The value of a national brand
There are very few people who know: Vietnam is the country with the fastest growth rate in national brands in the past 10 years, with a growth rate of national brand value of up to 102% in the period 2019-2023. By 2024, the Vietnamese national brand is valued at about 507 billion USD, climbing to 32nd place out of 193 countries assessed in the world.
What are the benefits of increasing national brands? In addition to promoting the culture and identity of the country, the biggest contribution is certainly... money.
In addition to economic and cultural efforts, it is coincident that after 2018, Vietnamese football has reached many memorable milestones: The U23 Vietnam team won the runner-up position for the first time at the 2018 U23 Asian Championship, creating an earthquake with impressive performances against top teams such as Qatar, Syria, Iraq and Uzbekistan. The Vietnamese Olympic team also achieved a top 4 finish at the 2018 ASIAD, contributing to enhancing the position of Vietnamese football in the Asian arena.
Most importantly, the Vietnam national team was crowned AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 champion after 10 years of waiting, marking the return of Vietnam as a major force in Southeast Asian football. On the FIFA rankings, we have reached the 92nd position, the highest in the history of football.
Mr. Hien - SHB President has made a great and comprehensive contribution to the success of Vietnamese football from 2018 to present, through strong and methodical investment in many aspects.
He is the owner of Hanoi FC and an investor of SHB Da Nang, which has trained many key stars of the national team such as Quang Hai, Do Duy Manh, Van Hau, Hung Dung, Nguyen Thanh Chung... These players have contributed significantly to historical achievements such as the 2018 U23 Asian Runner-up, the 2018 AFF Cup champion, the 2018 and 2021 SEA Games gold medal, as well as the 2024 ASEAN Cup championship.
The SHB President also demonstrated a strategic vision when he sponsored and awarded 2 billion VND to the Vietnamese team to win the 2024 ASEAN Cup and, together with SHB, sponsored the entire cost of renting a private plane to transport 600 fans to Thailand to cheer for the team, creating great spiritual motivation for the players on the away field.
His perseverance, focus on long-term development and outdated vision for Vietnamese football contribute to building a solid foundation for the national team to achieve the highest success in the past decade. And it indirectly contributes to the overall success of the national brand for Vietnam over the past decade.
An opportunity to tell a story
After the visit to Ha Long, Thailand coach Chayong Khumpiam could not hide his excitement: he said he was very shocked after entering the cave... Sung Lot. The islands in Ha Long Bay are also very different from Thailand, where the islands are often alone, not in a cluster - Mr. Khumpiam said.
In addition to the visit to Ha Long, let's look through the experiences of the teams participating in the Police and Police tournament of ASEAN countries in the 2025 Open:
- Their menus are all designed to suit the cuisine of each country and their habits.
- At the gala, the cultures of the participating countries were honored, through performances, in a tactful and harmonious way.
- The grand opening ceremony with a unique storytelling structure highlights the impressive culture and people of Vietnam.
After participating in the 2025 ASEAN Police and Police Open, in addition to playing football, all the international players, coaches and fans who know about the tournament have a part of understanding the identity, culture and people of Vietnam.
In his speech at the press conference to launch the tournament, Vice President of T&T Group Do Vinh Quang emphasized: Sports not only exercise health and spirit but also contribute to spreading national pride and the image of a peaceful, dynamic and hospitable Vietnam to international friends.
The theory of the National Branding Architecture Model shows that the national brand is not simply a single image or message, but includes many sub-brand elements associated with important fields such as: economy, tourism, culture, and especially sports.
These factors coordinate smoothly to create an overall national mark in the global mind.
Sports are considered a dynamic sub-brand, contributing to expanding the countrys core values to international markets thanks to their popularity, media appeal and ability to connect the global community.
Sports are also often the most effective "representative face" for the country to promote soft values, adding to industries such as tourism, education, and creative industry in the overall national brand strategy.
With the direction of the Ministry of Public Security and ministries, along with the active and proactive participation of private enterprises. In which the two main sponsors are SHB and T&T Group, the 2025 ASEAN Police and Police Awards event has once again told a good story about Vietnam, to design another deeper layer in the overall architecture of the national brand.
More than a tournament, and far beyond the sports borders, it is also an opportunity for us to promote the image, identity, and culture of our country.
