Brand Management for City-level televisions in Viet Nam: The cases of Ha Noi Radio and Televisions and Ho Chi Minh City television

Abstract

The starting point of this research is the assumption that brand management in local televisions in Viet Nam are strongly driven by the six factors identified by PESTLE- model: politics, economics, social, technology, legal and environment. These drivers can point to trends that can have an impact on the management process of media brands in local channels and stations, both in terms of micro-level of decisions for daily tasks and macro-level of strategy for long-term vision and mission. Consequently, any upcoming trend that can affect across various products, services and platforms that they are providing can also cause effect on their brand. Media companies need a comprehensive strategy to build strong brands which can gain them competition advantage and help them transform challenges into opportunities at the same time. This study was conducted in order to find out 1) how a local television stations managed their brand in such flexible and complex environment, 2) how their branding activities were affected by particular situation with unpredictable variables, 3) which strategies were selected and how they were conducted. In this thesis, we argue that different local television stations in Viet Nam are affected differently by various aspects identified by the PESTLE model. Findings show that to build a strong brand that can protect their reputation and support their new projects, stations prioritize most important aspect of the model when setting their own branding strategies. This core factor then can offer guidance for their production as well as their supporting projects. The findings are based on the results of qualitative research on two Vietnamese local televisions: Ha Noi Radio and Television (HanoiTV) and Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV). They are local stations operated by regional authority, both have a long history, they have characteristics that reflect the area they are operating in, and finally, both of them are leaders in brand building for local televisions in Viet Nam. The empirical data includes analysis of documents and interviews with managers. The two televisions share particular similarities in their strategies, but also develop specific approaches according to their own brands and contexts. HanoiTV is controlled more tightly by political guidance, while HTV is strongly affected by economic and social condition. Branding in HanoiTV is built around “guiding the mass’s thought” HTV’s aims cater for to supply “spiritual demand” of its audience and return monetary benefit to its investors.