Amid intensifying globalisation, countries are increasingly competing not only in economic performance but also in reputation, image and influence on the international stage. Vietnam is now taking steps to enhance its global profile through a comprehensive communication strategy aimed at promoting the country’s image overseas for the 2026–2030 period, with a vision to 2045.

As a nation rich in cultural identity and actively integrating into the world economy, Vietnam faces growing demand for a more systematic and professional approach to national branding. For the first time, a unified national message and visual identity framework has been developed to serve as a consistent foundation for communication and promotion activities abroad.

Nguyen Van Thuat, Deputy Director General of the Department of Grassroots Information and External Information under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, described the strategy as a significant step forward in political, strategic and practical terms.

He said the move was driven by three main reasons. First, global competition now extends beyond economic indicators to include national image, trust and influence. In a rapidly evolving digital media environment, perceptions of countries can spread widely and quickly, but can also be shaped in undesirable ways without clear strategic direction.

Second, Vietnam is entering a new stage of development aimed at prosperity and deeper international integration. This requires coherent national narratives that accurately reflect the country’s core values and can be translated into communication messages to strengthen national soft power.

Third, past efforts to promote Vietnam’s image have often been fragmented, with ministries, sectors, localities and media organisations implementing their own initiatives. The new strategy seeks to establish a unified framework to ensure clearer positioning and stronger global resonance.

A key focus of the strategy is the development of a national digital communication ecosystem, including the application of big data and artificial intelligence to improve outreach effectiveness. Cross-border digital platforms and global social networks are expected to enable faster, wider and more cost-efficient engagement with international audiences.

Big data and AI technologies will also help analyse audience behaviour and trends in different markets, allowing communication messages to be tailored to specific target groups. At the same time, a synchronised digital ecosystem is expected to strengthen coordination among stakeholders, ensuring consistent implementation of national messages across communication channels.

Despite these opportunities, shortcomings remain, particularly the lack of a unified strategic framework in the past, which has led to scattered promotion efforts.

Therefore, the strategy aims to address this by establishing a shared national messaging system and visual identity, strengthening inter-agency coordination mechanisms, and applying digital technologies and common data systems to standardise content, monitor effectiveness and make timely adjustments.

Observers believe that, if implemented consistently and effectively, the strategy will help enhance Vietnam’s national image and increase its influence and visibility on the global stage in the years ahead./. VNA