How do you take a homegrown brand and make it work in six other countries? That was the question at the second Southeast Asia conference of the SEA CAN Alliance (Southeast Asia Communications Agencies Network) by COMCO Mundo, held in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Co-hosted with Chi Communications, a founding member and the alliance's Vietnam focal point, the conference was titled "From Vietnamese Products to Regional Brands."
Why Vietnam, and why now
According to Vietnam's Customs Department, trade between Vietnam and ASEAN reached USD 84.3 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 20.6%. There's clearly room to grow, but culture, consumer behavior and media habits differ a lot from one market to the next.
One region, seven playbooks
Communication leaders from seven markets shared what works on the ground:
- Cambodia: Prioritize Khmer-language content, transparent origin tracing and strong local relationships.
- Indonesia: It's several markets in one. Short-form video and livestream selling drive discovery, while traditional press builds credibility.
- Malaysia: Content has to account for differences in language, culture and digital habits.
- The Philippines: Combine press outreach, digital platforms, content creators and on-ground activations, with authentic storytelling at the core.
- Singapore: Think of it as a regional gateway. B2B audiences want proof of capability and good governance.
- Thailand: Value for money, quality and reliability come first, with micro-influencers playing a growing role.
- Vietnam: With AI-driven content and scattered touchpoints, brands need a consistent presence across news, social and AI-powered search.
As someone in the local content space, I found the Philippine insight spot-on. Here, creators and real experiences often do more for a brand than ads alone.
A guidebook and a case study
The event also launched the SEA CAN Alliance GO SEA Guidebook, which compiles practical insights from the network's affiliates across the seven markets as a reference for companies planning regional expansion.
A case study session featured RuNam, a premium Vietnamese restaurant and café chain and the event's official partner, looking at how it entered Cambodia while keeping its brand identity.
"Businesses require a consistent brand direction, but execution in each market must stem from local reality," said Ferdinand L. Bondoy, Interregional President and CEO of COMCO Mundo League of Enterprises and Lead Convenor of the SEA CAN Alliance.
Who's in the alliance
SEA CAN Alliance by COMCO Mundo brings together independent agencies from across the region: Mekhala Radiant Communications (Cambodia), Agrakom PR (Indonesia), Ink PR (Malaysia), COMCO Southeast Asia – Pilipinas, COMCO Southeast Asia – Singapore, 2COMMU (Thailand) and Chi Communications (Vietnam).
The conference was supported by Nước Vietnamese Restaurant as venue partner and Advertising Vietnam as media partner. Inquiries can be sent to secretariat@seacanalliance.com.
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