HO CHI MINH CITY: Brands are finding success in Vietnam by bringing Tet traditions into the modern age with video and social media, according to an industry figure.

Tet, the Lunar New Year festival, is the biggest holiday in the Vietnamese calendar, with locals celebrating the occasion with family and friends, often travelling back to their hometown for that purpose.

But as Vietnam modernises rapidly, brands are having to reassess their approach to marketing around this event.

The old-school approach to celebrating Tet might still be relevant to a certain extent, but Edwards Than of Purpose Group argues that the representations of traditional values must move with changes in people's lives and consumption habits.

Video and branded content, for example, offer huge opportunities. (For more, including practical advice on bringing traditional values into the modern media landscape, read Than's article on Warc: Bringing Traditional Tet Into Modern Life In Vietnam.)

YouTube data show that Vietnam is one of the fastest-growing video markets in the world: the amount of time Vietnamese spend watching video content is growing 120% year on year; and 78% of all internet users watch videos on a weekly basis.

And as Tet is the longest holiday in the Vietnamese calendar, people have rare free time to spend in this activity. Long-form branded content, for example, is popular during these times.

Brands should also consider mobile content, Than advises, because more than 50% of the time spent watching Tet ads is spent on a mobile device.

For brands, the holiday also offers an opportunity to engage with Vietnamese consumers at a time when goodwill is high. Vietnamese donate their time to social causes as part of the pre-holiday tradition; and as well as being more willing to do good deeds, they are more open to brand social responsibility.

It is highly advantageous for brands to employ CSR during Tet to promote doing good, says Than. It is also the perfect time to resonate and connect with targeted consumers.

Data sourced from Purpose Group; additional content by Warc staff