40 Under 40 2024: Hai Anh Vu, Publicis Media

Hai Anh Vu

General manager
Publicis Media
Vietnam 

When Hai Anh Vu first joined Zenith in 2022, many told her it was a mistake to join an agency that had just lost its biggest client. But this is exactly what makes Vu stand out from her peers: Instead of recoiling at the potential business decline of the company, she had a thirst to use this situation as an opportunity to turn things around and prove her impact.

And she did just that. Upon joining, she spearheaded a talent transformation by drawing focus towards innovation and rallying her team twice weekly for in-depth training sessions. She also introduced new tools such as Publicis GrowthOS to aid with end-to-end planning and execution, Datorama dashboards to enable data-driven decisions for clients, and a suite of AI tools within Publicis Marcel. On top of that, she led partnerships with platforms beyond paid media, such as Grab, finance app Momo, and production house Vietcetera.

Her proactiveness resulted in three MNC wins which managed to offset the agency’s previous loss. Zenith marked a record revenue increase of just under 69%, driven in part by scope expansions by clients through commerce, influencer marketing, and gaming sponsorships. Just as importantly, the agency’s team grew by 75% with a 100% retention rate among senior talent. It didn’t hurt that Zenith snagged a Gold as Vietnam’s Media Agency of the Year at the 2023 at Campaign’s Agency of the Year awards.

Vu has also been instrumental in empowering Gen MZ within Zenith to shape the agency’s future and vision. Just after joining, she introduced PLUS, a programme where young talent were encouraged to showcase their accomplishments and exchange knowledge. This runs alongside various forms of coaching where client-service skills are taught to junior staff, negotiation workshops to mid-level staff, and commercial mindset training to senior staff. Vu also collaborated with the data solutions team to optimise media investments in Vietnam’s five regions which resulted in a reduction of media waste by 30%.

To share her deep wealth of knowledge, Vu mentors high-potential talent through Publicis’ Power Up programme where mentees are urged to step out of their comfort zones. Outside of her workspace, she lectures in media and innovation at the Bold Creative Training Lab to ensure that young Vietnamese talent are well-equipped to brace the industry’s many changes.