The Challenge

The Vietnam Forum, entitled "The Moment," was created as a unique platform for mutual understanding and engagement among Vietnamese people both within the country and abroad. The challenge was to foster a space that not only celebrates the diversity of Vietnamese individuals but also addresses critical themes that shape Vietnam's future. The Forum sought to stimulate conversations around culture, connectivity, and creativity, while addressing the pressing issues surrounding Vietnam’s nation brand and the country's development toward 2045.

The event aimed to bring together intellectuals, experts, economists, entrepreneurs, cultural and social activists, and youth to contribute their thoughts and opinions. However, to achieve this goal, the forum had to navigate several key challenges:

1. Building a Cohesive Narrative Around a Complex Nation Brand: Vietnam is a country with a rich history and a dynamic, evolving identity. However, articulating and shaping a cohesive narrative around Vietnam’s nation brand, particularly in the context of its identity and global presence, posed a significant challenge. The forum needed to create a space where Vietnamese people could express their thoughts and perspectives on their nation’s brand and identity in an inclusive and meaningful way.
2. Engaging a Global and Local Audience: Vietnam is home to a diverse population, and many of its citizens live abroad. The forum had to find ways to connect these communities—ensuring that both local and international Vietnamese audiences could engage with the content and discussions.
3. Tackling Broad and Complex Themes: The Forum tackled two major issue clusters—Vietnam’s nation brand and its development towards 2045. The discussions needed to focus on various topics, including technology, agriculture, human resources, and culture, while keeping them accessible and relevant to all participants.
4. Amplifying Voices Across Multiple Platforms: To maximize impact, the event needed to not only provide meaningful on-site engagement but also ensure a strong online presence, allowing those who couldn’t attend in person to participate and benefit from the discussions. This required a robust digital strategy to ensure the Forum’s themes resonated across media channels and reached a global audience.

The Solution

Dentsu Redder, a day-one organizing partner of the Forum, played a pivotal role in developing a strategy that addressed these challenges. As the strategic consulting and creative development partner, Dentsu Redder was tasked with shaping the forum’s content, organizing communication production, and managing sponsor engagement. Together with the forum’s leadership, including Mrs. Ton Nu Thi Ninh, President of the HCMC Peace and Development Foundation, Dentsu Redder crafted a compelling, multidimensional event that brought the themes of culture, connectivity, and creativity to life.

The key aspects of the solution included:

1. Strategy Consulting: Dentsu Redder worked closely with the Forum’s leadership team to define the overall strategy and ensure that the themes of the Forum were interwoven with Vietnam’s long-term national goals. This included emphasizing Vietnam's development toward 2045, with a focus on technology, agriculture, human resources, and culture. The strategy also incorporated an empirical survey on the Vietnam Nation Brand and Vietnamese identity, providing valuable insights into the evolving sense of identity and belonging among Vietnamese people.
2. Creative Development: Dentsu Redder was instrumental in developing the creative concept for the event. From keynote speeches and fireside chats to storytelling sessions, the Forum was designed to offer a stimulating mix of activities that encouraged deep thought and open discussion. One of the highlights was the presentation of a mosaic showcasing 30 outstanding Vietnamese talents from both within Vietnam and abroad, which served as a symbol of the vibrancy and achievements of the Vietnamese community.
3. Communications Production: Dentsu Redder’s communications strategy was built around the need to engage a global audience. This involved creating tailored content for both in-person attendees and online participants. The digital strategy extended the reach of the Forum, offering live streaming of key sessions and promoting the event through various social media channels, thus allowing for over 57,000 online views throughout the Forum.
4. Sponsor Engagement: Engaging sponsors and partners was crucial to the Forum’s success. Dentsu Redder worked closely with 36 sponsors and partners to ensure that their contributions were not only visible but also aligned with the overarching themes of the event. This included collaborating on sponsorship activations that added value to the Forum, both in terms of content and reach.

The Results

The Vietnam Forum – The Moment, was an unprecedented success, delivering impressive results that far exceeded expectations.

1. Engagement and Participation: The Forum saw a total of 82 speakers, spanning across 21 panels, discussing issues central to Vietnam’s nation brand and its development towards 2045. These discussions sparked engagement across multiple levels, with more than 2,000 attendees participating in person and another 2,000 interactions taking place online. The event’s reach extended far beyond the walls of the Forum, with over 57,000 views online.
2. Media Coverage and Publicity: The Forum garnered extensive media attention, with over 50 media outlets covering the event. This widespread coverage helped to amplify the Forum’s message and further establish the importance of shaping Vietnam’s nation brand in a global context.
3. Social Media Impact: One of the Forum’s standout moments was the release of the music video "Rực rỡ Việt Nam" (Radiant Vietnam), which accumulated over 300,000 views. The song captured the energy and spirit of the Forum, resonating with Vietnamese people around the world and further spreading the message of national pride and unity.
4. Sponsor and Partner Involvement: The Forum successfully attracted 36 sponsors and partners who played an integral role in the event’s execution. Their support helped to ensure the smooth running of the event while also contributing to the high level of engagement among participants.