not built overnight. They are built by asking tough questions, staying consistent, and going the extra mile.