Vietnam makes progress toward a sophisticated media market

<p>Of Vietnam's 76 million citizens, 80 per cent live in rural areas </p><p>and of the urban population 54 per cent live in Ho Chi Minh City and </p><p>Hanoi. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A particular feature of the Vietnamese population is its youth; 65 per </p><p>cent are under 28 years of age and 80 per cent under 40. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Vietnam has a relatively poor population with an average per annum </p><p>income of around US$300 - though this is a significant </p><p>improvement over previous years and does not realistically reflect the </p><p>growing affluence for some sectors of the urban population. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>The Vietnam market is seen as being a small player in the Asian context; </p><p>approximately US$90 million in 1999 for TV and print. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>However, this figure does not take account of other media, in particular </p><p>outdoor advertising which is somewhat chaotic though popular. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Additionally, this does not indicate the volume of advertising on </p><p>television. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This is easier to understand if one considers that a primetime national </p><p>spot on VTV3 is around US$1,800 and, on average, US$300 on </p><p>provincial stations (excluding Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>There is no doubt that TV is the most important medium here for many </p><p>marketers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This is not only because of large audience delivery, but also the </p><p>distribution of that delivery, high penetration of TV ownership in </p><p>cities and a rapidly rising ownership of sets in rural areas. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>There are, however, many print titles with strong, though usually, </p><p>unaudited circulations. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Radio is arguably an exception. Voice of Vietnam is national, however, </p><p>it has some way to go in terms of programme development. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Television has a two-tier structure, with VTV, the national station, </p><p>providing the equivalent of network coverage, with three channels </p><p>together and 61 provincial stations delivering localised </p><p>programming. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Additionally, there is a tiered rate-card system favouring local </p><p>advertisers versus foreign or JV companies. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>This sounds like a simple structure and, on the face of it, it is. </p><p>However, there are challenges to advertisers seeking coverage beyond the </p><p>main urban centres - low transmitter power, cutting of advertising by </p><p>the local stations and substitution of locally booked TVCs into VTV ad </p><p>breaks. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Even this is not homogenous, with different stations transmitting </p><p>programming, cutting ads at differing times. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Local market knowledge is, therefore, essential in getting an </p><p>understanding of national and local channel delivery. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>There is expected progress toward resolving some of these issues as VTV </p><p>builds more regional transmitters that it directly controls rather than </p><p>relaying through local TV stations. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Audience measurement is a relatively recent development in Vietnam. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Currently, TNS Sofres and ACNielsen provide continuous diary ratings </p><p>services for Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi, with sweeps in Danang (Central) and </p><p>Cantho (Mekong Delta). </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>While this is far from ideal, it is a step in the right direction since </p><p>Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are by far the most expensive stations and face </p><p>the highest demand from advertisers. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>VTV is also rated, but only by its performance in these local </p><p>markets. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>In print, there have been moves to develop magazine titles, particularly </p><p>in the female category, and it is possible to have more creative </p><p>executions with sampling, for example, tip-ons and tearouts. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>A stumbling block for development is the lack of auditing and research </p><p>to make them more palatable for advertisers requiring greater </p><p>accountability. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Newspapers suffer less from lack of auditing, having high distribution </p><p>in their cities, but a lack of research means they tend to be used more </p><p>on a tactical basis. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Vietnam doesn't lend itself to extrapolating future trends from the </p><p>past. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>That said, research availability is improving and stations are beginning </p><p>to understand and look at their programming from a more commercial point </p><p>of view. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>TV spend is up considerably for the first quarter of this year compared </p><p>with the same period a year ago. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>For a media practitioner this is all to the good, though we always want </p><p>more and better. </p><p><BR><BR> </p><p>Ultimately, the fact that clients are achieving real commercial success </p><p>in Vietnam reinforces the point that progress has been and is being </p><p>achieved. </p><p><BR><BR> </p>