How did a Vietnam business man promote a local brand growth in Southeast Asia countries?

How did a Vietnam business man promote a local brand growth in Southeast Asia countries?

How did a Vietnam business man promote a local brand growth in Southeast Asia countries?

During the 1960s and 1970s, a toothpaste brand was the top-selling product both in the domestic and Southeast Asian markets.

It was Hynos toothpaste, owned by Mr. Huynh Dao Nghia. Besides the superior quality of the product, the unique and novel marketing and advertising methods were also the key to its success.

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Hynos-toothpaste vietnam story - Saigonwalks Hochiminh city walking tour

Initially, Hynos was a small production facility owned by an American Jewish man. He married a Vietnamese woman to do business in Vietnam in the long term. Unfortunately, his wife passed away prematurely, leading him to lose interest in conducting business operations in Vietnam.

Before returning to his homeland, the American owner sold the Hynos brand to Vuong Dao Nghia, a trusted and beloved employee, at a cheap cost. In just ten years, Huynh Dao Nghia had quickly developed the Hynos brand, surpassing domestic brands that had been around for a long time, such as Perlon and Leyna, and even imported brands like Colgate (USA) and C'est it (France).

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As a person with a sharp mind and a deep understanding of Western business methods, Vuong Dao Nghia was willing to accept business risks. He always sought to improve the quality of the product while finding ways to bring the product image to customers. He understood that the influence that advertising and marketing hold in grabbing consumers' attention and leaving an impression ingrained in their subconscious mind.

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Hynos-toothpaste vietnam story - Saigonwalks Hochiminh city walking tour

He boldly chose the image of a black person with white teeth to represent the product instead of a Vietnamese or a white Westerner like the usual advertisements. The visual effect of the contrast between the bright white teeth and the dark skin stood out and made viewers feel amused and easily remembered in their minds.

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At that time, people in Saigon often referred to Indo, Malay, and Indian people with dark skin as "Anh Bay Cha." Therefore, when the Hynos logo was launched, Saigon people called this toothpaste with another affectionate name, "kem Anh Bay Cha."

Hynos promoted their brand in locations with high foot traffic or visibility. Billboards and banners were scattered across the city, from towering buildings to market entrances and along major highways. Anh Bay Cha's face, the black man featured in the advertisements, was ubiquitous.

Vuong Dao Nghia was also the first person to use movies in advertising. At that time, he spent money hiring famous Hong Kong martial arts actors such as Wang Wu and La Liet to make a commercial film for Hynos.

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