Vietnam's advertising industry shifts towards quality over quantity

HO CHI MINH CITY: In the evolving landscape of advertising, the focus is shifting towards quality over quantity, emphasising the significance of storytelling, emotional connections and respecting users’ time to ensure campaign success in a competitive and attention-deficient environment, industry insiders say.

Click-through rates have globally declined, and a substantial portion of ads are being disregarded.

Thu Nguyen, business development manager at Yango Ads in Vietnam, said that advertising is undergoing a transformative phase.

Traditional methods such as banners, click-driven strategies and volume-based campaigns are progressively becoming less effective. Research showed that over the past three decades, click-through rates have dropped from 44% in 1994 to a mere 0.5% now.

Customer acquisition costs have surged by over 200%, attention spans have slipped to just eight seconds, and close to 80% of users tend to skip, block or overlook ads.

This trend is even more pronounced in Vietnam. According to insights from YouGov, approximately 43% of Vietnamese consumers find online ads intrusive.

Conversely, around 25% of respondents find online advertising appealing, and 30% perceive it as creative.

Despite the positive sentiments, nearly 47% of consumers express a desire to skip online ads consistently.

“Vietnamese users appreciate relevance, not repetition,” said Thu. “A campaign resonates when it provides value precisely when a user needs it, rather than causing distractions.”

Industry experts assert that successful advertising is not solely about formats or touchpoints – it’s about meticulously crafted user journeys that evoke emotions.

Effective campaigns integrate storytelling that captures attention, emotional connections that drive engagement beyond clicks, and a user-centric approach to deliver meaningful interactions without overwhelming audiences.

These principles are especially vital in Vietnam, where digital consumers are nimble, discerning, and increasingly critical of traditional ad formats. — Viet Nam News/ANN