GROWING SMARTPHONE OWNERSHIP IN VIETNAM OPENS DOOR FOR MOBILE MARKETERS

Vietnam is a very internet-connected country, and with the increasing penetration of smartphones there is a wealth of opportunity for mobile marketers, if they do it right.

One of the great things about living in this country is the ease of getting online, where ever you may be. Vietnam has the advantage of being a late-adopter when it comes to internet technology. Cheap hardware like wireless routers and very affordable internet access means pretty much every café or restaurant, if not home, is a connection point.

About 36% of the population have a smartphone, and this is obviously much higher in urban areas. According to research from DI Maketing, for nine out of ten smartphone users, the device is their sole means of accessing the internet. For 80% of of those users, visiting social networks was the primary activity.

What all this means is there is tremendous opportunity for brands to reach consumers through their mobile device. But with all the online noise, what kind of advertising stands out or engages Vietnamese consumers?

Omnicom Media and research firm Epinion’s report ‘The Four Cs of Mobile Advertising’ asked just these questions. The survey looked at, among other things, what kind of channels and content were most effective in the Vietnam market.

As already mentioned, social media, particularly facebook and Instagram, are extremely popular platforms in Vietnam. Given the survey also found 60% of people said they feel extremely uneasy without their smartphones and 44% couldn’t take their eyes off their phone even for an hour, that is a lot of time on social media.

When it comes to content though, Vietnam differed from it Southeast Asian neighbors. Content that is funny or useful (such as a makeup turorial or mapping feature) was most popular. And if it came in the form of a video, then all the better.