You Don't Know Vietnam
Forget what you thought you knew about Vietnam. It's no longer that, as you're about to find out. Hit subscribe for conversations about trends, culture and business from one of the world's fastest growing markets: Vietnam. Hosted by Ian Paynton, co-founder of We Create Content, a content agency that builds audiences for global brands in Vietnam.
Episodes
63 episodes
E63: Reduce emissions AND grow economically? Why Vietnam can do both
Michaela Baur is the Country Director of GIZ Vietnam, a German development agency with more than 30 years of experi...
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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45:21
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E62: Keeping soul, changing shape: Vietnam’s evolving identity
Vietnam is changing shape fast — but its soul hasn’t moved an inch. In this episode, Ian sits down with Vinamilk creative director Chieu Pham to unpack the cultural codes that remain constant beneath the country’s rapid transformation. From anc...
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Season 1
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Episode 62
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33:36
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E61: Factory towns, gig work, and the untold side of Vietnam’s economic boom
Vietnam’s economy is booming. Foreign factories are multiplying, GDP is surging, and global investors are calling it the next Asian powerhouse. But who’s really benefitting from this rapid growth? In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian ...
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Season 1
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Episode 61
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32:35
E60: Why foreign leadership styles fail in Vietnam (and how to fix yours!)
Many foreign leaders arrive in Vietnam full of confidence — armed with a leadership style that’s worked everywhere else. But within weeks, frustration sets in. Teams seem hesitant, feedback is quiet, and quick wins are nowhere to be found. In t...
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Season 1
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Episode 60
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34:34
E59: Navigating the grey area that can decide life or death for business in Vietnam
"That grey area or that almost darkness within a conversation can be life and death. And if you don’t have the trust to be able to have an honest conversation, you can meet an impasse and never move forward," says CBRE's
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Season 1
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Episode 59
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30:19
E58: Eat alone? Not in Vietnam — the F&B localisation playbook
What makes Vietnamese dining culture so unique—and why do so many global F&B brands stumble here? In this episode, Ian Paynton speaks with Loan Vu, hospitality expert and co-founder of SNL’s Diner in Hanoi. Loan shares how she’s adapted an ...
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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36:29
E57: The future of retail in Vietnam — with e-commerce veteran Benji Lamb
If you're on LinkedIn and interested in Vietnam, you've probably already heard of Benji Lamb. He's the founder and CEO of Asia Circles, a com...
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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44:39
E56: Copywriting, killer audio ads and a drone show fail — the state of advertising in Vietnam
What’s really going on in Vietnam’s advertising scene? In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, we sit down with creative director Espin Hoan to unpack the fast, loud, and ever-changing world of Vietnamese advertising. We explore why...
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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31:11
E55: Can Hai Phong become Vietnam’s Shanghai?
In this episode of You Don’t Know Vietnam, Ian Paynton travels (virtually) to Hai Phong — Vietnam’s third-largest city and rising industrial powerhouse — to speak with
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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37:01
E54: Why slow is better in speedy Vietnam – with kombucha entrepreneur Faya Nguyen
In Vietnam’s fast-paced F&B landscape, where trends explode and vanish overnight, kombucha entrepreneur Faya Nguyen chose a different path — and it’s working. In this episode, Faya shares how she grew her brand Cultra Brewery from ...
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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27:04
E53: Meet the stand-up comedian who made Durex Vietnam hilariously hyper local
Meet Ankita Ghosh, a creative director and stand up comedian who is based in Ho Chi Minh City and runs Saigon International Comedy. In this episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, she talks about the state of stand up comedy in Vietnam right now, wh...
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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35:32
E52: Is Vietnam's richest demographic being ignored by brands?
Vietnam’s Gen Z may get all the attention but there’s another demographic with deep pockets and untapped potential. In this episode, Ian Paynton speaks with Lai Tien Manh, Managing Director of market research and branding agency MiBrand to unco...
