Lenders slip in brand health rankings

April 14, 2026 | 16:24

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While leading banks in Vietnam have largely maintained their positions, most have recorded declines in overall brand scores, reflecting rising customer expectations and a narrowing gap in differentiation across the industry.

Mibrand Vietnam on April 14 released the Vietnam Banking Brand Health Report 2025, marking the eighth consecutive year the study has been published using its proprietary Brand Beat Score index.

The report paints a notable picture of the sector: while leading banks have retained their positions, many recorded declines in overall branding, reflecting increased expectations and narrowing differentiation.

In the 2025 rankings, Vietcombank retained the top position for a fourth consecutive year, underlining its strong brand foundation and high level of market trust. MB Bank climbed to second place, highlighting the effectiveness of its technology-driven and digital experience strategy. BIDV, Techcombank, and VietinBank rounded out the top five.

Further down, TPBank moved up from ninth to sixth, while Sacombank and ACB stayed within the top 10.

Compared with 2024, several banks saw notable ranking declines: Techcombank dropped two places, ACB fell from sixth to eighth, and VPBank slipped from eighth to ninth. More broadly, brand health scores across the sector were significantly lower than in the previous year. Vietcombank scored 35 points (down from 42), while BIDV posted 33 points (from 36).

The findings suggest that brand strength is no longer primarily driven by awareness or scale, but increasingly by the ability to translate technology into tangible customer experiences and clearly perceived value.

Brand Image Index

One of the most striking shifts in the 2025 report comes from the Brand Image index. VIB surged from outside the top 10 in 2024 to lead the industry in 2025, with a 32 per cent vote share, indicating a stronger imprint in customers’ minds. VPBank also recorded sharp growth, rising from 10th place with 9 per cent in 2024 to the top 4, with 26 per cent.

After being absent from the top 10 last year, HDBank returned to seventh place, reflecting the impact of more consistent and recognisable brand-building efforts.

In terms of brand awareness and consideration, Agribank stood out by reaching third in awareness and second in consideration, while also re-entering the overall top 10.

For the Brand Love Index, TPBank delivered one of the most notable performances. From being unranked in 2024, it jumped into the top 5 in 2025, rising nine places.

Brand Love Index

Outside the top 10, OCB maintained solid momentum, with a score of 17.6, placing it among the top 15 strongest banking brands in Vietnam. The bank held stable positions across key metrics, including familiarity, value for money, perceived quality, brand love, recommendation, and willingness to pay premium. Notably, OCB climbed five places in brand love.

Among the leading banks, the report also highlighted distinct brand strengths. Vietcombank continued to perform strongly across multiple indicators, from top-of-mind awareness to perceived quality and brand affinity. MB gained traction through its digitalisation strategy and diversified ecosystem, leading among primary banking users. BIDV, meanwhile, was recognised as having the most effective communications in 2025, with 76.8 per cent of customers expressing positive impressions of its advertising.

The Vietnam Banking Brand Health Report research is carried out independently, with no external interference, based on more than 2,000 consumer interviews across the country and historical data accumulated since 2017. The report evaluates brand health across the full customer journey, from initial touchpoints and awareness to usage experience and long-term engagement.