Brand recall emerges as new driver of advertising effectiveness

The topic was a focus of the Vietnam CEO & CMO Summit 2026 on Brand Growth, held in Ho Chi Minh City on June 24 under the theme “Seen Repeatedly – Redefining the Logic of Advertising Effectiveness.”

Organized by Chicilon Media, the event brought together nearly 200 executives, marketers, and brand leaders from sectors including food and beverage, dairy, finance, insurance, real estate, automotive, consumer electronics, and retail.

Participants discussed how businesses are reassessing advertising effectiveness and adapting brand-building strategies in an increasingly competitive market. Across summit sessions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, economists, business executives, market researchers, and marketing specialists highlighted the growing importance of maintaining consumer awareness beyond simply maximizing audience reach.

According to the speakers, the value of advertising lies not only in being seen but also in remaining in consumers’ memories.

Vietnam’s economy continues to show positive growth momentum. According to Dr. Can Van Luc, Chief Economist at BIDV, public investment, recovering private-sector investment, and sustained foreign direct investment are expected to support economic expansion over the next two years. As competition increases, he said, businesses may need to place greater emphasis on strengthening brand positioning alongside operational growth.

From a consumer research perspective, Le Minh Trang, Senior Director at NIQ, said shoppers are becoming more selective in their spending and often gravitate toward brands they already recognize and trust. This trend, she said, underscores the potential value of maintaining brand familiarity among consumers.

The rapid expansion of digital media has also complicated efforts to evaluate advertising performance. Many online advertisements are skipped quickly, raising questions about whether impressions alone accurately reflect consumer attention or engagement.

Dr. Can Van Luc, Chief Economist at BIDV, speaking at the event. Photo courtesy of Chicilon Media

Speaking at the event, Guo Zhi Feng, Chairman of Chicilon Media, said the industry has spent the past two decades discussing media, internet traffic, digital transformation, and, more recently, artificial intelligence. Despite technological advances, however, brands continue to face the same fundamental challenge. An advertisement being memorable many times doesn’t mean consumers will remember it that many times.

“The logic of measuring advertising effectiveness should return to the fundamentals of communication,” he said. “The beginning of communication is being seen; the essence of communication is being seen repeatedly; the outcome of communication is being remembered.”

Marketing specialists at the event noted that purchasing decisions are typically influenced by repeated interactions with a brand rather than a single advertising exposure. As a result, many companies are placing greater emphasis on long-term awareness and brand recall as part of their marketing strategies.

While companies previously focused on maximizing reach and impressions, brand recall is increasingly regarded as a more meaningful measure of communication effectiveness. Large consumer brands including TH True Milk, Oppo, Coca-Cola, and Unilever continue to invest in sustained visibility campaigns aimed at maintaining consumer awareness.

Participants seeing the display area and exhibition at the event. Photo courtesy of Chicilon Media

Against this backdrop, elevator advertising has attracted interest from advertisers because it offers repeated exposure in locations that consumers visit regularly.

According to research from Fifty5Blue, elevator media achieved a 99% visibility rate, an 87% attention rate, and an 82% content recall rate.

According to speakers at the summit, these results may be influenced by factors such as close viewing distances, limited distractions, repeated exposure, and the time consumers spend waiting in elevator areas.

In premium residential developments and Grade A office buildings, elevator media also provides direct access to consumers with stable incomes and strong purchasing power. The integration of NFC technology further enables advertisers to combine brand building with consumer engagement, helping shorten the journey from awareness and recall to purchase.

The event provided a networking and discussion gathering for Vietnam’s leading business leaders. Photo courtesy of Chicilon Media

Following the two summit editions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, participants agreed that advertising effectiveness should no longer be measured solely by impressions or audience reach. As competition continues to intensify, the ability to create lasting brand recall is becoming an increasingly important driver of sustainable brand growth.