Canon launches biggest-ever Vietnam campaign following first-half massive sales growth

The move comes off the back of spectacular growth in the first half of 2014, with the company’s sales volumes increasing nearly 127 per cent on-year.

In particular, the company has seen massive sales increases across its DSLRs and lenses, with these ranges experiencing first-half growth of 271 per cent and 373 per cent respectively compared to 2013.

Taking advantage of this growing demand, and seeking to further reach out to customers, the company is launching a new integrated brand campaign entitled “Canon Speaks for You”, or “Canon Noi Thay Ban” in Vietnamese. This is the first time Canon has launched a brand campaign exclusive to Vietnam.

President and CEO of Canon Marketing Vietnam Nick Yoshida says “I am extremely proud, and thankful of the business growth we’ve achieved in this year so far, overcoming an increasingly competitive market and a nervous economy to have strengthened our position as the only provider of complete input-to-output imaging solutions.”

“Since commencing in this market, Canon has worked tirelessly to cultivate the photography culture in Vietnam. I feel confident in saying that our first half results are strongly indicative of these efforts—however, that does not mean that our work is done, or that we should rest on our laurels.

“Based on the results of the first half of this year, we are confident in continued excellent results for the remainder of 2014 and well into next year. Based on this, we are seeking to further connect with people with a brand new campaign designed specifically for the local market—a campaign which will continue to position us as the unrivalled provider of imaging solutions in Vietnam.

 “Canon Speaks for You” is totally unique to Vietnam, and is a fresh approach that does not just talk about the products, but also what benefits they bring to people’s lives.  The core focus of all marketing will now be the fantastic outcomes that the products provide to people’s lives, rather than the products themselves,” he shares.

The branding campaign uses a motif which is a combination of a viewfinder and a speech bubble, symbolising the way in which Canon “speaks for” its customers.

“At Canon, we believe our products impact people’s lives. The purpose of our products and service in this campaign is articulated as ‘speaks for you’. We understand technology is the means to an end, be that end the joy, success, satisfaction, or recognition of people. Canon and its devices enable them to achieve all these things,” adds Yoshida.

It will be the most comprehensive campaign ever undertaken by Canon Vietnam, and will encompass the entirety of Canon’s product range. The new direction will be incorporated into all of the company’s marketing activities, as well as its events and programs such as Help with Love, Canon Image Bridge, and Canon PhotoMarathon.

Furthermore, the company will be holding a series of special promotions over the course of the campaign, including “Back to School” and an end of year promotion, up until the 2015 Tet holidays.

According to Yoshida, the campaign is about connecting with consumers on a more personal level, rather than focusing on product specifications.

“At Canon, we never want to take it for granted that people will simply buy Canon because of our brand name, and this is why we have created ‘Canon Speaks for You’. We want our customers to know that they aren’t just investing in a name -  they are investing in outcomes that will actually improve their life,” Yoshida says.

2014 has already been a significant year in Canon Vietnam’s history, with the company launching a number of exciting new products. With this in mind, Yoshida says “Canon Speaks for You” has been specifically designed to reach a market that is rapidly maturing.

“The market in Vietnam has expanded in a relatively short period of time, partly as a result of a growing middle class and increased disposable incomes,” Yoshida says.

“Furthermore, the popularity of camera phones has ignited people’s interest in photography, and has for many served as a stepping stone towards higher quality, more specialised imaging products, to differentiate themselves from all other images which anyone can take”.

“It was this combination of factors that led us to propose a campaign unique to Vietnam—one that will speak to those who are just stepping in to the world of photography and digital imaging, as well as more seasoned professionals.

“Ultimately, our brand is nothing if we can’t stand behind the outcomes people achieve from our products, which is why we’re putting our money where our mouth is with this campaign.”

Canon Vietnam will launch “Canon Speaks for You” in September, and will run the campaign through until traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) 2015.

Canon is a global leader in photographic and digital imaging solutions. The parent company Canon Inc has a global network of close to 300 companies and employs close to 200,000 people worldwide.