Mr. Hien's efforts: Responsibility for the national brand

(Dan Tri) - Organizing a tournament that not only focuses on the sporting aspect, but is also an opportunity to tell stories about the national brand. The 2025 ASEAN Police and Public Security Open Tournament tells the success story of Vietnam, beyond the matches on the field.

The value of national brands

Vietnam is the country with the fastest growth rate in national brand in the past 10 years, with national brand value growth of up to 102% in the period 2019-2023.

By 2024, Vietnam's national brand will be valued at about 507 billion USD, ranking 32nd out of 193 countries evaluated in the world .

Despite the impact of Covid-19, Vietnam's economy has recovered spectacularly since 2022, with a growth rate of up to 8.02%, and in 2023, GDP increased by 5.05%, numbers that demonstrate the internal strength of a country that has built a brand.

In addition to economic and cultural efforts, after 2018, Vietnamese football has reached many memorable milestones: The Vietnam U23 team won the runner-up position for the first time at the 2018 AFC U23 Championship, creating an earthquake with an impressive performance against top teams such as Qatar, Syria, Iraq and Uzbekistan. The Vietnam Olympic team also achieved a top 4 finish at the 2018 ASIAD, contributing to raising the position of Vietnamese football in the Asian arena.

Mr. Hien's Hanoi Club holds the record of 15 consecutive seasons in the top 3 of V-League and has regularly contributed the largest number of players to the national team over many periods (Photo: T&T).

Most importantly, the Vietnamese national team won the AFF Suzuki Cup 2018 after a 10-year wait, marking the return of Vietnam as a major force in Southeast Asian football. On the FIFA rankings, Vietnam once reached 92nd place, the highest in football history.

Mr. Hien, Chairman of SHB, has made a great and comprehensive contribution to the successful period of Vietnamese football from 2018 to present, through strong and methodical investment in many aspects.

He is the owner of Hanoi FC and an investor in SHB Da Nang, which have trained many key players of the national team such as Quang Hai, Do Duy Manh, Van Hau, Hung Dung, Nguyen Thanh Chung... These players have played an important role in historical achievements such as runner-up of the 2018 U23 Asian Cup, champion of the 2018 AFF Cup, gold medals of the 2019 and 2021 SEA Games, as well as the championship of the 2024 ASEAN Cup.

The SHB Chairman also demonstrated his strategic vision by generously sponsoring and rewarding the Vietnamese team with 2 billion VND for winning the ASEAN Cup 2024 and, together with SHB, sponsoring the entire cost of hiring a private plane to transport 600 fans to Thailand to cheer on the team, creating great spiritual motivation for the players on away matches.

His perseverance, focus on long-term development and timeless vision for Vietnamese football contributed to building a solid foundation for the national team to achieve peak success in the past decade and indirectly contributed to the overall success of the national brand for Vietnam in the past decade.

A Storytelling Occasion

After his trip to Ha Long, Thailand’s coach Chayong Khumpiam could not hide his excitement when entering Sung Sot Cave. “The islands in Ha Long Bay are also very different from those in Thailand, where the islands are usually located individually, not in a group,” said Mr. Khumpiam.

Sung Sot Cave, located in Ha Long Bay - a world natural heritage of Vietnam, is not only a famous tourist destination but also an important symbol in building the national brand.

With its majestic beauty, stalactite system and unique natural space, Sung Sot Cave attracts millions of domestic and foreign tourists, contributing to promoting the image of Vietnam - a country rich in natural heritage and unique culture on the world tourism map.

In addition to the visit to Ha Long, a look at the experiences of the football teams participating in the 2025 ASEAN Police and Public Security Open tournament, the menu is designed to suit the cuisine of each country.

At the gala, the cultures of the participating countries were honored, through performances, in a skillful and harmonious way. The grand opening ceremony with a unique storytelling structure highlighted the impression of Vietnamese culture and people.

After participating in the 2025 ASEAN Police Open, in addition to playing football, all international players, coaches and fans who know the tournament have understood something about the identity, culture and people of Vietnam.

In his speech at the press conference to launch the tournament, Vice President of T&T Group Do Vinh Quang emphasized: "Sports not only improve health and spirit but also contribute to spreading national pride and the image of a peaceful, dynamic, and hospitable Vietnam to international friends."

Vice President of T&T Group Do Vinh Quang affirmed his readiness to accompany the People's Public Security Sports Association to organize more large-scale tournaments (Photo: T&T).

The theory of the Nation Branding Architecture Model indicates that a national brand is not simply a single image or message, but includes many elements (“sub-brands”) associated with important areas such as: economy, tourism, culture, and especially sports.

These elements work together to create an overall impression of the country in the global mind.

Sports are seen as a dynamic “sub-brand”, contributing to the expansion of the nation’s core values internationally thanks to its universality, media appeal and ability to connect the global community.

Sports are also often the most effective “face” for a country to promote soft values, complementing sectors such as tourism, education, and creative industries in the overall national brand strategy.

The Vietnam People's Public Security II football team has excellently won the 2025 ASEAN Open Police Football Championship with an all-win record (Photo: T&T).

With the direction of the Ministry of Public Security and other ministries, along with the active participation of the private sector, in which the two main sponsors are SHB and T&T Group, the ASEAN Police and Public Security Awards 2025 has once again told a good story about Vietnam, to design another layer of depth in the overall architecture of the national brand.

At the same time, this is also a testament to the effective cooperation between private enterprises and state agencies and organizations in socio-economic events.

More than just a tournament, and beyond the borders of sports, it is also an opportunity for Vietnam to promote its image, identity and culture.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/no-luc-cua-bau-hien-trach-nhiem-vi-thuong-hieu-quoc-gia-20250716152124434.htm