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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26:07
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E51: Redefining "Made in Vietnam" with the rise of homegrown innovation
Thomas Binh Do is the Director for Global Business and Cooperation at VINASA, the Vietnam Software and IT Services Association. Using his experience working with more than 600 of Vietnam's tech companies, Thomas explains why Vietnam is so well ...
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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34:20
E50: Patriotism and PR disasters: What global brands MUST know about Vietnam
On the 50th episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, we talk to PR expert Minh Duc, who shares why 2025 is such a big year for Vietnam's PR and media sector. He reveals what you need to know about Vietnamese patriotism as a global brand and how you c...
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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33:11
E49: Vietnam’s digital shake-up: Threads, Facebook's fightback and the banking app boom
Ho Thuy Tien and Thue Quist Thomassen from market research agency Decision Lab return to You Don’t Know Vietnam to break down their latest Connected Consumer...
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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32:42
E48: How to make your global brand relevant in Vietnam - with Tammy Thi Phan
Tammy Thi Phan is a Chief Digital Marketing Officer who spent most of her professional life overseas working for some of the biggest global brands. She spent eight years working at Google in ...
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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29:55
E47: Inside Vietnam’s blockchain takeover: Cris D. Tran on grit, growth and gaming
Cris D. Tran is a leading voice in Vietnam's blockchain space. He's the Regional General Manager Web3 (SEA) and Head of Growth (VN) at The Sandbox, a community-driven application that connects brands w...
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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36:15
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E46: Vietnam market entry updates: 6 tips CEOs must know to avoid failure
Vietnam's market readiness signals are everywhere. And they are strong. GDP growth is solid YoY with no signs of slowing down, and Foreign Direct Investment is at record highs. But what should CEOs be doing to get beneath the headlines and avoi...
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Season 1
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Episode 46
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35:20
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E45: The delicate art of doing business in Vietnam - with fine dining chef patron Quang Dung
Quang Dung is the Chef Patron of Chapter Dining and Grill and Tales Saigon, which are two restaurants helping to raise the bar and push the boundaries in...
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Season 1
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Episode 45
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41:51
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E44: Can Esports become Vietnam’s biggest entertainment export?
TK Nguyen is as high energy as the industry he's working in: Esports. As the CEO of GAM Entertainment, TK leads Vietnam's most successful Esports League of Legends team as they continue to represent Vietnam on the world stage. Today, TK tells m...
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Season 1
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Episode 44
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38:19
E43: Expert insights for recruiting (and keeping!) talented teams in Vietnam
In this episode of #YouDontKnowVietnam, we speak to HR expert
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Season 1
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Episode 43
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40:27
E42: I've been a business lawyer in Vietnam for 20 years. Here's my tips for newcomers!
If your company is looking for a piece of the action in Vietnam this year, this episode is for you. In this instalment of You Don't Know Vietnam, Ian talks to Jerome Buzenet, a business lawyer with 20 years of experience in Vietnam. As ...
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Season 1
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Episode 42
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35:12
E41: What Vietnamese foodies want from restaurant brands
If anyone knows about Vietnam's foodies it's Dao Chi Anh, the Director of Corporate Brand & Marketing at Golden Gate Restaurant Group. In her role, Chi Anh is across a massive 500 restaurants from 50 brands, from hotpot concepts such as Man...
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Season 1
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Episode 41
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41:38
E40: Why your brand MUST connect with Vietnamese women (and how!)
Angélique Masse Nguyen and Duong Phan founded NOI, an agency that helps brands understand and communicate better with Vietnamese women. In this episode, they explain how Vietnamese women hold most of the purchasing power in Vietnam but still fe...
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Season 1
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Episode 40
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35:16
E39: Fighting the dark side of Vietnam's rapid development: human trafficking
On this episode of You Don't Know Vietnam, we have the pleasure of talking to Michael Brosowski, the Founder and Strategic Director of Blue Dragon - a children's foundation that's been doing some of the most important and awe-inspiring work in ...
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Season 1
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Episode 39
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1:06:38
