On August 31, General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong published an important article titled "Prepare and conduct the 13th Party Congress well, bringing the country into a new stage of development." The article highlighted achievements and difficulties that Vietnam has overcome and the challenges ahead, as well as a consistent vision of the country's development goals.

In the article, the country’s top leader emphasized: “The driving force and resources for national development in the new period are to strongly stimulate patriotism, the will of national self-improvement, bringing into play the synergy of both the political system and the culture and people of Vietnam…” In other words, the trust and consensus of the entire people in the Government's decisions and actions is the key to development.

This has been proven throughout history, from the great defense wars, to the most recent war against the Covid-19 pandemic. So how can we promote and maintain the trust and consensus of the people in the actions and ways of the Government in all circumstances?

National brand - the leading flag for development

Consensus is only possible when the people see themselves, see their interests and roles in the activities of the Government. And one of the important decisions that has been implemented by many countries is to carry out a methodical strategy to build and promote a national brand.

Israel, for example, uses the National Brand as its development guide. Before 2007, Israel was mainly known as a nation of conflict and war. The tourism industry was heavily affected; domestic research institutes were very strong, but they could not attract expertise and cooperation from other countries (except for some traditional partners from the US).

The Branding Campaign helped them to radically change the look from the outside. Conflicts with Arab countries, although they always exist, have been largely overshadowed by the image of success of a Startup Nation.

They began to welcome foreign delegations who came to learn from experiences, and Tel Aviv became a cradle for start-ups and innovation, attracting investment and talent from around the world.

Israel's success is thanks to their success in turning its National Brand into a driving force and goal of every business and citizen. In the book Start-up Nation, Dan Senor suggested: Instead of focusing on introducing companies or individuals, each Israeli businessperson actively sought to "offer the whole economy" to investors and partners. And consensus turned every Israelite into a "brand ambassador" for their country.

The journey to make Singapore a transparent and prosperous country has always been a lesson for many countries. In order to gain the people’s support, right at the beginning of independence, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew set out the goal of making Singapore a prosperous country. Only when the economy and the quality of life improves will it lead to satisfaction and happiness for people and investors. The whole nation gave the government confidence and the freedom to gather resources for development goals.

In addition, symbolic actions, such as quick solutions and imposition of heavy sanctions on corrupt officials, have had great value, helping people and the international community to feel the commitment of the Singapore government in the policies they offered, thereby creating confidence with local residents, visitors and investors.

A strong national brand is like a magnet, creating a common goal for domestic businesses and people, helping them to align their brands and standardize their products according to their brands.

The trust and consensus of the people are activated when they see a political determination, a promise of a national image that the government wants in order to position their country. When the brand promise is built in consensus with the people, considering the people as the center of development, it will surely receive the highest response. The national brand will then become a leading flag for the development of the country.

Vietnam, therefore, should take advantage of the great strength of a methodical branding strategy to create a driving force for breakthrough in this important turning-point development period.

Vietnam Vision 2045 - A summons for a mighty and prosperous Vietnam

Looking at Vietnam's war against Covid-19, quick and drastic actions to protect the health of the people and the economy, have greatly improved people's confidence in the Government. In the international arena, the initial successes of this war have also contributed to promoting Vietnam's image and position, making Vietnam a stable and safe investment destination.

However, there is a reality that must be seen. According to a study by Dr. Luong Ha, Vietnamese people have a more pessimistic view of the country's brand image than foreigners. The current communication campaigns on the Vietnamese Brand are mainly focused on product and tourism promotions overseas, leaving behind the main audience, who directly contribute to building and enjoying directional values of brand.

Simon Anholt, the first to introduce the concept of a National Brand, compared a strong national brand to a magnet, which creates a common goal for domestic businesses and people, helping them look towards the brand and standardize its products and services according to the brand. In the international arena, the brand will help to break up misunderstandings and bad perceptions, and attract investors and organizations to help the country towards common goals.

In his article, Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong has a vision that by 2045, Vietnam will "become a developed country with high income". Here, people's lives are centered not only in terms of income but also in improving the quality of life and social security. To make the most of the strength of the entire nation, as well as international support, it is necessary to have a policy and political determination to incorporate this vision into a methodical Vietnamese Branding strategy, creating a powerful call for development.

Tran Van Hinh - Le Thu Hang (AVSE Global)

The article is part of the forum "Shaping the Vietnamese brand," which is jointly held by VietNamNet and the Association of Vietnamese Scientists and Experts (AVSE Global).

Top leader urges further targets ahead of National Party Congress

Party General Secretary, President Nguyen Phu Trong has urged the upcoming 13th National Party Congress to look ahead to the middle of the 21st century, with targets to turn Vietnam into a socialist-oriented developed country