Local culture and digital transformation lead the brand "actorate"
The shift of brand power from the West to Asia is happening faster than many global consulting organizations predicted. Brand Finance's latest ASEAN 500 report recorded the significant growth of many financial and banking corporations in Eastern countries such as China, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam... thanks to the combination of digital transformation, the attractiveness of cultural identity and expanding operations to the region.
According to Brand Finance, indigenous cultural identity is becoming an important factor helping Asian brands make a difference in competition. Some large enterprises in the region have exploited this trend in many different ways. Samsung emphasizes the spirit of innovation in Korea; DBS pursues the "Asian service" philosophy guided by East Asian culture and hospitality. While many large banks such as ICBC or Bank of China in China maintain their advantage thanks to a service ecosystem developed based on the understanding of indigenous culture and consumption habits of local customers - a factor that is considered to help shorten the gap with the world's leading banking group.
In that general picture, Techcombank - a typical brand of the Vietnamese banking industry has regularly appeared at large and prestigious forums in the region, most recently the Brand Finance Asia Brand Gala 2025 held in early November, showing the increasingly large influence of Vietnamese enterprises in the Asian region. This is also a sign that Vietnamese brands are gradually being recognized in playgrounds where previously only Singaporean, Malaysian, Thai and Japanese enterprises had the advantage. Moreover, the sharing of Techcombank representatives on the trend of exploiting "cultural DNA - cultural identity" to create interesting brand experiences has reflected the new context, where Vietnamese enterprises are increasingly taking advantage of rich cultural values to build and develop brand values.
According to Brand Finance, Techcombank's brand value in 2025 has surpassed 1.6 billion USD and increased 7 places in the ASEAN 500 ranking after only one year, from 49th to 42nd place. This is also one of the five most valuable Vietnamese brands in the rankings. Techcombank continues to maintain its leading position in the Vietnamese banking industry in terms of brand Strength Index (BSI) reaching 83.7 points - in the "very strong" group according to Brand Finance standards. The " BEI Brand Health Index (according to NielsenIQ) also recognizes Techcombank as the leader.
These indicators reflect the level of customer engagement, an important factor helping the brand maintain resilience in an increasingly fierce competitive environment.
Vietnamese brands enter a new era: breaking through thanks to cultural identity and technological power
Techcombank's brand positioning strategy goes hand in hand with the time when Vietnam is pushing forward the goal of raising the national brand ranking in the international arena. As Asian banks especially South Korea, Singapore and China are bridging the gap with global leaders in technology, data and identity, Vietnamese banks are also starting to pursue similar trends at a faster pace than before.
According to brand experts, sustainable brand value comes not only from financial indicators but also from the ability to create experiences, connect customer emotions and spread corporate cultural identity associated with indigenous culture. In that approach, Techcombank has been building a brand story based on values considered typical of Vietnamese people: confidence, perseverance, progress and aspiration to rise up. It is noteworthy that the bank strives to put these values into practical experience through long-term activities, not stopping at a single communication message.
Take the Techcombank International Marathons - an annual sporting event that attracts tens of thousands of people each year, one of the largest running races in Vietnam as an example. From a strategic perspective, this is not just a sponsorship activity, but has become a "branded asset" reflecting the spirit of self-respect - in line with Techcombank's brand promise - what many experts call "cultural embodiment".
Similarly, Techcombank's "My Own Greatness" campaign is highly appreciated by marketers when shifting the focus from brand to user, encouraging each individual to find a better version of themselves. Thanks to that, the brand promise "Be Greater - Be better every day" is concretized through experience instead of just appearing in advertisements. The application of AI to create music based on each customer's story and deploy personalized videos for athletes at marathons shows that this brand is experimenting with new forms of connection to strengthen the image associated with the modern, dynamic lifestyle of young Vietnamese people.
With a vision to 2030, Vietnam's national brand strategy is also focusing on encouraging businesses to invest long-term in sustainability, innovation and cultural identity, while aiming to elevate Vietnam's image on the regional economic map. As Vietnam continues to improve the value and competitiveness of national brands, the presence of Vietnamese enterprises at regional forums such as Brand Finance shows the proactiveness of the private sector in the process of increasingly deep integration. In that trend, Techcombank and many other businesses are contributing to the overall picture of Vietnamese brands: shifting from a follow-up role to gradually positioning themselves in a globally competitive environment.
