Mr. Nguyen Hoai Nam, Deputy General Secretary of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said that, over the past 15 years, the story of branding and how to build a Vietnamese seafood brand has been mentioned and many projects have been proposed by VASEP member enterprises. However, up to now, all these proposals have just stopped at talks and discussions but have not come to a consensus on how to implement them.

Since there is no brand name, Vietnamese seafood is not widely known by consumers in import markets although the country is the third largest seafood exporter in the world and has exported to more than 160 markets.

According to Mr. Le Quoc Vinh, Chairman and General Director of Le Group, Vietnamese seafood exported to foreign countries is mainly distributed under the brand names of importers or retailers. Therefore, most consumers do not know about a Vietnamese seafood brand.

Evidence can be obtained from pangasius products. Ms. Nguyen Ngo Vi Tam, General Director of Vinh Hoan Joint Stock Company, said that with an output of about 1.5 million tons, Vietnam currently accounts for only 25% of the total global pangasius production, but over 95% of pangasius exports in the world. However, when Vietnamese pangasius is exported to foreign countries, it is mainly consumed in restaurants whose owners often call pangasius by their "self-created" names in a more "monumental" meaning. 

This makes the level of consumer recognition for Vietnamese pangasius to be limited.In fact, Vietnamese pangasius has many strengths to build a brand. First of all, the Vietnamese pangasius industry has developed over the years, and is playing an increasingly important role in the country's aquaculture as well as in the world.

In the past years, many Vietnamese pangasius enterprises and farms have actively obtained sustainability certifications such as the ASC. Currently, some 44 pangasius farming areas in Vietnam have been granted ASC certification.At each section of the pangasius value chain from seed production, commercial fish farming, processing, and export, businesses are in all efforts to achieve food safety standards taking their social responsibility and opportunities to expand markets and promote exports.

In terms of sustainable development, aquaculture in general has a much lower carbon level (total greenhouse gas emissions from the production process) than livestock and fishing. Pangasius farming is assessed to have a low carbon "footprint" in aquaculture.Regarding the quality of pangasius products, many professional chefs have commented that pangasius meat blends are blended well when being cooked with other dishes because it does not have a strong smell and is very suitable for children or those who are not used to it eat seafood.

Despite such many advantages, Vietnamese pangasius faces limitations in terms of consumers' identification and often is questioned about product quality due to the lack of branding, especially when it is "smeared" by the media. In many markets, pangasius is still being defaulted as cheap and low-quality fish.

To cope with the situation, Mr. Vinh said that it is time to build a common brand for Vietnam's seafood industry.

A brand will help change the image of Vietnamese seafood in the eyes of international consumers, build awareness in the market, help improve the value of Vietnamese seafood products, develop export markets, and at the same time support enterprises in their development of brand, image and reputation.

Mr. Le Quoc Vinh, Chairman and General Director of Le Group

A strong and distinctive brand will help expand the seafood market by attracting more customers and entering new markets. Branding helps businesses increase revenue by making customers want to buy more. A strong brand also makes it easier to launch new products and services because customers will trust them.

Translated by Linh Nguyen