This is my presentation for Vietbeauty on 22 August 2019 in HSMC, Vietnam looking at the importance of understanding culture and cultural differences to build a successful local brand. Using examples from published data, I show how data and standard research approaches reveal some aspects of culture, but true understanding requires more qualitative approaches including ethnography and semiotics-inspired qualitative approaches, demonstrated with examples from three Asian countries.

2. How to Grow a Brand
in Vietnam:
Understanding your
consumer culture

3. Understanding Local
Beauty Culture
• Why is culture important for
local brands?
• How is Asian beauty different
from Western beauty?
• What makes each Asian
beauty culture unique?

4. Geert Hofstede (b. 1928)
“Culture is the collective
programming of the
mind … that
distinguishes the
members of one group
from another.”

5. Hofstede’s dimensions of culture
Power
distance
Uncertainty
avoidance
Individualism -
Collectivism
Tough -
Tender
Time
orientation
Restraint -
Indulgence

6. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Power Distance Individualism Toughness/Masculinity Uncertainty avoidance Long term orientation Indulgence
Australia Japan South Korea Indonesia Thailand Vietnam
ASEAN cultures are strongly collectivist and
relatively hierarchical compared with others
*Based on data from Hofstede-insights.com (Geert Hofstede)

7. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Power Distance Individualism Toughness/Masculinity Uncertainty avoidance Long term orientation Indulgence
Australia Japan South Korea Indonesia Thailand Vietnam
ASEAN cultures are strongly collectivist and
relatively hierarchical compared with others
*Based on data from Hofstede-insights.com (Geert Hofstede)
Are these differences important?
1. Usage of hair conditioners & hair styling correlates with INDULGENCE
2. Usage of cleansing cream correlates with TIME ORIENTATION
3. Low PDI countries use cosmetics to look young, while high PDI countries
use them as status symbols

8. Edward T. Hall (1914-2009)
“Culture hides much
more than it reveals. And
strangely enough what it
hides, it hides most
effectively from its own
participants.”

9. Based on most popular word choices, women from four
countries want to feel Confident, but what does that mean?
“What is the beauty that you desire for yourself?” (top 5 words & phrases)
Australia U.K. Indonesia Thailand
Confident 53% Confident 55% Confident
(percaya diri)
63% Confident
(มั#นใจ)
49%
Strong 30% Strong 36% Charismatic
(karismatik)
25% Strong
(แข็งแรง)
22%
In control 23% In control 22% Loving
(mercintai)
23% Charismatic
(คนที*เป็นแบบอย่างที*ดี)
20%
Loving 19% Loving 18% Unpretentious
(bersahaja)
20% Unconventional
(ห่วงใย ใส่ใจ)
20%
Charismatic 15% Charismatic 17% Original
(asli)
18% Creative
(ความคิดสร้างสรรค์)
19%
Source: TapestryWorks Beauty Culture survey, , August 2017, n=1,214
Is this skew due to translation, literal
thinking or multiple contextual meanings?

10. Global beauty cultures have much in common
“What is the beauty that you desire for yourself?” (top 5 Western images)
Australia U.K. Indonesia Thailand
Source: TapestryWorks Beauty Culture survey, , August 2017, n=1,214, “What is beauty that you desire for yourself?”

11. Differences between cultures are clear
“What is the beauty that you desire for yourself?” (top 5 Western images)
Australia U.K. Indonesia Thailand
Source: TapestryWorks Beauty Culture survey, , August 2017, n=1,214, “What is beauty that you desire for yourself?”

12. Japanese women see
Beauty Through a
Looking Glass

13. Japanese women value order, structure and harmony
“In terms of inner beauty, a person who can be graceful and nice to
everyone.” (Tokyo, 21, single student)
“Ability to listen to others is important.” (36, single & working)
Polite behavior
“I want to be independent. But
at the same time, I’m
concerned about what other
people think about me.”
(Tokyo, 23, single & working)
“I think the respectful
language represents
Japanese unique culture.
The attitude of showing
respect for elders and
superiors is cool.” (Tokyo, 22,
single student)
Respect
Source: Focus group discussions, Tokyo, May 2016

14. Successful Japanese brands focus on purity and simplicity
ORBIS and HAKU are starkly simple and pure, and even more sophisticated brands that focus on
confidence, have a clean, simple and elegant look and feel (e.g., Shiseido & SK-II)
Source: Desk research & semiotic analysis, Tokyo, May & June 2016

15. South Korean women compete
in “The Beauty Games”

16. South Korean women value a naturally beautiful body and
are prepared to work for it
“Beauty requires regular exercise and
managing yourself.”
(Seoul, 34, working mother)
“[Beauty is] the body shape after a diet or
females that have nice body shape”
(Seoul, 33, working & married)
“You need to be physically fit in order to
keep working out to maintain a tight
bodyline. This plays an important role in
how people see you and get attracted to
you.” (Seoul, 29, working)
Source: Focus group discussions, Seoul, May 2016

