The Challenge:

Vietnam Brand Purpose, in collaboration with AVSE Global, initiated a project to redefine Ho Chi Minh City’s brand positioning in a strategic and sustainable way. Long regarded as Vietnam’s economic engine, the city now faces a more complex challenge: building a strong, widely shared, and enduring city brand. To achieve this, brand architects must deeply listen to and understand how people perceive Ho Chi Minh City—both rationally and emotionally. This deep understanding forms the foundation for growth-oriented strategies, improved quality of life for residents, and a distinctive global positioning for Ho Chi Minh City on the world stage.

The Approach:

– Defining research audiences: The Window proposed two core research groups—Ho Chi Minh City residents and international visitors—to examine the city’s image from both internal and external perspectives. This dual lens helped reveal intersections, contrasts, and shared expectations associated with the city.

– Deepening audience segmentation: We clearly differentiated local residents, migrants, and international audiences to identify differences in perception while uncovering common ground. These shared insights became the foundation for a brand story that is both coherent and richly multidimensional.

– Applying projective techniques: The Window employed a range of projective methods to surface underlying emotions and hard-to-articulate associations, bringing the city’s identity to life in a vivid and emotional way. Rather than asking directly, “What do you think about Ho Chi Minh City?”, participants were prompted through metaphors—such as flowers, people, symbols, and subconscious associations—to express diverse facets of the city and its unique character compared to other places.

– Focusing on experience and emotion: Moving beyond purely rational responses, the study explored memorable moments and lived experiences of Ho Chi Minh City. This allowed the brand to capture the city’s true “urban soul”—the emotional essence that fosters attachment and inspires people to stay connected or return.

The Outcome:

The research revealed that Ho Chi Minh City is widely perceived as a vibrant, dynamic, and opportunity-rich metropolis. At the same time, it is seen as approachable and easy to live in, with friendly people and a distinctive street food culture. However, the city is also perceived as lacking in-depth, meaningful activities for residents.

In particular, younger audiences and international professionals expressed higher expectations for green spaces, infrastructure, cultural connectivity, and signature festivals. These insights provided a clear foundation for brand strategy priorities: preserving the city’s core identity of dynamism, opportunity, and livability, while enhancing infrastructure and the urban environment, and investing in cultural and artistic experiences with international appeal.