FIEs ready to join “National Branding” fest

“The government will include foreign invested enterprises (FIEs) in its National Branding Programme from 2013,” Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Tuan Anh told VIR at last week’s media briefing on results of the “National Branding Programme 2012”. The programme highlights domestic enterprises with national-recognised branded products.

FIEs are  “an important factor” of the Vietnamese economy, Anh explained. “FIEs’ joining this programme will help further promote made-in-Vietnam products’ brand names and FIEs’ prestige,” he said.

Anh said the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) would later promulgate detailed instructions on how FIEs could join this programme.  

This programme, having deployed since 2003 every two years, is the government’s first effort aimed at promoting the country’s image via products’ brand names. So far, only domestic enterprises have been allowed to participate.

This programme is symbolised by an eye-catching image of stylised cranes with spreading wings in shape of a flower, representing the country’s increasing development. This image is embraced by the words “Vietnam Value” to reflect the values of quality, renovation, creativity and pioneering.

The “National Branding Programme 2012” extolled the economic contributions of 54 large domestic enterprises operating in various sectors like steel, automobile, garment and footwear, telecommunications, ceramics, precious metal, pharmacy, financing and banking.

Featured enterprises included steel-maker Hoa Phat, automobile maker Truong Hai, garment producers Viettien, An Phuoc and May 10, pharmacy producers OPC and Traphaco, coffee maker Trung Nguyen and Vinacafe Bien Hoa, and the banks BIDV, Vietcombank and VietinBank.

Business profiles of all these enterprises have been strictly appraised under national standards with the help of international auditing firm KPMG.

“The more difficult the economy becomes, the more efforts we must promote Vietnam’s national brand names globally. This will help enterprises seek partners and then boost the economic growth,” Anh said.