17. Successful Korean brands communicate this striving for perfection
Even Natural and Fun brands have a very finished and “perfect” feel to them, although they never
show the effort required to achieve the end result
Source: Desk research & semiotic analysis, Seoul, May & June 2016

18. Indonesian women value
the beauty of friends

19. Hanging out with friends is important for staying
beautiful (for many in Malaysia too)
“I love hanging out with friends. We talk
and laugh out loud when we meet. Even
though you’re not pretty, when you smile
you will look beautiful. The most
important thing about having a beautiful
face is smiling. If you look sad, you will
look ugly” (Jakarta, 22, working)
“I need special time to hang out
with my friends. Hanging out with
friends makes us look young”
(Jakarta, 40, working mother)
“You don’t mind to do anything, Even if
you have a big laugh, it is still beautiful
… don’t care what people say.”
(KL, 26, working single)
Source: Focus group discussions, Jakarta & KL, May 2016

20. Friends are even an important consideration in shopping habits
Indonesian women love to go to malls to shop for products
Online reviews/research,
blogs, forums
Discovery Research Purchase
Online Store (Reputable)
Offline Store (Mall)
Offline store + Sales personnel
*More
commonly
used
Friend/family
Recommendations
#1 (#2) #2 (#3)
#4 (#1)
#3 (#3)#1 (#1)
Not important for discovery, but
very useful for users
#1 (#1)
Beauty
articles
Video
advertising
#2 (#2)
*importance & (usefulness)
#3 (#4)
Source: Focus group discussions and online survey, May-June 2016

21. Wardah and other local brands have a strong sense of acceptance
Wardah, Sariayu and other Indonesian local brands encapsulate the feeling of Acceptance and Belonging
with casual settings and everyday makeup styles. Increasingly, international brands are following suit.
Source: Desk research & semiotic analysis, Jakarta, May & June 2016

22. Aspiration, Acceptance, Perfection and Purity are key cultural codes
for female beauty across four countries in Asia
ACTIVE
PASSIVE
IMPERSONAL
PERSONAL
ASPIRATION
Celebrity driven,
community focused,
hierarchical, high power
distance and indulgence
PURITY
Simplicity, nature
focused, conformity from
order and tradition, high
uncertainty avoidance
PERFECTION
Pragmatic, competitive,
disciplined, low
indulgence and high long
term orientation
ACCEPTANCE
People focused, strong
interpersonal bonds,
group identity, low
individualism
Source: Semiotic analysis, focus group discussions and online survey, May-June 2016

23. “Fish can’t
see water.”

24. Growing a beauty
brand in Vietnam
• Understand local culture
• Reflect customer values
• Be implicitly local

26. Brazil
VIETNAM
France
Germany
HONG KONG
INDIA
INDONESIA
Italy
JAPAN
SOUTH KOREA
MALAYSIA
PAKISTAN
PHILIPPINES
Russia
SINGAPORE
South Africa
TAIWAN
THAILAND
Turkey
UK
USA
CHINA
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
How about differences in colour cosmetic use?
Individualism
Uncertaintyavoidance
Variety
Brand less important
Conformity
Face
Status brands
(higher power distance)
Style, social status
Scientific claims
Well-known brands
Young
Self-enhancement
Uniqueness
(lower power distance)
*Based on data from Hofstede-insights.com and Marieke de Mooij (2019)

27. Brazil
VIETNAM
France
Germany
HONG KONG
INDIA
INDONESIA
Italy
JAPAN
SOUTH KOREA
MALAYSIA
PAKISTAN
PHILIPPINES
Russia
SINGAPORE
South Africa
TAIWAN
THAILAND
Turkey
UK
USA
CHINA
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Views of physical appearance and fashion differ
around the world
Individualism
Uncertaintyavoidance
Harmony
Conformity
Informal
Well groomed
Harmony
Conformity
Formal
Unique self
Fashion
Formal
Unique self
Independence
Informal
*Based on data from Hofstede-insights.com (Geert Hofstede)

28. Brazil
VIETNAM
France
Germany
HONG KONG
INDIA
INDONESIA
Italy
JAPAN
SOUTH KOREA
MALAYSIA
PAKISTAN
PHILIPPINES
Russia
SINGAPORE
South Africa
TAIWAN
THAILAND
Turkey
UK
USA
CHINA
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
ASEAN countries are not the same
Individualism
Uncertaintyavoidance
Harmony
Conformity
Informal
Well groomed
Harmony
Conformity
Formal
Unique self
Fashion
Formal
Unique self
Independence
Informal
*Based on data from Hofstede-insights.com (Geert Hofstede)