This year remarks the fifth year of the campaign in Vietnam and the 22nd year it is launched out of Taiwan border since 1992.
During the last five years, Taiwan Excellence, with its highest priority of presenting excellent lifestyles to Vietnamese consumers, has seen incredibly positive responses.
According to statistics, the number of Taiwan Excellence award-winning brands introduced to the Vietnamese market has been on a gradual rise in the last five years, from 17 ICT award-winning representatives in 2010, 26 in 2011, 30 in 2012, 41 in 2013 to 45 this year with a continuingly widened range of products.
This represents a highly positive reception of Vietnamese consumers to Taiwan brands in the time of booming international brands.
45 award-winning brands celebrated the Taiwan Excellence fifth year in Vietnam
This year marks the fifth anniversary of Taiwan Excellence in Vietnam. To celebrate this significant milestone, “Taiwan Excellence – Excellent Lifestyles” was held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City during July and August, attracting thousands of local visitors to explore and experience Taiwan's diverse ranges of advanced and innovative products.
Besides, Taiwan Excellence Pavilion at Vietnam Expo 2014 and VietnamPlas 2014 attracted up to 30,000 visitors, offered Vietnamese and overseas enterprises an opportunity to experience the latest innovations in different fields, exchange ideas and build networks.
Known as a powerhouse in technological products, ICT has remained a key sector of Taiwan Excellence with various leading names such as HTC, Acer, Transcend, Silicon Power, MSI, and ADATA.
Taiwan is also recognised for their unique and reliable home appliances. In the field of household water systems and bathroom solutions, Caesar, ALYA, Cashido and Chanson Water join Taiwan Excellence 2014 with their varied ranges of products, focusing on filtration systems.
Others include smart tapes that can stick photos, business cards, menus, or any other lightweight objects on metal cabinets, refrigerators, lockers, display boards and even non-magnetic surfaces like glass and wood.
The recent years have also seen the advent of Taiwan automobile and bicycling industries. Representing the automobile industry of Taiwan this year is KYMCO, a familiar scooter brand name to many Vietnamese.
Representing the bicycling industry, Strida and Tern come to Vietnam this year with their unique and widely acclaimed folding bikes.
Reinforcing the Vietnam - Taiwan relationship
Taiwan and Vietnam have always been strategic trading partners.
According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, Taiwan is one of Vietnam’s largest sources of foreign direct investment (FDI) with over $28 billion invested in 2013.
Until the end of October 2014, the bilateral trade between Vietnam and Taiwan has been constantly increasing averagely 16 per cent per month compared to 2013.
Taiwan has remained its fifth position among Vietnam’s major trade partners, following mainland China, the US, South Korea and Japan.
Apart from branding activities, 2014 also witnessed Taiwan Excellence Cares in five Asian markets, including Vietnam. Not only did this campaign kindle the passion of Vietnamese consumers for Taiwan Excellence brands, but it also delivered the meaningful message of cultivating a beautiful life.
Taiwan Excellence Cares Vietnam this year sponsored health and educational equipment for HIV-infected and disabled newborn children to support them in daily life.
The campaign aims to spread Taiwanese culture and highlight the enduring friendly and cooperative relation between Vietnam and Taiwan.
“Taiwan Excellence celebrates its fifth year in Vietnam; it is the hallmark of the relentless efforts to forge a strong relationship between Taiwan and Vietnam. The continuously increasing participation of brands is an indicator of how successful Taiwan Excellence has been,” said Huang Chih-Peng, representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Hanoi.
Increasing consumer awareness to Taiwan Brands
Under the organisation of Bureau of Foreign Trade MOEA and implementation of Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), Taiwan Excellence has showcased its concept with a strong group of innovative, valuable and reliable products from Taiwan through its own activities and key trade events.
As a result, Taiwan Excellence has contributed to the sustainable increase of consumer awareness for Taiwanese brands in Vietnam.
According to market study firm Nielsen, 91 per cent of Vietnamese interviewees recognised Taiwanese ICT, home living brands or products and more than 70 per cent of Vietnam consumers think Taiwan brands products are of high quality, good design with credible after-sale services.
In other words, 9 out of 10 Vietnamese consumers can easily recognise and recall top Taiwan brands; 7 out of 10 people trust Taiwan brands as their priority choices. Beside ICT products, Vietnamese consumers are also getting on well with top Taiwan brands in home & living and healthcare area.
What the stars mean:
★ Poor ★ ★ Promising ★★★ Good ★★★★ Very good ★★★★★ Exceptional