Being a relatively new industry in Vietnam, records on the emergence of public relations practices in Vietnam are extremely limited. However, the following sources shed some light on the development of the public relations industry in Vietnam since its early days. Find more details in my research here.
Development
Vietnam is in the early stages of maturity in public relations as the practice is still new in the country. Public relations only began after the introduction of the Doi Moi economic reforms of 1986. Public relations in Vietnam is a relatively new practice and is mostly unexplored by both academic scholars and industry practitioners. The main reason for its late interest is that the business environment only recently perceived a need for public relations. In the late 1990s, economic growth was boosted by the government’s Renovation (“Doi Moi” in Vietnamese) policy through which more than 30,000 businesses were created, including both private and foreign-owned organizations. Later, in 2007, Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) and revised most of its trade and investment laws, widely opening its doors to welcome foreign investors. Since then, the country has seen brisk economic development and increasing international business opportunities, and public relations has risen as an asset to keep organizations on a competitive edge. Before the 2010s, public relations largely remained a new concept. At that time, major companies started to realize that they needed to establish better relationships with customers through the media or events. Since then, the demand for public relations professionals has increased, resulting in the rise of many public relations agencies and internal public relations departments on both national and international levels. It is now only 33 years since that time and the practice of public relations still lacks regulations.
According to the latest data from Barnes Reports: Public Relations Agencies Industry (NAICS 54182), public relations agencies in Vietnam witnessed a rising trend in sales in the recent two consecutive years. There is an upward growth in the sector, except for the decrease in sales between 2019 and 2020, which could be due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. However, the industry quickly regained its momentum in the year after. This data proves that public relations is growing in demand in Vietnam.
People working in this profession in Vietnam are mainly from three educational backgrounds, which are in-country public relations programs, overseas (mostly U.S. public relations programs), and local journalism programs. These programs have helped to build the public relations guidelines and approaches taken in most Vietnamese practices. Within Vietnam, very few universities offer a public relations program. About half of the public relations practitioners in Vietnam go overseas to study and are thus influenced by Western practice. The other half of public relations practitioners are from a journalism background. The journalism-trained practitioners are mostly employed in Vietnamese public relations departments or agencies, as the local public relations practice engages in a high level of media relations and copywriting. This diversity of backgrounds accounts for the many ways public relations is performed in Vietnam.
Current challenges
1. The perception of public relations
Most organizations and practitioners focus on product marketing and media relations and pay little attention to stakeholder management and reputation management. Public relations in Vietnam still lacks focus on stakeholder and reputation management, and is usually confused with marketing or advertising. Many organizations do not have a separate department for public relations or communications, and public relations activities are usually covered by the marketing department.
However, the practice may be changing. As Vietnamese organizations are devoting more time and effort to reputation management in front of the media and public stakeholders, the focus may be shifting.
According to the Vietnam Report (2015), an annual report on the reputation ranking of Vietnamese businesses, organizations now pay more attention to their reputation than ever. In general, they commit more time and effort to reputation management in front of the media and public stakeholders, and carefully plan for any potential reputational risks.
2. Ethical perspectives
It is challenging for public relations practitioners in Vietnam to find a balance between maintaining good practice and upholding corporate reputation. As part of the local norms, tips and gifts are always expected to conduct relationships, and information about a government-owned business is turned away, creativity may be limited, and the public relations industry may be misunderstood as corrupt and unreliable.
3. Talent development
There is a serious lack of quality public relations practitioners in Vietnam, as domestic public relations educational programs lack training in practical applications of public relations knowledge. Currently, there are only few universities/institutions that offer public relations programs to their students. There is also a lack of a common code of conduct in the local community to address service standards and ethical issues. To overcome these weaknesses, some organizations send staff abroad to improve public relations knowledge, which also helps bring Western practices to local public relations firms.
Overcoming challenges and setting new standards
Despite the challenges, public relations practitioners in Vietnam are coming together to set new standards and leverage local practices. Local boutique agencies are joining the international PR associations to adopt international standards. In recent years, Vietnam Public Relations Network was established to gather talented PR professionals to discuss best practices and share knowledge. The prestigious Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) also launched its Vietnam chapter in 2021. There are also national awards hosted to celebrate outstanding performances in the PR industry, such as:
- National PR & Communications Awards 2020 hosted by PR Newswire
- Vietnam Public Relations and Communications Excellence Awards 2021 hosted by Vietnam Public Relations Network.
These events show that the local public relations community is becoming more structured.
Local universities are upgrading their curriculum to offer a well-rounded education program and equip future PR practitioners with the required skill sets and knowledge. Changes are being made from the very basic foundation – education. With such effort, it is expected to innovate Vietnam’s public relations industry in the upcoming 5 or 10 years.
If marketing is a sprint, then PR is a marathon. The public relations industry in Vietnam has made noticeable progress, but there is still a long way to go.
To conclude, public relations in Vietnam is diverse and influenced by both Western practices and the local culture. Of greatest influence, however, is American public relations practice. As more companies are considering the use of public relations, and more students and journalists seek to join the field, the industry is emerging rapidly, promising changes and development in the field. However, public relations firms in Vietnam need to codify a common standard that is based on the standards of global and local public relations. They also need to set specific regulations for the industry and boost local public relations practice to the next professional level.
Reference
Ly-Le, T. M. (2025). The development of Vietnam’s public relations industry. Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications, 11(2), 93-104. https://doi.org/10.30958/ajmmc.11-2-2