Ho Chi Minh City, the economic locomotive of the country, is witnessing a strong explosion of the Marketing and Advertising market (Agency). Not only is it the gathering place for multinational corporations (Global Agency) like Dentsu, Ogilvy, TBWA, Ho Chi Minh City is also the cradle of numerous creative and flexible Local Agencies such as Vinalink, PMAX, Tinh Hoa Media…

1. The Rise of the Agency Market in Ho Chi Minh City

The 2024 – 2025 period is forecasted as the “golden” time for transformation, when online advertising budgets are expected to account for more than 50% of total industry spending. The scale of Vietnam's digital marketing market is estimated to reach 1.6 billion USD in 2024 and head towards an impressive figure of 4.6 billion USD by 2033.

2. Digital Marketing Trends Shaping the Future (2025)

The market is not standing still. To survive, Agencies in Ho Chi Minh City are racing with the latest technology trends:

• AI Marketing (Artificial Intelligence): No longer a distant concept, AI is being widely applied in content creation, personalizing customer experiences, and optimizing advertising. The collaboration between humans and AI (Human-AI Collaboration) is becoming the new standard for performance.
• Video Short-form & Livestream: With the dominance of TikTok and Facebook Reels, short-form video content is the “king”. Agencies must shift from static formats to dynamic content to retain viewers.
• Social Commerce: Shopping combined with entertainment right on social media platforms is exploding, especially the Livestream selling format (Shoppertainment).

3. List of Major Agencies in Saigon

The Ho Chi Minh City market is diverse with many segments, from global corporations to domestic companies that understand the market:

Global Agencies: Dentsu Vietnam, Ogilvy & Mather, TBWA Group, Leo Burnett. These are names that guarantee overall strategy and professional international branding.

Performance Agencies: PMAX, CleverAds, Novaon. These units focus on commitments to sales, leads, and conversions for businesses.

Digital Full-service: Vinalink, SEONGON, DPS Media. Providing comprehensive solutions from SEO, Content to multi-channel advertising.

4. Technology and People: The Strategic Handshake

One of the important highlights of this year is the “reconciliation” between technology and human creativity. AI does not replace Marketers, but AI helps Marketers work much more efficiently.

5. Opportunities and Challenges in the New Phase

Opportunities: Young population, high smartphone usage rate, and developed internet infrastructure create favorable conditions for digital campaigns. Economic recovery also encourages businesses to spend more boldly on brands.

Challenge: The amended Advertising Law (effective 2026) will tighten regulations on content on cross-border platforms. In addition, fierce price competition and increasingly high requirements for effectiveness (ROI) from Clients are also difficult challenges for Agencies.

Conclusion

The Agency market in Ho Chi Minh City is entering the strongest transformation phase of the decade. To succeed, businesses not only need to keep up with technology trends but also maintain creative identity and understand local culture.