Founded in 2008, YouNet Group is now the leading company in Vietnam in the field of social media listening. YouNet’s clients include more than 500 companies seeking to measure and analyze online consumer behavior to support communication and marketing activities.
The year 2024 marks a strong transformation for YouNet, the most recent being the addition of Fanscom Digital Agency, expanding its data-driven marketing ecosystem from measurement to execution under YouNet Group.
On the occasion of YouNet’s 16th anniversary, Mr. Nguyen Anh Hoa – CEO and Founder of YouNet Group – spoke with reporters and shared insights about the company’s upcoming transformation journey.
Having long been the market leader in social listening services and technology for businesses, what motivated YouNet to carry out such major restructuring efforts, Mr. Hoa?
Mr. Nguyen Anh Hoa: The biggest driving force behind YouNet’s restructuring is the rapid growth of the online commerce market in Vietnam, which we have observed through our role as a measurement and analytics provider.
According to data from YouNet ECI, a member company of YouNet Group specializing in e-commerce market data analysis, the total transaction value across four major platforms – Shopee, Tiki, Lazada, and TikTok Shop – reached 11.8 billion USD in 2023.
Looking at the bigger picture, according to reliable sources, the total GMV (Gross Merchandise Value) of Online Commerce – including e-commerce and social commerce – is around 21.8 billion USD per year, accounting for 10.87% of total retail value. If transactions on brand websites (brand.com) and online retail platforms (such as thegioididong, concung, etc.) are included, the GMV is even higher. We forecast that by 2030, the digital commerce market, encompassing all of these platforms, will account for up to 35% of Vietnam’s retail market, fundamentally changing product distribution structures and marketing approaches.
At present, some product categories on e-commerce platforms, such as baby formula, facial serums, and sunscreen, already see over 60% of their transaction value coming from official brand stores.
Therefore, YouNet’s clients view online commerce as a strategic channel. They come to us with the need to measure, analyze, and execute long-term business strategies on this channel. Their focus is not only on building brand awareness but also on increasing market share, driving revenue, and capturing market dominance.
To accompany brands in their online commerce strategies, YouNet must continuously innovate and lead in the field of data. We aim to be a strategic partner in developing and executing businesses’ online strategies, acting as a data navigator to guide them through this journey.
It is known that after 16 years of establishment and development, YouNet Group has evolved into a parent company model with seven member companies. In 2024, with the restructuring, how will these subsidiaries be organized?
Mr. Nguyen Anh Hoa: YouNet’s ecosystem has been restructured into four strategic pillars: Social Intelligence (social media listening and analytics), E-commerce Intelligence (e-commerce data listening and analytics), Marketing Services (data-driven marketing), and Software Services (software solutions for online commerce).
The Social Intelligence and E-commerce Intelligence divisions, consisting of three member companies: YouNet Media, Buzzmetrics, and YouNet ECI continue to provide valuable data insights, supporting brands in analyzing, measuring, and improving performance on both social media and e-commerce platforms.
The Marketing Services division including YouNet Advocacy Marketing, Mango Digital, and Fanscom Digital Agency inherits data and insights from the Social Intelligence and E-commerce Intelligence divisions. From there, they develop new marketing methodologies aimed at delivering stronger, more measurable business results.
The Software Services division, currently represented by YouNet Social, will be expanded to offer software and services that help businesses engage with customers, enhance customer care, and improve brand experience (social engagement). The goal of this division is to provide data that supports analysis and the enhancement of customer experience.
By combining these four divisions, YouNet’s ecosystem delivers an end-to-end service chain from measurement and analysis to execution. This comprehensive and seamless data-driven solution across Marketing, Customer Experience, and Online Revenue is YouNet’s unique strength, enabling us to accompany businesses in achieving their long-term goals.
When aiming to accompany businesses, how can the member companies within the ecosystem integrate their services to achieve this goal after the restructuring?
Mr. Nguyen Anh Hoa: Through many years of working closely with clients, we have found that businesses always seek partners who not only provide services but also deeply understand their objectives, business context, and target audiences in order to offer strategic consulting, not just execution.
With that mindset, we accompany businesses in two key ways:
First, by partnering with them to conquer online commerce, and second, by supporting them in their journey to expand into international markets.
To achieve these two objectives, each division within the YouNet ecosystem must connect its services around a unified model called the YouNet Consulting Model.
This model built upon a combination of data technology and over 15 years of consulting experience empowers YouNet’s clients to simultaneously gain valuable insights and actionable solutions for their communication and marketing challenges.
As mentioned earlier, could you share more details about YouNet’s consulting model? What makes this model unique?
Mr. Nguyen Anh Hoa: YouNet Group’s consulting model is designed to create Business Impact for clients, built upon two core components: Actionable Insights and Actionable Services.
Actionable Insights are developed based on the YouNet Insight Framework, which defines four levels of data analytics application:
- Descriptive (What happened): Using data to describe what has occurred.
- Diagnostic (Why it happened): Analyzing data to understand the reasons behind it.
- Predictive: Forecasting what is likely to happen.
- Prescriptive: Recommending actions to achieve desired outcomes, by combining multiple data sources and computational models to solve business questions.
Actionable Services are implemented through the offerings of two divisions: Marketing Services and Software Services. Within the Marketing Services division, each company develops distinct data-driven marketing methodologies:
- Mango Digital: A creative agency that leverages data on consumer behaviors, barriers, and triggers on social media to develop relevant ideas and communication campaigns. Mango Digital has built its own proprietary methodology to identify the most precise social audiences, deliver targeted messaging, and measure real user responses.
- YouNet Advocacy Marketing: A pioneering agency in Advocacy Marketing in Vietnam, utilizing social listening and advanced influencer/advocate analytics. It provides strategic solutions for identifying, engaging, and leveraging social advocates to generate tangible value for brands.
- Fanscom: Develops the SOCIALVATION solution, designed not only to address traditional marketing goals such as awareness and consideration, but also to drive acceptance, ensuring brands and products are embraced by their target consumers.
The Business Impact created for clients is continuously monitored and refined through higher-level applications of the Insight Framework, enabling YouNet to deliver increasingly valuable insights throughout the client partnership journey.
What about YouNet’s direction in accompanying businesses on their journey to expand internationally, could you share more about that?
Mr. Nguyen Anh Hoa: Currently, 95% of YouNet’s clients are multinational corporations and leading local enterprises. In recent years, true to our role as a long-term partner, we have begun providing services to clients across the region.
For domestic businesses, especially industry leaders, the trend of expanding into regional and global markets is becoming increasingly strong. YouNet’s mission is to help these companies access valuable market analysis and insights in the countries they aim to enter. We now have the capability to offer Social Listening services beyond Vietnam, powered by our proprietary technology and a global partner network.
In other words, YouNet acts as a data navigator, accompanying Vietnamese businesses as they reach out to the world. This is a long-term mission that YouNet is firmly committed to fulfilling.
