The year 2025 marks a phase of strategic consolidation and repositioning for foreign banks operating in Vietnam. Amid ongoing global economic uncertainty, the banking sector has faced not only growth pressure but also rising expectations around risk governance, digital transformation, and brand credibility.
As a result, media and communications are no longer a supporting function—they have become a strategic lever enabling foreign banks to build trust, shape market narratives, and assert thought leadership in the financial ecosystem.
In 2025, Vietnam’s banking system recorded credit growth of approximately 19%, the highest level in many years. Total outstanding loans exceeded VND 18.4 quadrillion, reflecting strong policy support from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) to stimulate economic recovery.
This environment created favorable conditions for foreign banks to expand lending activities, particularly in corporate, FDI, and cross-border finance segments.
Interest rates remained at low levels to encourage investment and consumption.
The USD/VND exchange rate experienced fluctuations but was effectively controlled within a 3–4% range, reinforcing confidence among foreign investors and multinational corporations—core clients of foreign banks.
Several structural policy changes in 2025 significantly reshaped the banking landscape:
Amended Law on Credit Institutions: Clarified collateral recovery rights, reducing legal ambiguity and improving non-performing loan resolution.
Basel III implementation (Circular 14/2025/TT-NHNN): Strengthened capital adequacy and risk management in line with international standards.
Completion of “zero-dong banks” restructuring (CBBank, OceanBank, GPBank, etc.): Contributed to system-wide clean-up and improved market confidence.
Launch of the SIMO system: A digital fraud prevention platform that screened nearly 600,000 suspicious accounts, signaling stronger commitment to financial security.
Looking ahead to 2026, foreign banks will be increasingly influenced by technology advancement and geopolitical volatility:
AI Agents: Moving beyond chatbots to automation of core banking processes, including credit assessment and risk monitoring.
Customer Experience (CX): Becoming the primary competitive battleground, driven by omnichannel personalization and real-time data.
Digital Talent Shortage: Rising demand for specialists in AI, Blockchain, and Cybersecurity, intensifying competition for talent.
Real-World Asset (RWA) Tokenization: Digitizing real estate and commodities via smart contracts, unlocking new financing models.
Quantum Computing: Early adoption in risk analytics and portfolio optimization.
Stablecoins: Deeper integration into cross-border payment systems, particularly for FDI-related transactions.
Systemic Resilience: Strengthening the ability to withstand global geopolitical shocks.
Total media coverage across the sector increased by 4% compared to 2024. However, media influence is no longer defined by sheer volume. Instead, leading banks prioritized:
Content quality
Strategic media channel selection
Sentiment control and reputation management
Online platforms accounted for over 90% of total media exposure across most foreign banks.
Print media, magazines, and television were used selectively, serving as credibility anchors for high-impact narratives.
Negative coverage remained below 2%, underscoring the strong reputational resilience of the foreign banking sector despite regulatory and market pressures.
Most comprehensive media leadership in 2025
26% Share of Voice (SOV), leading in 9 out of 12 months
Diverse content portfolio: Banking, CSR, Human Capital
→ A balanced strategy combining macro thought leadership and social engagement, resulting in the highest positive sentiment.
25% SOV, closely following SC
Intentionally reduced content volume to focus on depth and authority
→ Reinforced its position as a macroeconomic and financial market commentator, maintaining strong brand credibility.
18% SOV by volume, but 30% SOV by media value
→ Optimized high-impact media channels (VTV1, VnExpress, Forbes) and emphasized product-driven narratives.
A blended strategy of content coordination and volume
Stable sentiment, though some inspection-related news emerged
→ Indicates the need for greater operational transparency to mitigate reputational risk.
Higher-than-average negative coverage
Driven by compliance issues and organizational restructuring
→ Impacts were largely short-term and did not materially weaken overall media effectiveness.
Near-zero negative coverage
However, limited visibility and neutral-toned narratives constrained overall media impact.
The media landscape of 2025 clearly demonstrates that communications have become a core competitive capability for foreign banks in Vietnam. Moving into 2026, institutions that can anticipate trends, craft authoritative narratives, and effectively manage media sentiment will be best positioned to secure long-term market trust and leadership.
