Advertisement on CNN: Vietnam should learn the lesson
Commenting about the 30-second video clip broadcasted on the US CNN channel, Patrick Gaveau, Marketing Director of Focus Asia, a travel firm, said that the message of the clip cannot go to where it needs to go.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has listed the advertisement about
Vietnam's tourism on CNN channel as one of the most 10 outstanding events of Vietnam's tourism industry in 2007. However, travel firms seem to disagree with that viewpoint.
In fact, Vietnamese tourism officials have every reason to feel happy when the 30-second clip about Vietnam's tourism can be broadcasted on such a popular channel in the world. They had to work hard in the last four years to prepare for the event.
Travel firms could not believe that the Government would spend nearly $275,000 on advertising for Vietnam's tourism.
It was the right time for Vietnam to introduce its tourism to the world. The advertisements will help engrave the word Vietnam in the minds of foreign tourists, said Nguyen Huyen, Deputy General Director of Saigontourism.
The clip provides the typical images of the land, people and culture of Vietnam. Ha Long Bay, Hue city, Da Nang city, Hanoi and HCM City, and many other landscapes are introduced to the world.
When asked why the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) decided to advertise on CNN, not any other channels, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said: CNN is the most popular television channel in the world so the advertising impacts will be stronger. Firstly we advertise Vietnam tourism on CNN and then others?.
However, other travel firms do not think that the advertisement on CNN would bring the expected effects. They said that VNAT should have made a thorough survey to find out where it should place advertisements.
Vietnam wants to introduce Vietnam's tourism to the Asian market. However, Vietnam's potential clients in South Korea, Japan and China do not watch the English-speaking channel when they look for the information on regional tourism.
Meanwhile, European tourists do not think of accessing the information about Vietnam's tourism in English in CNN for Asia.
Mr Gaveau from Focus Asia said that the advertisement programme cannot reach the targeted goal, adding that it is very good to advertise on an international channel like CNN, but it is too expensive when Vietnam has little money.
Noel Irwin Hentschel, Chairwoman of the US-based AmericanTours International LLC also shares the same view with Mr Gaveau. She said that she heard about the advertisement programme, but she could not see in the US.
Advertising in the US proves to be very costly, therefore, Vietnam should understand well who is the target client to decide where to place advertisements.
Mr Gaveau said that his company and many other companies can contribute money and give suggestions about the content of advertisements, but VNAT has never consulted with the companies. He said that tourism promotion is the worst problem of Vietnam, not because of money, but because of the lack of the vision and strategy.
Than Hai Thanh, General Director of Ben Thanh Tourist, also said that his company can contribute money to the tourism promotion. However, it will do this only when it can see the benefit the promotion programmes can bring to it.
In fact, Vietnamese tourism officials have every reason to feel happy when the 30-second clip about Vietnam's tourism can be broadcasted on such a popular channel in the world. They had to work hard in the last four years to prepare for the event.
Travel firms could not believe that the Government would spend nearly $275,000 on advertising for Vietnam's tourism.
It was the right time for Vietnam to introduce its tourism to the world. The advertisements will help engrave the word Vietnam in the minds of foreign tourists, said Nguyen Huyen, Deputy General Director of Saigontourism.
The clip provides the typical images of the land, people and culture of Vietnam. Ha Long Bay, Hue city, Da Nang city, Hanoi and HCM City, and many other landscapes are introduced to the world.
When asked why the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) decided to advertise on CNN, not any other channels, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh said: CNN is the most popular television channel in the world so the advertising impacts will be stronger. Firstly we advertise Vietnam tourism on CNN and then others?.
However, other travel firms do not think that the advertisement on CNN would bring the expected effects. They said that VNAT should have made a thorough survey to find out where it should place advertisements.
Vietnam wants to introduce Vietnam's tourism to the Asian market. However, Vietnam's potential clients in South Korea, Japan and China do not watch the English-speaking channel when they look for the information on regional tourism.
Meanwhile, European tourists do not think of accessing the information about Vietnam's tourism in English in CNN for Asia.
Mr Gaveau from Focus Asia said that the advertisement programme cannot reach the targeted goal, adding that it is very good to advertise on an international channel like CNN, but it is too expensive when Vietnam has little money.
Noel Irwin Hentschel, Chairwoman of the US-based AmericanTours International LLC also shares the same view with Mr Gaveau. She said that she heard about the advertisement programme, but she could not see in the US.
Advertising in the US proves to be very costly, therefore, Vietnam should understand well who is the target client to decide where to place advertisements.
Mr Gaveau said that his company and many other companies can contribute money and give suggestions about the content of advertisements, but VNAT has never consulted with the companies. He said that tourism promotion is the worst problem of Vietnam, not because of money, but because of the lack of the vision and strategy.
Than Hai Thanh, General Director of Ben Thanh Tourist, also said that his company can contribute money to the tourism promotion. However, it will do this only when it can see the benefit the promotion programmes can bring to it.
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